Philippians 1:6

Context

Philippians is a letter that Paul, together with Timothy, sent to the church at Philippi. Paul wrote it while in custody (Philippians 1:13). Many scholars hold that it was written from Rome, though some propose Ephesus or Caesarea. The Philippian church was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, when Lydia and her household, among others, came to faith (Acts 16).

Philippians 1:3–11 consists of thanksgiving and prayer. Paul first gives thanks for the church's "fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (1:5). Then, in this verse, he states his confidence that God, who began that work, will bring it to completion: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Immediately afterward, in 1:7, he says that "it is meet for me to think this of you all," grounding this in the believers' participation in his imprisonment and in his defense of the gospel. There is broad agreement that "the day of Jesus Christ" refers to the time of Christ's Second Coming.

Interpretation

• Reformed reading: The Reformed and Calvinist tradition understands the "good work" as the work of salvation that God has begun in the believer. It cites this verse as a leading proof text for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (the teaching that true believers are preserved so that they keep the faith to the end), holding that the salvation God begins will surely be brought to completion. The verse is frequently cited in Presbyterian churches to explain the assurance of salvation.
• Wesleyan and Arminian reading: Methodist and Holiness traditions that follow Wesleyan theology, as well as proponents of Arminianism, agree that the verse emphasizes God's faithfulness. They read Paul's confidence, however, as a pastoral confidence grounded in the visible fruit of the Philippians' faith. Accordingly, they hold that the verse does not rule out the possibility that a person may abandon the faith. Reading it together with Philippians 2:12–13, they stress that human response accompanies the sanctification (the process of being made holy) that God works.
• Contextual reading: Many commentators connect the "good work" with the participation in the gospel mentioned in 1:5, that is, the Philippians' support of Paul's mission and the gifts they sent him (4:15–18). Read this way, the verse expresses confidence that God will carry the community's gospel ministry through to the end. This reading differs from the two preceding interpretations in emphasis rather than standing in opposition to them.

Points of Debate

• Individual or community: Among Korean translations, the Korean Revised Version renders the phrase as "within you," while the Revised New Korean Version renders it as "in/among you." The original expression can be read either as referring to the inner life of an individual or as "among" the believers, that is, the community. The "you" in the original is plural.
• Citation out of context: The verse is sometimes quoted as though it were a promise that personal plans, such as a business venture, school admission, or a building project, will certainly succeed. Critics point out that because the "good work" here refers to the work of salvation and the gospel that God has begun, using the verse as a guarantee that personal plans will succeed departs from its original meaning.

In the Korean Church

The verse is frequently cited as a word of encouragement on occasions that mark a beginning or a completion, such as the New Year, ordination and installation services, graduations, and church founding anniversaries.

Related Passages

• Philippians 2:12–13
• John 10:27–29
• Jude 1:24
• Ephesians 2:10
• Hebrews 13:21