the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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King James Version
Philippians 2:13
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for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
It is this attitude God works through to give you the courage to complete his mission for your life.
For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.
for it is God who works in you both the willing and the working according to [his] good pleasure.
For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.
For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
For it is God that worketh in you according to his good pleasure, both to will and to do.
For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire.
For it is God which worketh in you, both to will, and to doe, of his good pleasure.
for it is God who is working in you both to will and to work for the sake of His good pleasure.
For it is God which worketh in you both the wyll and the deed, euen of his owne good wyll.
for it is God that influences your desires and endeavours, out of his benevolence to you.
For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.
for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
For it is god which worketh in you both ye will and also yt dede eve of good will
for it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.
for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.
for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.
God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.
for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him.
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
For it is God which worketh in you, both the will and the deede, euen of his good pleasure.
For it is God who inspires you with the will to do the good things which you desire to do.
For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.2 Corinthians 3:5; Hebrews 13:21;">[xr]
13 for Aloha himself effectuates [fn] in you also to will, also to do, the thing which you will. [fn]
For God is operating in you, both to purpose, and also to perform that which ye desire.
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.
for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
For it is, God, who energiseth within you, both the desiring and the energising, in behalf of his good pleasure.
For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.
For the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure, is God.
For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of good wyll.
Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it.
for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.
because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.
For it is God that worchith in you, bothe to wilne, and to performe, for good wille.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
God: 2 Chronicles 30:12, Isaiah 26:12, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32:38, John 3:27, Acts 11:21, 2 Corinthians 3:5, Hebrews 13:21, James 1:16-18
to will: 1 Kings 8:58, 1 Chronicles 29:14-18, Ezra 1:1, Ezra 1:5, Ezra 7:27, Nehemiah 2:4, Psalms 110:3, Psalms 119:36, Psalms 141:4, Proverbs 21:1, John 6:45, John 6:65, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Titus 3:4, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3
good: Luke 12:32, Romans 9:11, Romans 9:16, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:9
Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:7 - General Deuteronomy 30:8 - General Judges 5:2 - when 1 Samuel 14:45 - he hath 1 Chronicles 14:15 - then thou 1 Chronicles 22:16 - Arise Ezra 7:13 - minded Nehemiah 2:18 - So they strengthened Nehemiah 4:6 - had a mind Nehemiah 7:5 - put into mine Job 33:29 - all Psalms 51:18 - thy Psalms 63:8 - thy Psalms 80:18 - quicken Psalms 119:35 - Make me Psalms 119:112 - inclined Psalms 119:176 - seek Proverbs 16:1 - preparations Song of Solomon 1:4 - Draw Song of Solomon 5:4 - put Jeremiah 31:18 - turn Ezekiel 36:27 - cause Ezekiel 37:24 - they shall Hosea 14:8 - From me Haggai 1:14 - and they Matthew 13:33 - till Luke 13:24 - Strive John 1:13 - nor of the will of man John 3:21 - that his John 6:27 - Labour not Acts 7:23 - it came Acts 16:14 - whose Romans 3:12 - there is none Romans 7:18 - for to will 1 Corinthians 12:6 - worketh 1 Corinthians 15:10 - yet 2 Corinthians 8:3 - beyond Ephesians 1:19 - exceeding Ephesians 2:10 - we are Philippians 1:6 - begun Colossians 1:29 - his 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - but
Cross-References
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For it is God which worketh in you,.... Which is both an encouragement to persons conscious of their own weakness to work, as before exhorted to; see Haggai 2:4; and a reason and argument for humility and meekness, and against pride and vain glory, since all we have, and do, is from God; and also points out the spring, principle, and foundation of all good works; namely, the grace of God wrought in the heart, which is an internal work, and purely the work of God: by this men become the workmanship of God, created unto good works, Ephesians 2:10, and are new men, and fitted for the performance of acts of righteousness, and true holiness; and this grace, which God works in them, is wrought in a powerful and efficacious manner, so as not to be frustrated and made void. The word here used signifies an inward, powerful, and efficacious operation; and the "king's manuscript", mentioned by Grotius and Hammond, adds another word to it, which makes the sense still stronger, reading it thus, "which worketh in you", δυναμει, "by power"; not by moral persuasion, but by his own power, the power of his efficacious grace. The Alexandrian copy reads, δυναμεις, "powers", or "mighty works": God works in his people
both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure; God works in converted men a will to that which is spiritually good; which is to be understood, not of the formation of the natural faculty of the will; or of the preservation of it, and its natural liberty; or of the general motion of it to natural objects; nor of his influence on it in a providential way; but of the making of it good, and causing a willingness in it to that which is spiritually good. Men have no will naturally to come to Christ, or to have him to reign over them; they have no desire, nor hungerings and thirstings after his righteousness and salvation; wherever there are any such inclinations and desires, they are wrought in men by God; who works upon the stubborn and inflexible will, and, without any force to it, makes the soul willing to be saved by Christ, and submit to his righteousness, and do his will; he sweetly and powerfully draws it with the cords of love to himself, and to his Son, and so influences it by his grace and spirit, and which he continues, that it freely wills everything spiritually good, and for the glory of God: and he works in them also to "do"; for there is sometimes in believers a will, when there wants a power of doing. God therefore both implants in them principles of action to work from, as faith and love, and a regard for his glory, and gives them grace and strength to work with, without which they can do nothing, but having these, can do all things: and all this is "of [his] good pleasure"; the word "his" not being in the original text, some have taken the liberty to ascribe this to the will of man; and so the Syriac version renders it, "both to will and to do that", דצבין אנתון, "which ye will", or according to your good will; but such a sense is both bad and senseless; for if they have a good will of themselves, what occasion is there for God to work one in them? no; these internal operations of divine power and grace are not owing to the will of men, nor to any merits of theirs, or are what God is obliged to do, but what flow from his sovereign will and pleasure; who works when, where, and as he pleases, and that for his own glory; and who continues to do so in the hearts of his people; otherwise, notwithstanding the work of grace in them, they would find very little inclination to, and few and faint desires after spiritual things; and less strength to do what is spiritually good; but God of his good pleasure goes on working what is well pleasing in his sight.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For it is God that worketh in you - This is given as a reason for making an effort to be saved, or for working out our salvation. It is often thought to be the very reverse, and people often feel that if God works “in us to will and to do,” there can be no need of our making an effort, and that there would be no use in it. If God does all the work, say they, why should we not patiently sit still, and wait until He puts forth His power and accomplishes in us what He wills? It is of importance, therefore, to understand what this declaration of the apostle means, in order to see whether this objection is valid, or whether the fact that God “works in us” is to be regarded as a reason why we should make no effort. The word rendered “worketh” - ἐνεργῶν energōn - working - is from a verb meaning to work, to be active to produce effect - and is that from which we have derived the word “energetic.” The meaning is, that God “produces a certain effect in us;” he exerts such an influence over us as to lead to a certain result in our minds - to wit, “to will and to do.” Nothing is said of the mode in which this is done, and probably this cannot be understood by us here; compare John 3:8. In regard to the divine agency here referred to, however, certain things, though of a negative character, are clear:
(1) It is not God who acts for us. He leads us to “will and to do.” It is not said that he wills and does for us, and it cannot be. It is man that “wills and does” - though God so influences him that he does it.
(2) He does not compel or force us against our will. He leads us to will as well as to do. The will cannot be forced; and the meaning here must be that God exerts such an influence as to make us willing to obey Him; compare Psalms 110:3.
(3) It is not a physical force, but it must be a moral influence. A physical power cannot act on the will. You may chain a man, incarcerate him in the deepest dungeon, starve him, scourge him, apply red-hot pincers to his flesh, or place on him the thumb-screw, but the will is still free. You cannot bend that or control it, or make him believe otherwise than as he chooses to believe. The declaration here, therefore, cannot mean that God compels us, or that we are anything else but free agents still, though He “works in us to will and to do.” It must mean merely that he exerts such an influence as to secure this result.
To will and to do of his good pleasure - Not to will and to do everything, but “His good pleasure.” The extent of the divine agency here referred to, is limited to that, and no man should adduce this passage to prove that God “works” in him to lead him to commit sin. This passage teaches no such doctrine. It refers here to Christians, and means that he works in their hearts that which is agreeable to him, or leads them to “will and to do” that which is in accordance with his own will. The word rendered “good pleasure” - εὐδοκία eudokia - means “delight, good-will, favor;” then “good pleasure, purpose, will;” see Ephesians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:11. Here it means that which would be agreeable to him; and the idea is, that he exerts such an influence as to lead people to will and to do that which is in accordance with his will. Paul regarded this fact as a reason why we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is with that view that he urges it, and not with any idea that it will embarrass our efforts, or be a hindrance to us in seeking salvation. The question then is, how this fact can be a motive to us to make an effort? In regard to this we may observe:
(1) That the work of our salvation is such that we need help, and such help as God only can impart. We need it to enable us to overcome our sins; to give us such a view of them as to produce true penitence; to break away from our evil companions; to give up our plans of evil, and to resolve to lead different lives. We need help that our minds may be enlightened; that we may be led in the way of truth; that we may be saved from the danger of error, and that we may not be suffered to fall back into the ways of transgression. Such help we should welcome from any quarter; and any assistance furnished on these points will not interfere with our freedom.
(2) The influence which God exerts on the mind is in the way of help or aid. What He does will not embarrass or hinder us. It will prevent no effort which we make to be saved; it will throw no hindrance or obstacle in the way. When we speak of Gods working “in us to will and to do,” people often seem to suppose that His agency will hinder us, or throw some obstacle in our way, or exert some evil influence on our minds, or make it more difficult for us to work out our salvation than it would be without His agency. But this cannot be. We may be sure that all the influence which God exerts over our minds, will be to aid us in the work of salvation, not to embarrass us; will be to enable us to overcome our spiritual enemies and our sins, and not to put additional weapons into their hands or to confer on them new power. Why should people ever dread the influence of God on their hearts, as if he would hinder their efforts for their own good?
(3) The fact that God works is an encouragement for us to work. When a man is about to set out a peach or an apple tree, it is an encouragement for him to reflect that the agency of God is around him, and that he can cause the tree to produce blossoms, and leaves, and fruit. When he is about to plow and sow his farm, it is an encouragement, not a hindrance, to reflect that God works, and that he can quicken the grain that is sown, and produce an abundant harvest. What encouragement of a higher order can man ask? And what farmer is afraid of the agency of God in the case, or supposes that the fact that God exerts an agency is a reason why he should not plow and plant his field, or set out his orchard? Poor encouragement would a man have in these things if God did not exert any agency in the world, and could not be expected to make the tree grow or to cause the grain to spring up; and equally poor would be all the encouragement in religion without his aid.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. For it is God which worketh in you — Every holy purpose, pious resolution, good word, and good work, must come from him; ye must be workers together with him, that ye receive not his grace in vain; because he worketh in you, therefore work with him, and work out your own salvation.
To will and to do — το θελειν και το ενεργειν. The power to will and the power to act must necessarily come from God, who is the author both of the soul and body, and of all their powers and energies, but the act of volition and the act of working come from the man. God gives power to will, man wills through that power; God gives power to act, and man acts through that power. Without the power to will, man can will nothing; without the power to work, man can do nothing. God neither wills for man, nor works in man's stead, but he furnishes him with power to do both; he is therefore accountable to God for these powers.
Because God works in them the power to will and the power to do, therefore the apostle exhorts them to work out their own salvation; most manifestly showing that the use of the powers of volition and action belongs to themselves. They cannot do God's work, they cannot produce in themselves a power to will and to do; and God will not do their work, he will not work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
Though men have grievously puzzled themselves with questions relative to the will and power of the human being; yet no case can be plainer than that which the apostle lays down here: the power to will and do comes from GOD; the use of that power belongs to man. He that has not got this power can neither will nor work; he that has this power can do both. But it does not necessarily follow that he who has these powers will use them; the possession of the powers does not necessarily imply the use of those powers, because a man might have them, and not use or abuse them; therefore the apostle exhorts: Work out your own salvation.
This is a general exhortation; it may be applied to all men, for to all it is applicable, there not being a rational being on the face of the earth, who has not from God both power to will and act in the things which concern his salvation. Hence the accountableness of man.
Of his good pleasure. — Every good is freely given of God; no man deserves any thing from him; and as it pleaseth him, so he deals out to men those measures of mental and corporeal energy which he sees to be necessary; giving to some more, to others less, but to all what is sufficient for their salvation.
