“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:”
My Notes
What Does Philippians 1:6 Mean?
Paul expresses confidence about the Philippians — and about every believer. The one who began a good work in you will complete it. He will carry it through to the day of Jesus Christ.
The word "begun" (enarchomai) means to make a beginning, to inaugurate. The good work was not initiated by you. God started it. And the one who starts things also finishes them.
"Will perform it" means to carry it to completion, to bring it to its intended end. This is a promise against the fear of being left unfinished — that God will start something in you and then walk away. He will not.
"Until the day of Jesus Christ" sets the timeline. The work continues until Jesus returns. You are a project in progress, and the artist has not put down his brush. The incomplete feeling is not evidence of failure. It is evidence that the work is still underway.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where do you feel most 'unfinished' — and how does this verse speak into that?
- 2.How does knowing God started the work change your expectations of yourself?
- 3.What evidence can you see that God is still working in you, even when progress is slow?
- 4.How does the timeline — 'until the day of Jesus Christ' — help you be patient with your own growth?
Devotional
He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it. You are not an abandoned project. You are an ongoing one.
If you feel unfinished — if there are parts of you that are still broken, still struggling, still not where you want to be — this verse says: that is expected. The work is not done. The one who started it is still working on it.
God began the work. Not you. That matters because it means the completion does not depend on your ability to finish yourself. The same God who started the transformation is the one carrying it forward. You are not self-improving. You are being perfected by someone with infinite patience and skill.
Until the day of Jesus Christ. The timeline is longer than you want. You will not be finished today or next month. But the promise is that the work continues — through every failure, every setback, every season where it looks like nothing is happening.
You are under construction. And the builder has never left a project incomplete.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Being confident of this very thing,.... The reason of his thanksgiving, and of his making request with joy continually…
Being confident - This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced; participle, middle…
Being confident - There shall be nothing lacking on God's part to support you; and to make you wise, holy and happy; and…
The apostle proceeds after the inscription and benediction to thanksgiving for the saints at Philippi. He tells them…
Being confident This verse is a parenthesis in the thought, suggested by the continuity "until now"of the Philippians"…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture