Phili 1:22-26 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 22. But if I live in the flesh . If I continue to live; if I am not condemned, and made a martyr at my approaching trial. This is the fruit of my labour . The meaning of this passage, which has given much perplexity to commentators, it seems to me is, "If I live in the flesh, it will cost me labour; it will be attended, as it has been, with much effort and anxious care, and I know not which to prefer--whether to remain on the earth with these cares and the hope of doing good, or to go at once to a world of rest." A more literal version of the Greek will show that this is the meaning-- τουτομοικαρποςεργου "this to me is [or would be] the fruit of labour." Coverdale, however, renders it, "Inasmuch as to live in the flesh is fruitful to me for the work, I wot not what I shall choose." So Luther, "But since to live in the flesh serves to produce more fruit." And so Bloomfield, "But if my life in the flesh be of use to the gospel, (be it so, I say no more,) verily what I shall choose I see and know not." See also Koppe, Rosenmuller, and Calvin, who give the same sense. According to this, the meaning is, that if his life were of value to the gospel, he was willing to live; or that it was a valuable object-- operae pretium --worth an effort thus to live. This sense accords well with the connexion, and the thought is a valuable one, but it is somewhat doubtful whether it can be made out from the Greek. To do it, it is necessary to suppose that μοι-- my --is expletive, (Koppe,) and that και and --is used in an unusual sense. See Erasmus. According to the interpretation first suggested, it means that Paul felt that it would be gain to die, and that he was entirely willing; that he felt that if he continued to live it would involve toil and fatigue; and that therefore, great as was the natural love of life, and desirous as he was to do good, he did not know which to choose-an immediate departure to the world of rest, or a prolonged life of toil and pain, attended even with the hope that he might do good. There was an intense desire to be with Christ, joined with the belief that his life here must be attended with toll and anxiety; and, on the other hand, an earnest wish to live in order to do good, and he knew not which to prefer. Yet . The sense has been obscured by this translation. The Greek word και means and , and should have been so rendered here, in its usual sense. "To die would be gain; my life here would be one of toil, AND I know not which to choose." What I shall choose I wot not . I do not know which I should prefer, if it were left to me. On each side there were important considerations, and he knew not which overbalanced the other. Are not Christians often in this state, that if it were left to themselves they would not know which to choose, whether to live or to die? (*) "wot" "know"

Philippians 1:22-26

Verse 22. But if I live in the flesh. If I continue to live; if I am not condemned, and made a martyr at my approaching trial.

This is the fruit of my labour. The meaning of this passage, which has given much perplexity to commentators, it seems to me is, "If I live in the flesh, it will cost me labour; it will be attended, as it has been, with much effort and anxious care, and I know not which to prefer--whether to remain on the earth with these cares and the hope of doing good, or to go at once to a world of rest."

A more literal version of the Greek will show that this is the meaning-- τουτομοικαρποςεργου "this to me is [or would be] the fruit of labour." Coverdale, however, renders it, "Inasmuch as to live in the flesh is fruitful to me for the work, I wot not what I shall choose." So Luther, "But since to live in the flesh serves to produce more fruit." And so Bloomfield, "But if my life in the flesh be of use to the gospel, (be it so, I say no more,) verily what I shall choose I see and know not." See also Koppe, Rosenmuller, and Calvin, who give the same sense. According to this, the meaning is, that if his life were of value to the gospel, he was willing to live; or that it was a valuable object--operae pretium --worth an effort thus to live. This sense accords well with the connexion, and the thought is a valuable one, but it is somewhat doubtful whether it can be made out from the Greek. To do it, it is necessary to suppose that μοι--my--is expletive, (Koppe,) and that και and --is used in an unusual sense. See Erasmus. According to the interpretation first suggested, it means that Paul felt that it would be gain to die, and that he was entirely willing; that he felt that if he continued to live it would involve toil and fatigue; and that therefore, great as was the natural love of life, and desirous as he was to do good, he did not know which to choose-an immediate departure to the world of rest, or a prolonged life of toil and pain, attended even with the hope that he might do good. There was an intense desire to be with Christ, joined with the belief that his life here must be attended with toll and anxiety; and, on the other hand, an earnest wish to live in order to do good, and he knew not which to prefer.

Yet. The sense has been obscured by this translation. The Greek word και means and, and should have been so rendered here, in its usual sense. "To die would be gain; my life here would be one of toil, AND I know not which to choose."

What I shall choose I wot not. I do not know which I should prefer, if it were left to me. On each side there were important considerations, and he knew not which overbalanced the other. Are not Christians often in this state, that if it were left to themselves they would not know which to choose, whether to live or to die?

(*) "wot" "know" Verse 23. For I am in a straight betwixt two. Two things, each of which I desire. I earnestly long to be with Christ; and I desire to remain to be useful to the world. The word rendered "I am in a strait" συνεχομαι--means, to be pressed on or constrained, as in a crowd; to feel one's self pressed, or pent up, so as not to know what to do; and it here means that he was in perplexity and doubt, and did not know what to choose. "The words of the original are very emphatic. They appear to be derived from a ship when lying at anchor, and when violent winds blow upon it that would drive it out to sea. The apostle represents himself as in a similar condition. His strong affection for them bound his heart to them as an anchor holds a ship to its moorings; and yet there was a heavenly influence bearing upon him--like the gale upon the vessel --which would bear him away to heaven." Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgenland, in loc.

Having a desire to depart. To die--to leave this world for a better. Men, as they are by nature, usually dread to die. Few are even made willing to die. Almost none desire to die--and even then they wish it only as the least of two evils. Pressed down by pain and sorrow, or sick and weary of the world, the mind may be wrought up into a desire to be away. But this, with the world, is in all cases the result of misanthropy, or morbid feeling, or disappointed ambition, or an accumulation many sorrows. Wetstein has adduced on this verse several most beautiful passages from the classic writers, in which men expressed a desire to depart--but all of them probably could be traced to disappointed ambition, or to mental or bodily sorrows, or to dissatisfaction with the world. It was from no such wish that Paul desired to die. It was not because he hated man--for he ardently loved him; it was not because he had been disappointed about wealth and honour--for he had sought neither; it was not because he had not been successful--for no man has been more so; it was not because he had been subjected to pains and imprisonments--for he was willing to bear them; it was not because he was old, and infirm and a burden to the world--for, from anything that appears, he was in the rigour of life, and in the fulness of his strength. It was from a purer, higher motive than any of these--the strength of attachment which bound him to the Saviour, and which made him long to be with him.

And to be with Christ. We may remark on this expression,

(1.) that this was the true reason why he wished to be away. It was his strong love to Christ; his anxious wish to be with him; his firm belief that in his presence was "fulness of joy."

(2.) Paul believed that the soul of the Christian would be immediately with the Saviour at death. It was evidently his expectation that he would at once pass to his presence, and not that he would remain in an intermediate state to some far distant period.

(3.) The soul does not sleep at death. Paul expected to be with Christ, and to be conscious of the fact--to see him, and to partake of his glory.

(4.) The soul of the believer is made happy at death. To be with Christ is synonymous with being in heaven, for Christ is in heaven, and is its glory. We may add,

(a.) that this wish to be with Christ constitutes a marked difference between a Christian and other men. Other men may be willing to die; perhaps be desirous to die, because their sorrows are so great that they feel that they cannot be borne. But the Christian desires to depart from a different motive altogether. It is to be with Christ--and this constitutes a broad line of distinction between him and other men.

(b.) A mere willingness to die, or even a desire to die, is no certain evidence of preparation for death. If this willingness or desire is caused by mere intensity of suffering; if it is produced by disgust at the world, or by disappointment; if it arises from some view of fancied Elysian fields beyond the grave, it constitutes no evidence whatever of preparation for death. I have seen not a few persons who were not professed Christians on a bed of death, and not a few willing to die, nay, not a few who wished to depart. But in the vast majority of instances it was because they were sick of life, or because their pain made them sigh for relief, or because they were so wretched that they did not care what happened--and this they and their friends construed into an evidence that they were prepared to die! In most instances this is a miserable delusion; in no case is a mere willingness to die an evidence of preparation for death.

Which is far better. Would be attended with more happiness; and would be a higher, holier state than to remain on earth. This proves, also, that the soul of the Christian at death is made at once happy--for a state of insensibility can in no way be said to be a better condition than to remain in this present world. The Greek phrase here πολλωμαλλονκρεισσον--is very emphatic, and the apostle seems to labour for language which will fully convey his idea. It means, "by much more, or rather better;" and the sense is, "better beyond all expression." Doddridge. See numerous examples illustrating the phrase in Wetstein. Paul did not mean to say that he was merely willing to die, or that he acquiesced in its necessity, but that the fact of being with Christ was a condition greatly to be preferred to remaining on earth. This is the true feeling of Christian piety; and, having this feeling, death to us will have no terrors.

(a) "to depart" 2Cor 5:8 (b) "far better" Ps 16:11 Verse 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh. To live. All this is language derived from the belief that the soul will be separate from the body at death, and will occupy a separate state of existence.

Is more needful for you. Another object that was dear to the heart of Paul. He never supposed that his life was useless; or that it was a matter of no importance to the cause of religion whether he lived or died. He knew that God works by means; and that the life of a minister of the gospel is of real value to the church and the world. His experience, his influence, his paternal counsels, he felt assured, would be of value to the church; and he had, therefore, a desire to live--and it was no part of his religion affectedly to undervalue or despise himself. Verse 25. And having this confidence. "Being persuaded of this, that my continuance on earth is desirable for your welfare, and that the Lord has a work for me to do, I confidently expect that I shall be permitted to live." The "confidence" here referred to was, that his life was needful for them, and hence that God would spare him. A literal translation would be, "And being persuaded as to this, or of this" τουτοπεποιθως "I know," etc. The foundation of his expectation that he should live does not appear to have been any revelation to that effect, as Doddridge supposes; or any intimation which he had from the palace, of the intentions of the government, as some others suppose; but the fact that he believed his life to be necessary for them, and that therefore God would preserve it.

I know that I shall abide. The word know, however, (οιδα) is not to be pressed as denoting absolute necessity--for it appears from Php 1:27, 2:17, that there was some ground for doubt whether he would live--but is to be taken in a popular sense, as denoting good courage, and an earnest hope, that he would be permitted to live and visit them. Heinrichs.

And continue with you all. That is, that he would be permitted not only to live, but to enjoy their society.

For your furtherance and joy of faith. For the increase of your faith, and the promotion of that joy which is the consequence of faith. Wetstein has quoted a beautiful passage from Seneca (Epis. 104) which strikingly resembles this sentiment of Paul. He says that when a man had meditated death, and when on his own account he would be willing to die, yet that he ought to be willing to live--to come back again to life--for the sake of his friends, he then adds, "It pertains to a great mind to be willing to come back to life for the sake of others; which distinguished men often do." Verse 26. That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Christ Jesus. Through the mercy and grace of Christ. If he was spared, his deliverance would be traced to Christ, and they would rejoice together in one who had so mercifully delivered him.

For me by my coming to you again. Their joy would not only be that he was delivered, but that he was permitted to see them again.