Philippians: Paul Is Torn Between Two Paths
Philippians 1:21-26 - If you believe, do not be afraid of death. Glorify Christ in everything that you do before passing to Him and ask yourself: What am I living for?
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”
Philippians 1:21-26 NASB1995
Verse 21 of this passage is considered to be one of the key statements that Paul made in all of his epistles. It is so simple, yet so profound! The AI image at the top was my suggestion to Steve when he put together the instructions. Paul is thinking of two outcomes at this juncture. One would result in his immediate gain by dying and being with Christ. But the other, which is to live in Christ, means more fruitful labor for him by continuing on in the flesh for the sake of the saints. He desires to be with Christ, but he also wants to see the faithful continue in their progress and joy.
This commentary from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones quoted in Precept Austin is perfect in its reverent approach to Paul’s words:
We stand here face to face with one of the sublimest and greatest statements ever made, even by this mighty Apostle of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There is a sense in which anyone who faces this verse must feel that he stands on very sacred ground. Indeed, I am ready to admit that I would almost regard it as sacrilege to approach a verse like this in an unworthy manner. Here we have not only the statement of an experience which was true, which was a fact and a reality, but at the same time, and for that reason, we also find ourselves face to face with a standard of judgment. Any God-given experience is sacred, and nothing is further removed from the spirit of the New Testament than approaching a statement like this in a purely objective manner, handling it with our rough hands, bringing our critical or dissecting apparatus to bear upon it. There is something so sublime about it, so delicate and pure, that one is - as always with such verses - confronted with a kind of dilemma. On the one hand, one is afraid of handling it in a detached, so-called scientific manner yet, on the other hand, of course, there is also the danger that, if we do not analyze it up to a point, we fail to realise its inner meaning and its true purpose. One is compelled to do both - to analyse it and try to understand it, while always remembering that it is a living experience and a statement of fact which puts us under judgment. (He and He Alone - Sermon Index)
In our Fear of Missing Out/You Only Live Once materialist culture, who in the world would say that death is gain?? People are terrified of death, including many who claim to be believers. They want to be protected from every risk to life and limb, while ironically also doing really stupid or risky things; they spend lots of money on ways to stay youthful and stay relevant. Isn’t the ultimate goal we hear about is that whoever dies with the most toys wins? Well, someone has to catalog and sell those toys after you die and you will get nothing from the proceeds. But where will you be? Don’t listen to the mockers and materialists who laugh at Christians for “giving up” all of the fun. We have plenty of joy that is based in Him!
For the faithful in Christ, death is not to be feared but should be looked at as the passage to the greatest reward for eternity! I recall when my Dad was in hospice care. A man came down the hallway proclaiming his great joy that his father (a faithful Christian) had passed away. This man was seeing the big picture - his father’s suffering was over and he was now with the Lord! He was sad to lose his father in the moment, but also knew that he would see him again and in a place that cannot be described!
I ran into so much good commentary on this passage that it was hard to pick and choose the best. I do like what Enduring Word said about this:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain: Paul knew that death was not a defeat to the Christian. It is merely a graduation to glory, a net gain for the Christian.
Paul’s death at the time would be a gain in two senses.
First, his death for the cause of Christ would glorify Jesus, and that was gain.
Second, to be in the immediate presence of the Lord was gain for Paul.
The idea that Paul could consider death a present gain argues against the idea of “soul sleep.” This false teaching says that the believing dead are held in some sort of suspended animation until the resurrection occurs. His understanding that his death might be considered gain also argues against the idea of “purgatory” which says that the believing dead must be purified through suffering before coming into the presence of God.
This also obviously showed that Paul did not fear death. Though some men may fear dying, no Christian should fear death. “When men fear death it is not certain that they are wicked, but it is quite certain that if they have faith it is in a very weak and sickly condition.” (Charles Spurgeon)
But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor: Paul was confident that God intended him to be fruitful. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind that this was God’s plan for him. If Paul lived, it would be a fruitful life.
In sad contrast, many Christians have not yet come to the place where it is a certainty that they will bear fruit for the kingdom of God with their life.
For I am hard pressed between the two: Knowing that his death could be a gain – both for the gospel and for him personally – Paul was torn between being with the Lord or continuing to minister to the Philippians and others.
Having a desire to depart and be with Christ: It is strong to say, but one must say that Paul, in some way, wanted to die. In fact, desire describes a strong longing: “He said he had a desire to depart, and the desire was a strong one. The Greek word has much force in it. He panteth, he longeth to be gone.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Other men have also wanted to die.
Some men have wished to die, gripped by the gloom and darkness that leads to suicide.
Some have been so tired of this world and the cruelty of others that they thought death was better.
Some have wanted to die in the crisis of some kind of suffering.
Paul’s desire to depart had nothing in common with these attitudes among men. Paul probably had many motivations to depart.
Going to heaven meant he would finally be done with sin and temptation.
Going to heaven meant that he would see those brothers and sisters who had gone to heaven before him.
Most of all, going to heaven meant being with Christ in a closer and better way than ever before.
Having a desire to depart: “It appears to be a metaphor taken from the commander of a vessel, in a foreign port, who feels a strong desire, to set sail, and get to his own country and family; but this desire is counterbalanced by a conviction that the general interests of the voyage may be best answered by his longer stay in the port where his vessel now rides; for he is not in dock, he is not aground, but rides at anchor in the port, and may any hour weigh and be gone.” (Adam Clarke)
Paul knew that if he did depart, the journey would not be long. “The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How often shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to the sea that knows no storm. Oh tell it, tell it everywhere; yon ship that has just departed is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Guzik notes two things that are false beliefs: Soul sleep (the idea that the soul is held in some kind of stasis until Christ returns) and the idea of Purgatory. Also, that last Spurgeon quote brought tears to my eyes. Heaven is as close to us as the molecules of air surrounding our bodies.
Many of the commentators I read liked the idea of a fill-in-the-blank question that you can ask yourself:
To live is ________ and to die is ________? How would you fill this in? John MacArthur talks about how to respond to this question (from Precept Austin):
"Personalize Paul's message for a moment. Read verse 21 as, "For me, to live is __________, and to die is __________." Then fill in the blanks. If you put "wealth" in the first blank, dying brings not gain but loss. The same is true if you selected prestige, fame, power, or possessions because none of those things remain after death: prestige is lost, fame is forgotten, power is useless, and possessions are given to others. For verse 21 to make sense as Paul wrote it, only Christ can fill the first blank. Otherwise death is inevitably a loss. Many who read this will say, "I put Christ in my blank." But if they think about it carefully, they will realize that what they really meant was Christ plus wealth, Christ plus power, or Christ plus possessions. For verse 21 to read as Paul wrote it, Christ can't share the first blank with anything else. Those who truly live for Christ have no fear of death and make the best use of life: in both they glorify Christ. That was Paul's attitude and is to be ours as well."
So do you add “riders” when you fill in the blanks? The first blank is reserved for Christ alone and not for Christ and fun or Christ and pleasure or Christ and power or Christ and vacations. Yup, that last one was hard for me to write, because I love traveling; it is only through His providence that I can have that pleasure, but He should always be first and last.
I recall seeing some video footage recently of an older woman who was attending one of the recent protests against the President. Now I’m not going to make this political, but her reaction to circumstances shows the meaningless darkness that comes from putting all of your eggs into the political activism basket. She was crying profusely and talking about how terrible everything was and that there was no reason to keep on living if something wasn’t done about that “horrible man”. Hopefully someone is keeping an eye on her, but if your life rises and falls depending on which political party or person is in power, then I would say your priorities are definitely misplaced.
Paul is hard-pressed to choose - Being with Christ is better but being with the Saints at Philippi is necessary. Once again, John MacArthur has good commentary in Precept Austin:
Every Christian ought to feel the strain of desiring to be with Christ, yet also longing to build His church. If the Lord said to me, “You have five minutes to choose between being in heaven or on earth,” I would have a difficult time making that decision. And I would want to be sure I was choosing for the right reasons. I’d have to ask myself, can I glorify Christ more in heaven or on earth? Paul found it an impossible choice. Nevertheless, most people would choose to stay on earth. When asked why they would, most would give some selfish reason, such as, “We’re getting a new house,” or “I don’t want to leave my kids.” For Paul, nothing really mattered except glorifying Christ. When faced with the most basic of life’s issues—whether it would be better to live or die—his response was, “I would be thrilled to glorify Christ in heaven or on earth. Given the choice, I can’t choose.” Because glorifying Christ was Paul’s motivation, where he glorified Christ was not the issue. That ought to be true for you as well. (Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace).
If you heard the trumpets this afternoon, what would be your reaction? Of course, this depends on your eschatology viewpoint (when and if there is a Rapture) but let’s say Jesus is returning at this moment. I have to admit that it flashed through my mind that I would miss going on a long-planned trip that I was really looking forward to later this year and I felt chastised by that sneaky thought. There are many ways that trip could vanish into thin air and not take place (war, illness, natural disaster, etc.). It should not be the focus of my life. Paul didn’t care about anything except glorifying Christ, here or in heaven. We should all do the same.
At the end of the passage, Paul believes that the choice has been made for him - he will continue and hopefully see the saints at Philippi again, where they can abound in Christ Jesus together. I’ll include one more illustration that is good, from Bruce Hurt on Precept Austin:
A young man came to W.E. Gladstone when he was Prime Minister of England and said:
“Mr. Gladstone, I would appreciate your giving me a few minutes in which I might lay before you my plans for the future. I would like to study law.”
“Yes,” said the great statesman, “and what then?”
“Then, sir, I would like to gain entrance to the Bar of England.”
“Yes, young man, and what then?”
“Then, sir, I hope to have a place in Parliament, in the House of Lords.”
“Yes, young man, what then?” pressed Gladstone.
“Then I hope to do great things for Britain.”
“Yes, young man, and what then?”
“Then, sir, I hope to retire and take life easy.”
“Yes, young man, and what then?” he tenaciously asked.
“Well, then, Mr. Gladstone, I suppose I will die.”
“Yes, young man, and what then?”
The young man hesitated and then said, “I never thought any further than that, sir.”
Looking at the young man sternly and steadily, Gladstone said, “Young man, you are a fool. Go home and think life through!”
This illustration begs the question "WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?" ARE YOU LIVING FOR TIME OR FOR ETERNITY?
You answer will determine the direction of your life. If you are living for the wrong purpose, your direction will be wrong. If your purpose is vague or fuzzy, your direction will be fuzzy. If you don’t know your purpose, you’ll just be swept along by the currents of our age, doing what seems to bring you happiness. It is crucial that you be clear and correct in answering the question, “What are you living for?” As the story of the young man and Mr. Gladstone illustrates, the correct answer to that question must include some thought about the fact of death and what lies beyond. It must also include consideration of the uncertainty of life, so that whenever death may come, it doesn’t thwart your purpose, for if your purpose is God's purpose for your life, you are immortal [in this life] until your work is accomplished! That's part of the Good News of the Gospel.
And when your work is accomplished, you are still immortal!
My next devotional examines Philippians 1:27-29 - Paul tells the church at Philippi how to conduct themselves.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Help me to know that I should be hard-pressed to know whether I want to be with You or be here to glorify You. Help me to stop clinging to life and start clinging to eternity. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Precept Austin was accessed on 7/03/2025 to review commentary for Philippians 1:21-26.
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.