Rachel Workman: 20 For I fully expect and hope that I
will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I
have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ,
whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying
is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I
really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to
go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes,
it is better that I continue to live. We get caught up in this life and
can't really imagine wanting to die even to be with Christ. We want to live.
But you have to remember Paul knew exactly what it was like to be with Christ.
He walked and talked with him daily. I can't imagine having that and then
having it taken away from me.
25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.
25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.
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John
Burnett: 20 according to my earnest expectation
and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all
boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by
life or by death.
To Live Is Christ
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to
die is gain. For those of us who are in Christ,
we need to remember that we co-heirs with Christ and will reign with Him in His
kingdom. When we die and go to be with Him, we really do gain. 22 [a]But if I am to live on
in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [b]which to choose. 23 But
I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and
be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to
remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced
of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress
and joy [c]in the faith, 26 so
that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming
to you again. Paul is struggling with His
desires. He wants to be with Christ but he knows Christ still has work
for him to do in discipling the Philippians.
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Krista Cook: There is that word "boldness" again! Are we taking
the hint?
Paul knew it would be better for him to die and be with Christ,
but he also knew that he was still needed where he was. He still had His
work to do.
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Allen Michaels: 20 I eagerly expect and
hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that
now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For
to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. To those who don’t believe in God, life on earth is all
there is, and so it is natural for them to strive for this world’s values –
money, popularity, power, pleasure and prestige. For Paul, however, to live
meant to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ, who alone
could help them see life from an eternal perspective. Paul’s whole purpose in
life was to speak out boldly for Christ and to become more like him. Thus Paul
could confidently say that dying would be even better than living, because in
death he would be removed from worldly troubles, and he would see Christ face
to face. If you’re not ready to die, then you’re not ready to live. Make
certain of your eternal destiny; then you will be free to serve – devoting your
life to what really counts, without fear of death. 22 If I
am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what
shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but
it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Paul had a purpose for
living when he served the Philippians and others. We also need a purpose for
living that goes beyond providing for our own physical needs. Whom can you
serve or help? What is your purpose for living? 25 Convinced of this, I know that I
will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in
the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your
boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
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