What does Paul mean in Philippians 1:21 when he says, "For to me, to live is Christ"?

Let us notice the entire passage in Philippians 1:19-24: “(19) For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, (20) according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. (21) For to me, to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain… (23) For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (24) Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”

Notice that in verse 21, we placed the word “is” in brackets twice, indicating that there is no word in the Greek text, representing the English word “is,” and that the English word “is” was added twice by the translators.

Paul is facing serious difficulties, and he is wondering whether he should wish to die, or to continue to live. He has a desire to “depart” or die (verse 23). As the Broadman Bible Commentary explains, “to depart translates a Greek term which was used for the loosing of a ship from its moorings and also for breaking camp or ‘striking tent.’ The term came to be a metaphor for death (2 Tim. 4:6).” Paul knows that in case of his death, he would be “with Christ” (verse 23) in the next second of his consciousness, as a resurrected immortal spirit being in the Family of God at the time of his resurrection from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:35, 42, 49-53). This would have been his “gain” (Philippians 1:21) — it would have been “far better” for him (verse 23), as his fate of being changed into a spirit being would have been sealed and unalterable. This is of course by no means saying that Paul was thinking of committing suicide. He understood that it is a sin to take one’s own life, as this would constitute murder. He knew that he belonged to God, and that only God had the right to determine when he would have to die (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23). At the same time, he realizes that it is “more needful for” the church members that he “remain in the flesh,” that is, to keep on living (verse 24).

Still, though, exactly how are we to understand the phrase in verse 21, “to live [is] Christ”?

Although most translations render the phrase exactly in that way, as quoted, a few translations render it slightly differently. We should remember that the English word “is,” in verse 21, was added twice, as there is no equivalent in the Greek. This means, something has to be added in the English translation to give the sentence the intended meaning.

The Lamsa translation and the German Luther Bible, as well as the German Menge Bible, state: “For Christ is my life, and to die is gain.” This rendering is interesting in light of Colossians 3:4, which states: “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

But what does it mean that “Christ is our life”? The Swiss Zuercher Bible renders Philippians 1:21, including the phrase in brackets: “As for me, life is [a service for] Christ, and death is gain.” The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown agrees with such a rendering: “… whatever life, time and strength, I have, is Christ’s; Christ is the sole object for which I live.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary adds the following intriguing statements: “The oft-quoted v. 21 shows Paul at his best. He stood before life and death and found both inviting. His mood is the opposite to Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ Hamlet found life such a disillusionment that he considered suicide, yet the unknown realm of death was so foreboding that he drew back. Paul did not desire death as escape from life. He saw death as entrance into the greater fullness of a life that already was full… Whatever life may mean to others, to him it was Christ, i.e., Christ gave life its meaning for him and apart from Christ it had no meaning. Death meant not loss but gain, for the good life he now knew in Christ would be not only continued but heightened. This verse seems not to imply an ‘intermediate state.’ It is precarious to argue the point, for that is not Paul’s subject here; but it is hard to see how death would be gain if it led to an intermediate state, especially if disembodied!”

A similar comment can be found in The New Bible Commentary: Revised: “[Paul] weighs up in his mind now the two alternatives and can rejoice in both. To go on living in this world is to live in constant enjoyment of Christ Himself, and there will be further fruitful toil in his Master’s service. He knows, on the other hand, that death is sheer gain, because beyond death is [at his resurrection, which will occur in the next second of his consciousness] the immediate presence of Christ.” A similar rendition is given by the Living Bible: “For to me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying — well, that’s better yet.”

These renderings would also make sense in light of Galatians 2:20, where we read: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith OF [as it should be correctly rendered from the Greek] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Paul is saying in this passage in Galatians that Christ, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in Paul, was living His life in Paul. Paul’s “old life” had ended, and a “new life” — that of Christ living in him — had begun. Paul encourages all of us, in Romans 13:14: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” John revealed the same truth in his third letter, when he warned of deceivers denying and not confessing “Jesus Christ AS COMING in the flesh.” Christ is coming in the flesh, by living His life in His human disciples. Paul did not want to live his old life and to submit to the desires of the flesh. He knew that his deliverance from his “body of death” would be “through Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:24-25).

In conclusion, Paul’s statement “for me, to live is Christ” is subject to several possible explanations: Paul might have wanted to emphasize that his life was to be a service for Christ. He could have also meant that his sole purpose and motivation of life was focused on Christ. In addition, he might have stressed that Christ was living in him, that he had “put on Jesus Christ,” and that his life was used by Christ to serve others. In living such a life, Paul would become more and more perfect, “possessing more and more of him, becoming more and more like him, until on his death the process is completed in one glorious moment” (cp. Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible) — at the time of his resurrection. As Unger’s Bible Handbook puts it: “Outwardly his one goal was Christ, inwardly Christ was living out His life through him. Living, he was blessed… Dying was ‘gain’ because it meant ‘to be with Christ,’ which was ‘far better’… To remain in this life was, however, more needful for the spiritual progress of the Philippians.”

Looking in All the Wrong Places

I remember I was hauled around during our search for the true church. We looked at many other churches and their set of beliefs, doctrines and practices. As can be guessed, things weren’t quite right at many of the places we visited. But before too long our diligent search paid dividends at a congregation that one wouldn’t expect. All of the hard work that had been done had paid off. Or had it….?

But it was soon realized that we hadn’t found the true church. In reality it was God who led us to Him. Yes, we were in the congregation of the Church of God, but it was not due to our searching, but due to the fact that God had called us to Him. We soon learned that “No one can come to Me [Jesus Christ] unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44).

Well, at least we knew why He called us. Surely, it was because we had the ability to comprehend His Word and His Truth. We sat in services and were able to understand the precious gems that were being expounded week after week. Most in the world had yet to understand these profundities, though they may have read the exact same words. All of the work that had been done in the prior years in becoming a better person had paid off. Or had it…?

But it was soon realized that God calls the weak and foolish (1 Corinthians 1:27) and gives them the ability to understand Him and His Ways (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

So exactly what did I do to deserve this? Nothing.

Offenses Will Come

On Saturday, June 18, 2005, Edwin Pope will be giving the sermon, titled, “Offenses Will Come.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, ‘What’s Going On in Europe?”

We are pleased to make available to you, upon request, a free CD, containing the audio recording of the recent public bible lecture about the developments in Europe. If you would like to receive a copy, please send your request via email to info@standingwatch.org, or via letter to Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198.

Why do you teach that obedience to God's law is necessary to inherit eternal life? Didn't Paul say that all that is required is to believe in Jesus?

It is indeed correct that Paul told the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And it is also true that we MUST believe in Christ, as only in His name can we find salvation (compare Acts 4:12). However, Paul did not say that belief in Christ is ALL that we must have. Rather, belief in Christ is only the starting point. Notice how the record in Acts 16 continues, in verses 32-33:

“Then they [Paul and Silas] spoke the WORD of the LORD to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes [The jailor responded to Paul’s teaching of the word of God by showing kindness to Paul.] And immediately he and all his family were baptized [They had repented of their sins and showed their faith by baptism, so that they could receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, compare Acts 2:38].”

Paul did not preach, and the jailor did not understand him to preach, that ALL that was required of him was just to believe that Jesus was the Christ. Rather, his belief had to be accompanied and manifested by obedience to Christ’s words.

Jesus told us in John 15:14: “You are My friends if you DO whatever I COMMAND you.” He continued in verse 17: “These things I COMMAND you, that you LOVE one another.”

The jailor showed LOVE to Paul when he washed his stripes and gave him food to eat (Acts 16:33-34). Paul told us in Romans 13:8-10 that when we love each other, we FULFILL God’s LAW of love. He said in verse 9: “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

In other words, if we LOVE our neighbor enough so that we don’t kill him or steal from him, or lie to or about him, or covet what he has, or commit adultery with his wife [which are all injunctions contained in the Ten Commandments], we FULFILL God’s law. We read in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments.” 1 John 3:23 explains: “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, AND LOVE one another.”

When a young man asked Christ what to do to inherit eternal life, Christ told him: “But if you want to enter into life, KEEP [or OBEY] the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). He proceeded to list some of the Ten Commandments, to show which commandments He was talking about (verses 18 and 19). And James would later explain that we break ALL of the Ten Commandments, when we just break one of them (James 2:8-11). As the Ten Commandments define love to God and neighbor, we don’t show the love of God in our lives when we transgress His law.

Paul did not tell the Philippian jailor that all he had to do was just to believe in Jesus Christ. James tells us that even the demons believe in God (James 2:19). Rather, Paul was teaching that we need to OBEY God, once we come to believe in Him.

We read Paul’s word in Romans 1:5: “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH.” He also stated in Romans 16:26: “… [the mystery] has been made manifest… according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH.”

Acts 6:7 reports about the beginning of the New Testament Church: “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were OBEDIENT TO THE FAITH.”

We read in John 3:36 (correctly translated from the Greek, compare the Revised Standard Version): “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does NOT OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.”

When the Bible talks about the right kind of faith which we must have to inherit eternal life, it equates faith with obedience. Faith alone in Christ, which does not manifest itself in an obedient lifestyle to God’s Law, is NOT enough.

In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 2:8 that God will pour out “indignation and wrath” on those who “are self-seeking and do NOT OBEY the truth, but obey unrighteousness.” And “truth” is defined as “all Your commandments” (Psalm 119:151). Paul reiterates in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 that God will take “vengeance on those who… do NOT OBEY the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Romans 6:17, 22, Paul states: “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin [and sin is defined as the “transgression of the LAW,” 1 John 3:4, Authorized Version], yet you OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered… having become SLAVES of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and THE END, everlasting life.”

Further proof that our faith must be accompanied by OBEDIENCE, can be found in Peter’s first letter. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:2 to the “elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, FOR THE OBEDIENCE and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” He continues in verse 22: “Since you have purified your souls in OBEYING THE TRUTH through the Spirit in SINCERE LOVE of the brethren, LOVE one another fervently with a pure heart.”

Peter also admonished the brethren to conduct themselves as “OBEDIENT CHILDREN, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (verses 14-15). Again, in 1 Peter 4:17, we are warned about the fate of those who do “NOT OBEY the gospel of God.”

We will only inherit salvation and eternal life, if we obey God. This is very clearly expressed in Hebrews 5:8-9: Even Christ “learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation TO ALL WHO OBEY HIM.”

As Christ obeyed God’s commandments, so must we (John 15:10). Only if we DO the will of our Father in heaven, that is, only if we cease practicing lawlessness, will we enter God’s kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23). The MERE confession that we believe in Christ, will NOT be enough (verse 21).

Peter made it very clear that we must obey God at all times, even if that means disobeying man (Acts 5:29). He also clarified that God will give His Spirit — which is a guarantee that we WILL inherit eternal life (Ephesians 1:13-14) — only to those who OBEY Him (Acts 5:32).

For more information, please read our free booklets, “And Lawlessness Will Abound” and “Baptism–A Requirement of Salvation?”

Products of a Selfish Society

On Saturday, June 11, 2005, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “Products of a Selfish Society.” The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just Connect to Live Stream

Sunday, June 12, 2005, is the Feast of Pentecost. Dave Harris will be giving the sermon in the morning, titled, “The Good News of Pentecost.” Edwin Pope will give the sermon in the afternoon, titled, “You Shall Receive Power.”

The Pentecost services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 9:00 pm Pacific Time (which is 11:00 pm Central Time), and at 1:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 3:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream

This Job?

By Shelly Bruno (34)

As I sit thinking about the new job I will begin on Monday, I can’t help but remember the same feelings I had experienced a number of years ago before starting another job-the nervousness, insecurity and wondering if I’d made the right choice. I do remember praying about finding a new job then, and specifically requesting that it would be a good situation-in a spiritual sense. That opportunity came, when I saw a job advertised. I applied, went through the nerve-wracking interview experience and got it! I was elated-that is, until I started work a few weeks later. That first week I was very sure that I had made a big mistake. Why did I leave a job I was comfortable with for this one that surely wasn’t right? Why did God give me THIS job?

As I stuck it out I realized that God had answered what I had prayed for-my supervisor was Jewish, so he not only understood what “Holy Days” I was speaking of-he was also absent from work the same days. What I didn’t realize, at the time, were all the blessings that were to come. Looking back now I can see how I was given much more than I asked for. That job provided a chance for me to grow in my professional skills and work with very talented people. I developed friendships that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I was supported, encouraged, and blessed financially as well. I still thank God for that opportunity He gave me.

So what about this new job I start on Monday? The questions are swirling again in my mind. Will it be the “right” job? Did I make a big mistake? What happens if I fail? I really don’t know the answer to these questions today, but there is one thing I do know for sure-that one way or another God will work out this job too!

Would you explain Revelation 20:10? Does this Scripture say that the beast and the false prophet will be tormented in hell fire forever?

A superficial reading, especially in many of the modern translations, might indeed lead us to conclude the existence of a never-ending torture of the beast (a military leader) and the false prophet (a religious leader) in hell. However, analyzing the Scripture carefully, a different conclusion is warranted.

The Authorized Version (AV) translates Revelation 20:10, as follows:

“And the DEVIL that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet ARE, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Please note that the subject of the sentence is the devil. It is he who will be tormented in the lake of fire. In regard to the beast and the false prophet, please note that the word, “are” is in italics, in the AV. This means, there is no verb in the Greek language, so that the translators had to ADD a verb — they ADDED the English word “are,” based on how they understood the meaning of the sentence. However, the addition of the word “are” is clearly WRONG in this context.

We read, in Revelation 19:20, that the beast and the false prophet were cast, about one thousand years earlier, into the lake of fire, to be burnt up and destroyed. As we explained in our recent updates on “hell” and on the “smoke of their torment” (see Updates #194 and 195), there is no ever-lasting hell fire, tormenting human beings forever. Rather, humans who will be thrown into the lake of fire will be instantaneously burned up and destroyed.

Since there needs to be an addition of a word or phrase in Revelation 20:10 (“where the beast and the false prophet…”), the words to be added should be, “were cast,” so that the sentence reads: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet WERE CAST [namely, one thousand years earlier, as reported in Revelation 19:20]…”

It is not uncommon in the Greek to leave out a verb or phrase in a sentence, when the previous clause dictates what words are to be added. However, the words to be added are to be in harmony with the previous clause. In Revelation 20:10, we read that the devil WAS CAST into the lake of fire. It is that clause (“was cast”) that must be added in the next phrase — that is, “where the beast and the false prophet WERE CAST.”

For instance, we find a similar occurrence in 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being.” In order to understand this passage correctly, one has to repeat in the second phrase the beginning of the first phrase. The clear and intended meaning is: “Let no one seek his own, but LET each one SEEK the other’s well-being.” For additional examples, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” pages 42-45.

Let’s note how the Revised English Bible translates Revelation 20:10:

“Their seducer, the Devil, was flung into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet HAD BEEN FLUNG…”

The New International Version states: “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet HAD BEEN THROWN…”

Most translations continue this sentence, however, by saying: “…and THEY shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” From this rendition, commentators argue that not only the devil, but also the beast and the false prophet will be tormented for all eternity, as otherwise, the sentence would have to continue to read: “…and HE (that is, the devil) shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Not all agree. As we saw, the Authorized Version OMITS the word, “they,” and renders the continuation of the sentence: “… and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever,” indicating that the subject is the devil, and not the beast and the false prophet. The Revised English Bible translates:

“Their seducer, the Devil, was flung into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been flung to be tormented day and night for ever.”

Of course, by omitting to place a comma after “had been flung,” they give the impression that it is the beast and the false prophet who will be tormented forever and ever. But since the clause “where the beast and the false prophet had been flung,” is clearly an inserted thought, a relative sentence, the rendering should obviously include a comma after “had been flung,” making it clear that it is the DEVIL who is to be tormented day and night forever. The translation of the Revised English Bible should read:

“Their seducer, the Devil, was flung into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been flung, to be tormented day and night for ever.”

Some insist, however, that the clause “THEY shall be tormented” is correct, as it is a translation of the Greek verb, “basanisthesontai,” which, they say, is a plural verb. If this conclusion is correct, then we must ask the question to whom the plural verb refers.

When we realize for WHOM the lake of fire was prepared, the answer would be obvious. We read in Matthew 25:41 that the lake of fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Therefore, it will be the devil and his demons who will be tormented in the lake of fire, as long as that lake exists. Since spirit beings can’t die (compare Luke 20:36), they will be tormented — in a spiritual way — while being confined to the lake of fire, when they experience their inability to deceive man anymore, and when they see all their “works” and evil “accomplishments” replaced by the good and prosperous ways of God.

Following this explanation, we need to realize that the fact that the Scripture in Revelation 20:10 only refers to the devil, but then speaks about the devil and demons (“THEY will be tormented”), is a structure in the Greek language, known as “metonymy.” This is a figure of speech, substituting an associated term for the name itself, as in “the crown decrees” for “the ruler decrees.” The Greek word, “metonymy,” is derived from the Greek “meta,” meaning “altered” and “onyma,” “meaning “name.” (Compare Britannica World Language Dictionary). It means here that it refers first to the main representative, the devil, while subsequently including those whom he represents, the demons.

The Bible uses that way of speaking on occasion. Note one example for this “figure of speech” in the report of the demons possessing the herd of swine. In the record of Matthew, we are clearly told that Christ dealt with TWO demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:28-32). However, in the record of Mark, we are only told about ONE demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-13). It is obvious, then, that the one man mentioned in Mark was the spokesman or leader of the other man, mentioned in Matthew. In the same way, the devil in Revelation 20:10 is the leader or representative of all the demons, mentioned or referred to in the latter part of the same sentence.

But even if we allow for the possibility that the statement “they shall be tormented for ever and ever” would include the beast and the false prophet, that would still not mean that they will be tormented for all eternity. The Greek clause for “forever and ever” is “eis tous ainonas ton aionon.” It literally means, “to the ages of the ages.” We addressed the meaning of this clause in our last Update #195, when discussing Revelation 14:11 (“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever,” AV). We showed that this phrase can refer to a brief period of time, as long as a particular condition exists, or as long as the person lives. If applied in this way to Revelation 20:10, the beast and the false prophet would only be tormented for a very brief period of time, before the fire would kill them and burn them up.

In conclusion, Revelation 20:10 does not teach that human beings, or the souls of evil persons, will be tormented forever and ever in a hell fire, without ever dying or being annihilated.

The Flood

On Saturday, June 4, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Flood.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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