Logos Bible Study

Philippians 1:21–23

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1:21For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 1:22Now if I am to go on living in the body,33 this will mean productive work34 for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer:351:23I feel torn between the two,36 because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

Read in Logos
Philippians 1:21: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Footnotes

  1. 33 Grk “flesh.”
  2. 34 Grk “fruit of work”; the genitive ἔργου (ergou) is taken as an attributed genitive in which the head noun, καρπός (karpos), functions attributively (cf. ).
  3. 35 Grk “what I shall prefer.” The Greek verb αἱρέω (haireō) could also mean “choose,” but in this context such a translation is problematic for it suggests that Paul could perhaps choose suicide (cf. L&N 30.86). I don’t know what I prefer. Paul is here struggling with what would be most beneficial for both him and the church. He resolves this issue in vv. 24–25.
  4. 36 Grk “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Cf. L&N 30.18.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 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! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—

NLTNew Living Translation

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know. But I am hard pressed between the two options, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, for this is very much better.

KJV 1900King James Version

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: