Philippians 1:22

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 'But if (since) to live in the flesh (as opposed to "die," departing out of the flesh) (if) this (continuance in life) be the fruit of my labour (i:e., be the necessary condition of fruit from ministerial labour), then [ kai (G2532)] what I shall choose I know [gnoorizo: discern] not' (if the choice were given me, both alternatives, being great goods alike). So Alford and Ellicott. The Greek will bear the English version by an ellipsis, 'If to live in the flesh (be my portion), this (continuing to live) is the fruit of my labour' - i:e., will be the occasion of my bringing in 'fruit of (from apostolic) labour.' Grotius takes 'the fruit of labour' as an idiom. If I live in the flesh, this is worth my while, for thus Christ's interests will be advanced, "For to me to live is C...

22_But if to live in the flesh_. As persons in despair feel in perplexity as to whether they ought to prolong their life any farther in miseries, or to terminate their troubles by death, so Paul, on the other hand, says that he is, in a spirit of contentment, so well prepared for death or for life, because the condition of believers, both in the one case and in the other, is blessed, so that he is at a loss which to choose. _If it is worth while; _that is, “If I have reason to believe that there will be greater advantage from my life than from my death, I do not see which of them I ought to prefer.” _To live in the flesh_, is an expression which he has made use of in contempt, from comparing it with a better life....

21-26 Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. It delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to possess the chief good. The apostle's difficulty was not between living in this world and living in heaven; between these two there is no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and enjoying him in another. Not between two evil things, but between two good things; living to Christ and being with him. See the power of faith and of Divine grace; it can make us willing to die. In this world we are compassed with sin; but when with Christ, we shall escape sin and temptation, sorrow and death, for ever. But those who have most reason to desire to depart, should be willing to remain in the world as long as God has any work for...

Verse 22. _BUT IF I LIVE IN THE FLESH_] Should I be spared longer, I shall labour for Christ as I have done; and _this is the_ _fruit of my labour_, that Christ shall be magnified by my longer life, Philippians 1:20. _YET WHAT I SHALL CHOOSE I WOT NOT._] Had I the two conditions left to my own choice, whether to die now and go to glory, or whether to live longer in persecutions and affliction, (glorifying Christ by spreading the Gospel,) I could not tell which to prefer....

BUT IF I LIVE IN THE FLESH - If I continue to live; if I am not condemned and make 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 labor; 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. Τοῦτό μοι καρπὸς ἔργου Touto moi karpos ergou - “this to me is (or would be) the fruit of labor.” 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

EXPOSITION PHILIPPIANS 1:1 PAUL AND TIMOTHEUS. St. Paul does not assume his official title in writing to the Macedonian Churches, Philippi and Thessalonica; it is used in all his other Epistles, except the short letter to Philemon. His relations to the Philippians and Thessalonians were those of the deepest personal affection; there was no need of a formal introduction, especially in an Epistle which has so little of an official character as this to the Philippians. He joins the name of Timothy with his own, as in 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Thus Timothy is associated with St. Paul in every Epistle in which another name is found except 1 Corinthians, where Sosthenes only is mentioned; this shows the intimate affection that bound St. Paul to his "own son in the faith." There was a special reason f

BUT IF I LIVE IN THE FLESH,.... To be in the flesh sometimes signifies to be in a state of nature and unregeneracy, and to live in and after the flesh, to live according to the dictates of corrupt nature; but here it signifies living in the body, or the life which is in the flesh, as the Syriac version renders the phrase here, and as the apostle expresses it in Galatians 2:20, and the sense is, if I should live any longer in the body, and be continued for some time in this world: THIS [IS] THE FRUIT OF MY LABOUR; or "I have fruit in my works", as the above version renders it: YET WHAT I SHALL CHOOSE I WOT NOT, or "know not"; whether life or death; since my life will be for the honour and glory of Christ, and though a toilsome and laborious one, yet useful and fruitful: by his "labour", he means his ministerial work and service; the ministry is a wor

Philippians 1:12. _But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the thing, which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear._ Notice the beautiful self-forgetfulness of the apostle Paul. So long as the, gospel could be more widely published, he did not mind where he was, or what he suffered. He was able to witness for Christ among the Praetorian guards, who had the charge of the prison where he was confined, and who also, in their turn, were on duty in Caesar's palace; so Paul says that, through his being in bonds there, the particulars concerning his imprisonment were talked about even in the imperial palace, and by that means the gosp

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. CHRIST, THE CONTROLLING PRINCIPLE OF THE BELIEVER'S LIFE CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Philippians 1:1)_ 2. The fellowship in the gospel (Philippians 1:3) 3. The apostle's prayer (Philippians 1:9) 4. Paul's victory (Philippians 1:12) 5. Paul's life and confidence (Philippians 1:21) 6. Exhortation to walk worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27

PHP_1:19-26. HIS PROSPECTS. The successful preaching of the gospel will turn to his own salvation. Otherwise he would be put to shame. His desire is that in his person, whether by life or by death, Christ may be glorified. For him life means Christ and death will be gain. Php_1:22 may be variously rendered. RV, repeating if before the second clause, leaves some confusion, for Paul would not be in doubt after his fate was settled. Therefore _mg._ seems preferableIf to live in the flesh be my lot, this is the fruit of my work. His perplexity arises from the fact that, while he would choose death for himself as the issue of his approaching trial, his escape would be preferable for the Philippians, and this he confidently expects....