Bible passage

In an effort to present death as life, this quote from Paul is mentioned:

“I have a desire to depart from the world and be with Christ, which also would be much better”
Phil 1:23

Traditional interpretation

According to traditional interpretation, Paul should almost have something like a death wish. Doesn’t he say in this passage that it is much better to die, because “through dying” one should “be with Christ”? Is this about a longing for death that is piously packaged as a “Christ longing”? Dying is great! One then simply lives with Christ.

Counterargument

Once again, the text is considered here without context. Paul has no longing for death, but he has a longing for Christ. Whatever would happen to him, he wants to glorify Christ with his body. Most of all, however, he wants to be with Christ and hopes for Christ’s return.

Justification

Paul writes to the Philippians that he has a foreknowledge and confidence of glorifying Christ through his body, “whether by life or death.”

This is the context, so to speak, the beginning of the context. Let’s read carefully what is at stake here. For, he says, “to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:19-21). What does he mean by that?

• Life enables him to serve the communities and glorify Christ in this way. Thus, he writes, “But if it is life in the flesh, this signifies to me fruit in the work” (Phil. 1:22).
• However, if he would die a martyr’s death, that would also be gain – namely for Christ! The gain would not be for himself, but for His Lord.

The apostle here outlines two possibilities, and how he wishes these possibilities to be seen and understood. Now, if he foresees life and death as two possible scenarios, he does not make known which of these two he prefers. “And what I will prefer, I do not make known” (Phil 1:22). But instead he talks about something else:

“(But I am urged out of the two, in that I have a desire for dissolution and to be with Christ; for that would be by far the best for me). But remaining in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”
Phil 1:23-24

The apostle is “urged out of the two,” namely, the options of life and death, and he describes the desire for a third possibility: direct union with Christ. This would be neither death nor life, but it would be through the return of His Lord and His union with Him. This is what the Second Coming means and what Paul had in mind here.

Even though traditionally the idea prevails that one comes to Christ by dying, nowhere in the Bible can one read it that way. It does not say here either. The temptation is very great to interpret this biblical passage in the sense of tradition. However, this does the text an injustice. Being with Christ is in place of life or death. It is not one of the two options, but it is something completely different.

Accordingly, it is essential for Christ to return. Paul, for example, describes this in a similar context – but with regard to those from the church who have already fallen asleep – in 1 Thessalonians (1Thess 4:13-18).

Paul had neither suicidal thoughts nor a death wish, but simply a desire to be with Christ.