To Depart and Be with Christ

Another passage that has confused some people is Philippians 1:20-25. Some have used these verses to promote a doctrine that is contrary to Paul’s own clear teachings on the subject of death. But when we look at it objectively we find the passage to be fully consistent with the rest of the Bible.

Highlighting a few phrases in the passage will show us Paul’s train of thought. He is discussing “my earnest expectation,” “my hope,” “what I shall choose,” “having a desire,” and “what is more needful.” These are not expressions one uses when presenting a doctrinal discourse. He is opening to his readers his deepest personal aspirations.

Paul’s greatest desire in this passage is that “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” The problem is that he cannot tell which is best, to live or to die. He wants to do that which will best glorify Christ.

He longs to be with Christ. He knows that he will be with Him in the next life. This thought is wonderful to him. Yet, realizing that his labors are still needed in this life, he concludes, “I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.”

The phrase which some people have stumbled over is Paul’s desire to “depart, and to be with Christ.” Notice that he does not say that he will depart and immediately be with Christ. Neither is he discussing a bodiless presence with Him; for his desire was that “Christ shall be magnified in my body.”

For the purposes of his present discussion he sees no need to digress into the details of the decomposition of his body, the oblivion of death’s sleep, and the specifics of the resurrection. That is not the subject at hand. Yet, even so, the words he uses describe the experience of death most explicitly. To the individual’s consciousness, death does not register at all. Thousands of years may pass. The dead know nothing of it. Their first conscious moment at the resurrection knows of no lapse since their last conscious moment before death. After Paul’s death, the next thing he would know, he would be with Christ. His description is experiential rather than technical, and thus perfectly harmonizes with his direct doctrinal instruction on the state of the dead.

When did Paul expect to be with Christ? In 2 Thessalonians 2:1 he clearly explains that “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” and “our gathering together unto him” take place at the same time.

In Colossians 3:4 Paul says, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” We will not be with Christ in glory until His appearing, His glorious return in power and majesty.

Paul also speaks of the appearing of Christ in 2 Timothy 4:8. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Paul realized that his crown of righteousness would be “laid up” in store for him, until the coming of Christ, not to be received until “that day.”