To Live Is Christ—Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 17A (Philippians 1:21-30)

Philippians 1:21-30 New Revised Standard Version UpdatedEdition

²¹ For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²² If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet I cannot say which I will choose. ²³ I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better, ²⁴ but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. ²⁵ Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, ²⁶ so that, by my presence again with you, your boast might abound in Christ Jesus because of me.

²⁷ Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ and in no way frightened by those opposing you. For them, this is evidence of their destruction but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. ²⁹ For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ but of suffering for him as well, ³⁰ since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

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                “Living is Christ and dying is gain,” so writes Paul as he sits in a prison cell to the congregation in Philippi. Although the Philippian letter is seen as being marked by a spirit of joy, when you hear Paul say that dying might be gain, you have to wonder if Paul might have been feeling just a little blue sitting in prison. Now, it’s true that Paul admits that if his ministry is to continue, he will have to go on living. Even there it feels as if Paul would rather move on to be with Jesus.

                Although Philippians is considered to be one of Paul’s undisputed letters, the context of the letter is uncertain. Paul opens the letter acknowledging his co-author—that would be Timothy. However, despite knowing the destination and authorship, the timing is uncertain. It could have been written in the 50s or the 60s, which means we don’t have sufficient information to determine where he might be imprisoned. We do have information about the city of Philippi, which lies in the region of Macedonia. Though named for Alexander’s father, King Philip of Macedon, the city was a Roman colony settled by veterans from Marc Antony’s and Octavian's army, after they defeated at that site the forces aligned with Brutus and Cassius in 42 BCE. Thus, the city had a strong Roman imperial sensibility.

                What we don’t find present in this letter is conflict within the congregation, as was true in Corinth or Galatia. That may be why there is more joy present in the letter. Paul isn’t dealing with problems in the congregations; he is simply inviting the congregations in Philippi to support his ministry even as he sits in a prison cell. What Paul does say here is that although he can’t decide which is better, living or dying, if he is to go on living, then he has fruitful labor ahead.  So, while he would love to move on and be with Jesus, which in his mind is a better thing, at least for him, it is more necessary to go on living in the flesh. Therefore, he believes he will go on living. Now it’s possible that there were imperial judges who would make that decision for him; he seems confident that any verdict will eventually set him free so he can continue his ministry. That suggests to me that this is earlier rather than later in his ministry. In any case, while it may seem as if Paul is expressing here a longing for the next life, Mike Graves suggests that Paul “is not preoccupied with the next world to the neglect of this one; rather, he lets his firm belief in the next world fuel his living in this one. His hope for the Philippians is that they will do the same” [Feasting on the Word, p. 91].

                So, Paul believes that he will continue living and working so he can observe their progress in the faith and the joy that comes from that progress in the faith. Then, when he is present with them, they might be able to boast in Christ because of his ministry. One would assume that Paul is referencing here his own participation in founding the church in Philippi. What we read in the letter to this point is a reminder that Paul is strongly connected with the congregation and that he cares deeply about what is happening with them. This is true even if being in prison is dispiriting.

                Having reflected on his own situation, which could be quite dire considering the nature of ancient prisons, in the remaining verses of this chapter, Paul focuses on the way the Philippian Christians are living out their faith. He tells them to live their lives “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” He wants them to reflect the gospel in their daily lives so that their witness for Christ will be strong. Therefore, whether he is able to be with them or remains absent, when he hears about them he “will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel and in no way frightened by those opposing you” (Phil. 1:27-28a). This is a clue that they are facing some kind of opposition from their neighbors. Paul encourages them to be bold but live worthy lives. The way they will do this is to be of one mind. That will happen if they remain “firm in one spirit.” So, even if Paul can’t protect them while in prison, he can stand in solidarity with them in the Spirit.

                Living as I do in a nice Detroit suburb, I face little, if any, opposition. In fact, if I do face opposition, it is probably from within the Christian community. As for the cause of destruction, there is some truth to the idea that movements that are hateful and discriminatory will, in time, face destruction. That is, they will implode because they represent unholy views of life. Now it is true that these forces do leave traces that can resurrect themselves. Fascism, for example, lost a war (World War II), but the tenets of fascism continue to make themselves felt. So, we have to remain vigilant lest we fall into the traps they set for us.

                Perhaps it was because he was writing from prison, but Paul tells the Philippians that God has graciously allowed them not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer with him. This is a good reminder that being a follower of Jesus doesn’t exempt us from suffering. Paul confirms that it is his own suffering that leads him to that conclusion. That is, in their own way they suffer with him, if nothing else in terms of empathy (empathy appears to be a dirty word in certain Christian circles these days).

                Whether we live or die, and we will most likely all die at some point, the point here is that as followers of Jesus we should live in a way that is worthy of our calling to be followers of Jesus. That way our witness will remain strong. This is a word that the church should embrace, especially since we live at a time when growing numbers in North America and Europe are leaving the church behind. The primary reason given is hypocrisy among Christians. Young people especially watch as people claim to be Christians while embracing views that are far from the teachings of Jesus and, for many, embracing political leaders whose demeanor, words, and policies are vulgar and destructive. Perhaps, as Paul says, these movements will implode, but we live in dangerous times when people who claim Jesus as savior embrace nationalism, xenophobia, racism, and more. Paul’s response is a call to live a life worthy of the Gospel. In this we will find joy in God’s presence.