to die

The next two posts will focus on the infamous passage in Philippians 1:21. The purpose of this paper was to consult major commentaries, provide an analysis of the verse, look at the context before and after the verse, and provide a personal preference to the verse based on the analysis. This post will focus on the introduction, commentary analysis, and the context before the verse. The next post will focus on the remaining topics.

When does a sentence become more than just words on a page? When it comes from the inspired Word of God. While many passages of Scripture provide context, history, teachings, encouragements, or revelations about God, over the course of Christian history, some verses have stood out more than others. They have become the battle cry for a certain people or generation. They have inspired believers to take leaps of faith, to stand strong, to trust God in difficult times and know He is working in those situations. Some verses are quoted often and applied to one meaning, when in fact the original meaning was potentially something entirely different. How many times is Philippians 1:21 used at a funeral or at the side of a terminally ill person? Does this verse only apply to death or is there more to it? Philippians 1:21 offers something more than just a quote for a funeral; it provides inspiration for Christians to magnify Christ daily. This analysis will show that “to live is Christ” should be the central statement to every Christian’s life because believers are instructed to magnify Christ in their lives; and death is gain because death means more of Christ and Christ is better than anything in this life. In this brief analysis, Philippians 1:21 (“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”) will be examined and analyzed to identify not only the context of this single verse, but also determine what major Christian commentators suggest this verse means. In addition, my personal viewpoint on this verse and how I believe it applies to a believer’s life will be discussed.