By Paul M. Sadler
"For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:19).
Although the motives of those who opposed Paul's apostleship at Rome were questionable, Paul was grateful that Christ was being preached. In this, the apostle says, he rejoiced because he understood that the influence of the gospel upon the household of Caesar could well have a bearing on his impending trial. Thus Paul was confident that this would turn to his salvation through the prayers of those at Philippi and the supply of the Spirit. Salvation is a generic term that simply means deliverance; therefore, it must always be interpreted in light of the context in which it is found. In the above passage, Paul is speaking about his physical deliverance from prison that he might have another opportunity to visit these dear saints and continue his apostolic ministry among the Gentiles.
Those who lose their spiritual equilibrium do so many times because they overemphasize one side of the truth to the exclusion of the other. We would do well to remember that God always strikes a balance in the dispensing of His will. For example, both human responsibility and divine sovereignty are evident here in verse 19. The fervent prayers of these brethren for the apostle's deliverance from prison, coupled with the Spirit of God guiding Paul in his defense, would work together to secure his release. This was the apostle's confident expectation.
We want to pause here a moment to point out that verse 19 also clearly teaches that God would have us pray about everything, whether it is of a spiritual or physical nature. In view of the fact that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings today we certainly agree that our prayer life should primarily center on spiritual things, such as praying for lost souls, a fuller understanding of the Scriptures, a knowledge of God's will, wisdom, etc. Here again, however, we must keep in mind the importance of balance in the things of the Lord. God would also have us make known our physical requests.
Paul prayed about his physical infirmity, not once, but three times (II Cor. 12:7-9). Prior to his incarceration in Caesarea the apostle requested that he might have a prosperous journey to Rome; that is, free from hardship (Rom. 1:9,10). We are to pray for earthly rulers that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life to further the cause of Christ (I Tim. 2:1-3). Paul instructs us not to be an ungrateful people, as Israel was in time past; therefore, we are to return thanks at every meal for God's bountiful blessings (I Tim. 4:4,5). We are also to pray about the circumstances in which we might find ourselves. As we have seen, Paul coveted the prayers of those at Philippi that he would soon be delivered from his prison cell in Rome. The apostle writes to Philemon along these same lines: "But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you" (Philemon 1:22).
"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (Phil. 1:20).
While Paul exhibited a Christ-like spirit he was always concerned about being ashamed of Christ. The word "ashamed" in this verse has the idea to disgrace. Some may be of the persuasion that this would have been uncharacteristic of the apostle, but we must remember he was human—a man of like passions as are we. As the day approached to stand before the ungodly Nero, who was evil to the core, Paul feared he would disgrace the Savior by keeping silent. We would do well to bear in mind that this was the same Nero who dressed Christians "in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set them on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them."1 This transpired not too long after Paul stood before him. Consequently, the apostle was staring into the face of death when he offered a defense of his actions. Here, too, we need to follow Paul's example to seek the face of the Lord for boldness that we might freely name the name of Christ without fear (Eph. 6:19,20).
Whatever the outcome of the trial Paul wanted Christ to be magnified in his body "whether it be by life, or by death." The modern-day microscope has enabled scientists to explore the cell structure of the human body as never before. The magnification of these instruments has improved so dramatically it was recently discovered that there is an intricate cell structure within each main cell, which has opened a whole new field of study. In like manner, Paul wanted Christ to be magnified through him that the world could see every detail of the wonders of His grace.
Christ had transformed Paul's life, so much so that when the world came in contact with the apostle he was like a light shining in a dark place. Men were unable to withstand the wisdom with which he spoke. As they were drawn to Paul they were genuinely touched by his love and compassion for their souls. Those days were times of oppression and hopelessness, thus, Paul's offer of peace and hope in Christ was appealing to those who heard him share the gospel.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).
Everyone has something they live for if they are honest with themselves. For example: "For to me, to live is fame and fortune." "For to me, to live is sports." "For to me, to live is pleasure." "For to me, to live is video games." "For to me, to live is power." "For to me, to live is the latest fashion," etc. For the Apostle Paul, to live was Christ! He never lost sight of the fact that grace rescued him on the Damascus road from a life of religious bondage. Christ was all that He claimed to be as far as Paul was concerned. Many believers try to neatly compartmentalize their Christian life into secular and spiritual. This wasn't the case with the apostle; whether he was at the marketplace or standing before King Agrippa there was no question whatsoever that he knew Christ. In addition, Christ controlled every aspect of his decision-making process. "For to me," Paul says, "to live is Christ."
The following article, which shows the importance of living a Christ-centered life, appeared in a Paterson, New Jersey newspaper. Even though it was originally published many years ago its message is timeless:
"If you find yourself coveting any pleasure more than your prayer time, it is time to be alarmed. If you find yourself enjoying any book more than your Bible, it is time to be alarmed. If you find yourself reverencing any house more than the household of God or the local assembly, it is time to be alarmed. If you are satisfied to sit down at any table and find more satisfaction than at the Table of the Lord, then it is time to be alarmed. If you find yourself loving any person more than you love the Lord Jesus Christ, it is time to be alarmed. If you are seeking the fellowship of men more than the fellowship of the Spirit, it is time to be alarmed. Or if you are delighted in any prospect more than the coming of the Lord, it is time to be alarmed."
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." We fear that many believers today take the things of the Lord far too lightly. Of course, the concern is that at the end of their life they are going to look back with regret at what could have been, if only! It reminds us of the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic. If only, the shipbuilder would have installed ceilings in the watertight compartments the disaster would have been averted. If only, the Captain and crew would have heeded the ice warnings and not have been traveling so fast through an ice field things may have been different. If only, the lookouts in the crow's nest would have had binoculars they would have spotted the iceberg sooner and avoided the tragedy. The voyage of the Titanic is a long sad story of, if only!
When you come to the end of your life are you going to find yourself uttering those dreadful words? If only, I had lived a godly life when I was raising my children, perhaps they would have an interest in spiritual things today. If only, I had heeded the Lord's leading and went to Bible School, I might have made a difference on the mission field in those regions beyond. If only, I had agreed to become a Sunday School teacher, perhaps I could have helped one of our young people avoid a shipwrecked life. If only, I had taken the time to study the Scriptures, perhaps I could have been used of the Lord to win souls to Christ and comfort those who were crying out for help! If only, I hadn't been so selfish and self-serving. If only! As we prepare to stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, mark these words, and mark them well: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last."
"But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Phil. 1:22-24).
As Paul faced an uncertain future he found himself caught between the horns of a dilemma. On one hand he desired to depart to be with Christ, which as far as he was concerned was far better. On the other hand he felt it was needful that he remained here to minister to the Philippians' spiritual needs. This, of course, was true of all the Grace assemblies in Paul's day for they, too, would have benefited spiritually. The apostle also realized that if the outcome of the trial did go in his favor it would mean additional fruit, in the form of more souls being saved, more time for believers to be edified, and more rewards at that day for all concerned.
It is very clear in the passages before us that the Apostle Paul believed in life after death. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." To which he adds, "having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." Now the world uses many words to describe death, but "gain" wouldn't be one of them. If you have a retirement fund, when you receive your monthly statement and there is a significant gain on your investment, that's a good thing—it's to your advantage. That's exactly how Paul uses the term; he firmly believed to die is gain. You see, he knew what awaited him, as we should. The apostle had seen the Lord of glory face to face (Acts 26:16) and longed to be forever in His eternal presence. Paul was also caught up to the third heaven into paradise and actually saw and heard unspeakable words that he wasn't allowed to utter (II Cor. 12:4-6). The splendor of the heavenly realm left him yearning to return.
Paul's desire was "to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." The word "depart" has the idea to unloose the ropes from a mooring and sail away. As far as the apostle was concerned he was more than ready to loose the moorings of this life and cast off to the shores of eternal life. This doesn't mean he was burned out, as it is called today. I think Paul had the same attitude of the great evangelist George Whitefield who also labored day and night for the Lord. Whitefield once stated: "I am often weary in the work, but never weary of it." In the mind of the apostle, to be with Christ was far better than anything this life had to offer.
Paul never taught the unsound teaching of "soul sleep," as the passages we've been studying clearly indicate. Nor did he teach the dissolution of the soul at death. Essentially "soul sleep" is the belief that the soul within man loses consciousness at death and remains in an unconscious state in the grave until the resurrection. The Seventh Day Adventists, who advocate this view, believe at the future resurrection the saved will be given immortality, but the souls of the unbeliever will be annihilated.
Whenever the Scriptures speak of the believer being asleep we are to understand this to be a reference to the physical body. After the resurrection of our Lord, in accordance with the fulfillment of the feast of first fruits, we are told, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose" (Matt. 27:52). In similar fashion Paul states:
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" (I Thes. 4:14).
Those in Christ whose bodies are said to be asleep in Jesus will be reunited with their souls and spirits, which the Lord will bring with Him at the Rapture, implying they are presently alive and well. This is the secret resurrection! Every time we pay our condolences to the family of a departed loved one or friend, the body of the one lying in the casket has the appearance of being asleep. Thus we can easily relate to the above passages experientially.
The dissolution of the soul is the belief that death results in the demise of the soul. Dr. Bullinger held this view, which should not be confused with soul sleep. While we are indebted to Mr. Bullinger for many things, this isn't one of them. He essentially believed that man is a soul, but does not have a soul. The soul then, according to this position, refers to the entire being of man (body & breath or the impersonal principle of life) apart from the immaterial part of our being known as the soul. Consequently, when a man breathes his last breath he ceases to exist any longer and returns back to dust until the future resurrection. This view is commonly held among the cults, the most recognizable one being the Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the insurmountable problems with this particular teaching is the individual at death is completely taken out of existence leaving no person to be reunited with the resurrected body.
While evidence of these false teachings can be found in the annals of church history, we are grateful for those godly leaders of past generations who have handed down the present evangelical position on the state of the dead,2 which soundly rests on the Word of God. The bottom line is this: "What saith the Scriptures?"
According to the Scriptures, man is a soul and also has a soul. For example: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). In this context, the "soul" is referring to the entire being of man. Even in our day, it isn't uncommon to hear someone say, "That poor soul has been so ill." But the Scriptures add:
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thes. 5:23).
Here we learn we are a trichotomous being—spirit, soul, and body. Paul lists our makeup by the order of importance. The spirit is the rational part of our being, which is God-conscious (Rom. 1:9). The soul is the seat of our emotions and would be the self-conscious part of our being (Psa. 42:4,5). The body is merely the tent that houses our soul and spirit. The soul and spirit are the immaterial parts of our being that combine to form our personality—they make us who we are according to the handiwork of God. They also have a mysterious link with the blood that courses through our veins by coalescing together to sustain life.
Notice how the Word of God carefully distinguishes between the body and soul when Elijah miraculously restored the life of the widow's son of Zarephath.
"And he [Elijah] stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived" (I Kings 17:21,22).
When the soul and spirit leave the body, the body is dead (James 2:26). Interestingly in the disembodied state the soul and spirit have some type of corporal make-up that goes far beyond our present comprehension. We do know, however, that our identity, personality, and memory are preserved in the disembodied state. Here are two examples:
When the Lord allowed Samuel to return from paradise after his death, King Saul recognized him immediately. As they conversed, Samuel revealed to Saul that he and his sons would lose their lives at the hand of the Philistines the very next day (I Sam. 28:3,7-19). Although Moses' body lay in the dust of the earth, he too was permitted to return from paradise in a disembodied state to appear on the Mount of Transfiguration with Elijah. Apparently the Spirit of God revealed to Peter, James, and John that it was Moses whom they not only saw but heard speaking about our Lord's impending death at Calvary (Matt. 17:1-6 cf. Luke 9:28-36).
As we return to Philippians, it was Paul's confident expectation to immediately be with the Lord in a disembodied state, while he awaited the future resurrection of the Body of Christ. Paul's "to die is gain" and "to depart to be with Christ, which is far better" most assuredly speaks to the fact that he would step into the very presence of the Lord at the moment of his death, which will be true of each of us who have believed as well. Paul leaves no stone unturned on this matter when he states: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present [i.e. in heaven] or absent [if we remain here], we may be accepted of Him" (II Cor. 5:8,9).
To Be Continued!
1. Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Parsons Electronic Edition.
2. Bibliography: For a more comprehensive study on the "State of the Dead," see: Man, His Nature and Destiny by C. R. Stam, A Dispensational Theology by Charles F. Baker, The State and Place of the Dead, by Dr. Ed Bedore.