Once again take a look at the preceding verse (Phil 1:20), “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 death.”

Mark the expression whether it be by life or death. Then follows this utterance, which is but the repetition of the same sentiment in another form viz. Emoi gar to zen Christos, kai to apothanen, kerdos: which literally translated is, “For me therefore to live, Christ, and to die, gain.”

This last word, kerdos which is here translated “gain” would better have been translated, benefit, advantage, profit. This is what it means; and then the idea would have been more clearly expressed. But as it is, there is nothing in the text itself to show whether this gain or advantage or benefit is to accrue to himself, or to the cause of Christ; for the passage is very elliptical; but the context, and especially the preceding verse, most evidently shows that he is speaking of the benefit or gain, which his death by martyrdom would bring the cause of Christ. For if his imprisonment and ill treatment had been made to contribute to this end, inasmuch as he had endured them with so much Christian fortitude and patience, how much more his heroic death as a martyr for Christ? Indeed this is his joyful assurance, as he just said–“Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death.”

Then he goes on to say: For or rather “therefore,”–for this little word, gar (Strong’s # 1063) connects the two sentences– therefore for me to live, and for me to die, in either case for Christ would be gain or benefit. It is impossible that Paul should drop down so suddenly from his supreme devotion to the cause in which he had so entirely lost sight of himself, as to speak of his own personal gain by dying, and to contrast this with what he might accomplish by continuing to live and labor for Christ. This would not be at all like this great apostle, indeed, it would be entirely out of harmony with what he had just been saying, nor can this selfish sentiment be found in the language he used, unless it be first injected into the passage by the reader: much less can we believe that after confessing that the advantages to the cause of Christ were so nearly balanced in his own mind, that he did not know which to choose, he actually did earnestly desire one of these same alternatives, because it would be gain to himself.

Surely, he would not stultify himself by saying that he did not know which of two alternatives to choose, and then, in the next breath express his earnest preference for one of them?

But this is just the inconsistency and folly that our common version of this verse charges upon him, thus: for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.”

The Greek word to analusai, (Strong’s # 360) here rendered “to depart,” is composed of two words, ana, again or back again, and luo or lusai, “to loosen,” “to let go,” “to cast off,” as a ship the lines that hold her to the wharf–“to leave” either to go or to come; but with the prefix ana it means to leave any place for the purpose of returning or coming back.

It may have the meaning of “depart,” but the prefix ana gives it the sense of again, or rather to come back or return. Let it be observed also, that the only other place in which this word analusai occurs in the Scriptures, is in Luke 12:36, and here our translators have rendered it “return:” “Let your loins be girded about and your lights be burning: and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return (analusai) from the wedding.”

There is no reason whatever why this word should not have had the same rendering –“return” in this passage, but that our translators had another idea in their own minds.

They thought Paul believed, as they themselves did, that on dying a Christian goes immediately to Christ, and enters at once into heavenly glory, and that this was the gain Paul was thinking of; and hence they make him say he has a “desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better.” And so they not only make him contradict himself,–for he has clearly said he did not know which to choose,–but they put a forced meaning into this word analusas, which actually means “return,” and which they have so translated in the only other place where it occurs.

This word is in the infinitive mood and is used as a noun: (eis, to analusai) and is the object of the preposition (eis) “for,” and should be rendered “having a desire FOR THE RETURN.”

The Original Greek as taken from the Diaglott reads thusly: “I am hard pressed but by the two the earnest desire having for the to be loosed again and with Anointed to be much for more better the but to remain in the flesh more necessary on account of you.”

“I am indeed hard pressed by the two things; I have an earnest desire for the returning, and being with Christ, since it is very much preferred, but to remain in the flesh is more requisite on your account.”

Some translations render it:  “having [the coveting] to be released and to be with Christ” (Rotherham) and or “what I do desire is the releasing and being with Christ” (The Kingdom Interlinear)

According to the latter, “The reason for having rendered the verb as “releasing” instead of “returning” is that the word may convey two thoughts: the apostle’s own releasing to be with Christ AT HIS RETURN and the Lord’s releasing of himself from heavenly restraints to return as promised.”

Or as the scriptures so state the matter:

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must retain until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21)

Continued with next post.