# Philippians 1.23-24 **Book:** [Philippians](/codex/philippians/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if to live in the flesh,,if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not. > > **23. But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better: 24. yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.** > > 25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith; 26. that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. (Philippians 1:21-26, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. > > **23. But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24. Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.** > > 25. Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26. that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. (Philippians 1:21-26, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. > > **23. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.** > > 25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26. That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:21-26, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 21. for to me to live [is] Christ, and to die gain. 22. And if to live in the flesh [is] to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not; > > **23. for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better, 24. and to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,** > > 25. and of this being persuaded, I have known that I shall remain and continue with you all, to your advancement and joy of the faith, 26. that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence again to you. (Philippians 1:21-26, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** [Paul the Apostle](/codex/paul-the-apostle/), writing with Timothy named as co-sender (Philippians 1:1). - **Audience:** The [Church at Philippi](/codex/church-at-philippi/), in a Roman colony of Macedonia (Acts 16:12), founded on the mission narrated in Acts 16 and addressed with its bishops and deacons (Philippians 1:1). The church had sent Paul a gift by Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30, 4:18). The verses state the two sides of Paul's dilemma within his reflection on life and death (Philippians 1:19-26). - **Location:** Written from imprisonment (Philippians 1:7, 1:13). The place is debated: Rome is the traditional identification, and Ephesus and Caesarea are proposed as alternatives. - **Time period:** Depends on the imprisonment: c. AD 60-62 if Rome, c. AD 57-59 if Caesarea, the mid-50s if Ephesus. ## Theological reading **One desire is set against one need.** Verse 23 gives Paul's desire, "to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better" (Philippians 1:23, ASV), and verse 24 gives the church's need. "Desire" is *epithymia* (G1939), a word Paul usually uses of sinful craving (Romans 6:12, Galatians 5:16). Here it is a good desire, as in 1 Thessalonians 2:17, "to see your face with great desire" (1 Thessalonians 2:17, ASV). For the verbs of verse 23 and the debate over the intermediate state, see Philippians 1:21-23. **"More needful for your sake" decides the matter.** "yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake" (Philippians 1:24, ASV). "Abide" is *epimenō* (tagged G1961), to stay on or remain. "More needful" is the comparative of *anankaios* (G316), necessary. Paul weighs his own preference against what others need and lets the need win. He asks the same of the church a few lines later: "not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others" (Philippians 2:4, ASV), and he grounds it in the self-giving of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8). **"In the flesh" here means bodily life.** *Sarx* ([*sarx*](/codex/g4561-sarx/)) can name the sinful human condition, as in "they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:8, ASV). That is not its sense here. Paul uses "in the flesh" neutrally for mortal life, as in "that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith" (Galatians 2:20, ASV). To remain in the flesh is simply to go on living, and verse 25 draws the conclusion that he will. ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - [G4561 - sarx](/codex/g4561-sarx/), *sarx*, Strong's G4561 - [G5547 - christos](/codex/g5547-christos/), *christos*, Strong's G5547 ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Argument from Personal Identity](/codex/argument-from-personal-identity/), via [Philippians 1.21-23](/codex/philippians-1-21-23/) - [Argument from the Memory-Continuity Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-memory-continuity-convergence/), via [Philippians 1.21-23](/codex/philippians-1-21-23/) - [Modal Argument from Mind](/codex/modal-argument-from-mind/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) **Concepts:** - [Angels](/codex/angels/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Church at Philippi](/codex/church-at-philippi/), via [Philippians 1.12-26](/codex/philippians-1-12-26/), [Philippians 1.20-23](/codex/philippians-1-20-23/) - [Eschatology](/codex/eschatology/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Heaven](/codex/heaven/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [New Heavens and New Earth](/codex/new-heavens-and-new-earth/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Property Dualism](/codex/property-dualism/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Resurrection of the Body](/codex/resurrection-of-the-body/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Soul](/codex/soul/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Spiritualism](/codex/spiritualism/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) - [Substance Dualism](/codex/substance-dualism/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) **Lexicon:** - [G5590 - psyche](/codex/g5590-psyche/), via [Philippians 1.23](/codex/philippians-1-23/) ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.