22
ButδὲifεἰI am to liveτὸ ζῆνinἐνthe flesh,σαρκίthisτοῦτόis fruitκαρπὸςof workἔργουfor me;μοιandκαὶwhatτίI will chooseαἱρήσομαιI do notοὐknow.γνωρίζω
Philippians 1:22
Study it in the app“But if I am to live in the flesh, this is fruit of work for me; and what I will choose I do not know.”
Paul says that for him to live is the Messiah and to die is gainDeath and Eternal Life
With the Greek beneath
Philippians 1:22, word by word
- I am to liveζῆνzēn
live
To have life in the body, or receive it again after dying.
Where else “zēn” appears- the fleshσαρκίsarki
flesh
The soft part of the body, of people or animals; also the body itself.
Where else “sarki” appears- is fruitκαρπὸςkarpos
result
The result of what someone is or does.
Where else “karpos” appears- of workἔργουergou
task
The job given to someone.
Where else “ergou” appears- I will chooseαἱρήσομαιhairēsomai
choose
Choose, pick for oneself.
Where else “hairēsomai” appears- knowγνωρίζωgnōrizō
know
To be sure: "I cannot tell which to choose".
Where else “gnōrizō” appears
Translation note
“I do not know”: literally, “I do not make known.”
The context
21For to me to live is the Messiah, and to die is gain.
22 · This verse (above)
23I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and to be with the Messiah, for that is far, far better;
To study Philippians 1 in a group
1. What it says
What happened to Paul in prison, and what effect does he say it had on the spread of the good news (v. 12-14)?
2. What it means
Paul writes, "to me to live is the Messiah, and to die is gain" (v. 21). What do you think he means?
3. How I live it
Paul rejoices even in hardship (v. 18). What difficult situation today could you look at from another angle?