Albert Barnes Commentary Philippians 1:22

"But if to live in the flesh, --[if] this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not." — Philippians 1:22 (ASV)

But if I live in the flesh. If I continue to live; if I am not condemned, and made a martyr at my approaching trial.

This is the fruit of my labour. The meaning of this passage, which has caused much perplexity for commentators, seems to me to be: "If I live in the flesh, it will cost me labour; it will be attended, as it has been, with much effort and anxious care, and I do not know which to prefer—whether to remain on earth with these cares and the hope of doing good, or to go at once to a world of rest."

A more literal version of the Greek will show that this is the meaning—touto moi karpov ergou, "this to me is [or would be] the fruit of labour." Coverdale, however, renders it, "Inasmuch as to live in the flesh is fruitful to me for the work, I wot not what I shall choose." So Luther, "But since to live in the flesh serves to produce more fruit." And so Bloomfield, "But if my life in the flesh is of use to the gospel (be it so, I say no more), truly what I shall choose I do not see and know." See also Koppe, Rosenmuller, and Calvin, who give the same sense.

According to this, the meaning is that if his life were of value to the gospel, he was willing to live; or that it was a valuable object—operae pretium—worth an effort thus to live. This sense accords well with the connection, and the thought is a valuable one, but it is somewhat doubtful whether it can be made out from the Greek.

To do this, it is necessary to suppose that moi—my—is expletive (Koppe), and that kai and —is used in an unusual sense. See Erasmus.

According to the interpretation first suggested, it means that Paul felt that it would be gain to die, and he was entirely willing. He also felt that if he continued to live, it would involve toil and fatigue. Therefore, great as was his natural love of life and desirous as he was to do good, he did not know which to choose—an immediate departure to the world of rest, or a prolonged life of toil and pain, even with the hope that he might do good.

There was an intense desire to be with Christ, joined with the belief that his life here must be attended with toil and anxiety; and, on the other hand, an earnest wish to live in order to do good, and he did not know which to prefer.

Yet. The sense has been obscured by this translation. The Greek word kai means and, and should have been so rendered here, in its usual sense: "To die would be gain; my life here would be one of toil, AND I do not know which to choose."

What I shall choose I wot not. I do not know which I should prefer, if it were left to me. On each side there were important considerations, and he did not know which overbalanced the other. Are not Christians often in this state, that if it were left to themselves they would not know which to choose, whether to live or to die?