Lecture 3 — Paul’s desire to be with Christ

^1:18^ But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. [n. 23]

^1:19^ For I know that this shall happen to me unto salvation, through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, [n. 26]

^1:20^ According to my expectation and hope; that in nothing shall I be confounded: but with all confidence, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. [n. 28]

^1:21^ For to me, to live is Christ: and to die is gain. [n. 32]

^1:22^ And if to live in the flesh: this is to me the fruit of labor. And what I shall choose I do not know. [n. 33]

^1:23^ But I am hard pressed between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better. [n. 35]

^1:24^ But to abide still in the flesh is needful for you.

23. Above, the Apostle described the progress he has made; here he deals with the joy born of this progress:

first, the cause of this joy;

second, the joy itself, at in this also I rejoice.

24. Sometimes it happens that joy arises from a good cause, and this directly and of itself; sometimes from an evil cause, and this indirectly and by accident. For when it springs from a good cause, one should rejoice both in the effect and in the cause, as in the case of giving an alms for the glory of God; but when it springs from an evil cause, one should rejoice in the effect but not in the cause, as in the redemption by Christ, since it came about from the crime committed by Judas and the Jews. The same thing happens in the Church when something beneficial results from good preachers with a good intention, and from evil preachers with an evil intention; nevertheless, one should rejoice in both cases, as has been said. He says, therefore: but what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion or by truth, Christ be preached.

One announces Christ in pretense when he does not chiefly aim at this but at something else, as profit or glory: he who is estranged seeks pretexts (Prov 18:1); but in truth, when it is done with a right intention: remember now, O Lord, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight (Isa 38:3). But either way the results are good for the Church; hence he says if Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, because if something other than Christ were proclaimed, there would be reason for concern. This happens when false doctrine is taught. The shepherd who teaches for the sake of the truth should be loved; the hireling who teaches for gain should be tolerated; but the one who teaches what is false must be expelled (Augustine).

25. Then he mentions the joy which followed, when he says, in this, namely, that my chains are manifested for the sake of Christ, I rejoice, at present in the fact that Christ is preached: if you loved me, you would have rejoiced (John 14:28); and will rejoice in the future: they shall obtain joy and gladness (Isa 51:11).

26. Then when he says, for I know that this shall happen, he mentions the fruit resulting from his progress.

First, he mentions the fruit;

second, he raises a question, at and if to live in the flesh.

In regard to the first he does three things: first, he mentions the fruit;

second, his help in obtaining it, at through your prayer;

third, he assigns the material of the fruit, at but with all confidence.

27. He says, therefore: I rejoice in these things on account of the fruit resulting from them for life everlasting: Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation (Isa 45:17), because when we do good by helping in the salvation of others, it redounds to our salvation. For if it is true that whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt 18:6), how much glory does he deserve who gains the salvation of many?

28. Now help depends on three things: first, on prayer by others; hence he says, through your prayer, by which I hope to be helped by God: pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects (Jas 5:16).

Second, on God, in whom we place our hope for salvation: in your presence we have conceived, and have been as it were in labor and have brought forth the Spirit of salvation (Isa 26:18); hence he says, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ: the Spirit helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26). This shall happen to me unto salvation. He speaks in a simile; for when a person is infirm, he needs to be delivered from his infirmity, if he is to be kept alive; and this is to help. But we are weak and infirm; therefore, we need the help of the Spirit: he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:26), by helping us, as it were.

Third, help depends on our trust in God, because he who trusts in his riches will fall (Prov 11:28). Therefore, our hope must be in God: those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever (Ps 125:1); hence he says, according to my expectation and hope.

29. But isn’t hope the expectation of future happiness?

I answer that hope is a movement of the appetite toward an arduous good; and this can occur in two ways: sometimes a person hopes to obtain something by himself, and then there is hope without expectation; but sometimes he hopes to obtain something through someone else, and then there is hope with expectation. This is the way we expect, when we have the hope of obtaining something through someone else. With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me (Ps 40:1); for in this hope we were saved (Rom 8:24).

30. But he says I know, and then speaks of expectation and hope. Is this hope certain? The Apostle answers that it is, saying, in nothing shall I be confounded. None who put their trust in him will lack strength (1 Macc 2:61); hope does not disappoint us (Rom 5:5); who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? (Sir 2:11).

He gives the reason for this and explains it, when he says, for to me, to live is Christ: and to die is gain.

31. The reason is based on the fact that he is entirely dedicated to the service of Christ. As if to say: the reason why this will turn out to my salvation is that I am totally at the service of Christ.

And first he puts down confidence; second, perseverance; third, certainty of intention.

He mentions his confidence when he says but with all confidence. As if to say: many persecute me, but I put my trust in the Lord: I will trust, and will not be afraid (Isa 12:2). I will act confidently in him (Ps 12:6).

As always, i.e., from the beginning of my conversion: at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27); so now also: I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go (Job 27:6).

Third, he shows that his intention is right because Christ shall be magnified. Since he is God, he cannot be increased or diminished in himself, but in us, i.e., in our knowledge. For a person honors Christ when he increases his knowledge of him: who can extol him as he is? (Sir 43:35).

And this in word and deed, when the greatness of his effects shows his greatness. Among these marvelous effects is justification. But as long as this lies hidden in a man’s heart, Christ is not honored by it, except in that heart, and not in regard to others, until it breaks out into external visible actions; and then Christ is honored truly and properly. Hence he says, in my body.

Christ is honored in our body in two ways: in one way, inasmuch as we dedicate our body to his service by employing our bodies in his ministry: glorify God in your body (1 Cor 6:20); in another way by risking our body for Christ: if I deliver my body to be burned (1 Cor 13:3). The first is accomplished by life, the second by death: hence he says, whether it be by life, because the body acts only when living, or by death: if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord (Rom 14:8). This can also refer to spiritual death: put to death therefore what is earthly in you (Col 3:5).

32. Then he explains how he will be honored by life and death, saying: for to me, to live is Christ: and to die is gain.

Now life produces activity. For something is said to live if it moves of itself. And from this it seems that activity is at the root of man’s life, which is the principle of his activity. Now this principle is that to which his affection is united as to an end, because it is by his affections that man is moved towards anything. Hence some call that by which they are roused to activity, their life; as hunters call hunting their life, and friends their friend. So, Christ is our life, because the whole principle of our life and activity is Christ; hence the Apostle says, for to me, to live is Christ, because Christ alone moved him.

And to die is gain. Here the Apostle is speaking precisely. For a person regards it a gain when he can improve the imperfect life he has; thus a sick person regards a healthy life a gain. Our life is Christ: your life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3). But here it is imperfect: while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord (2 Cor 5:6). Therefore, when we die in the body, our life, namely, Christ, with whom we are then present, is perfected in us. He gives to his beloved in sleep (Ps 127:2); the time of my departure has come (2 Tim 4:6).

33. Then when he says, if to live in the flesh, he raises a doubt in regard to what has been said. And

concerning this he does two things.

First, he states the doubt;

second, he solves it, at and having this confidence (Phil 1:25).

In regard to the first he does two things:

first, he states the doubt;

second, he gives a reason for both sides, at but I am hard pressed.

34. He says, therefore: if to live in the flesh: this is to me the fruit of labor; as if to say: if Christ is glorified in my body as long as I am alive, my life in the flesh will bear fruit, i.e., if life brings to me as its fruit that Christ is honored, life in the flesh is good and fruitful: the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life (Rom 6:22). Therefore, if that is the case,** what I shall choose I do not know**, whether to die or to live: for we do not know how to pray as we ought (Rom 8:26); the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail (Wis 9:14).

35. But why do you hesitate? Because I am hard pressed between the two. First, he gives a reason for one side; second, for the other side.

The first reason is that there are two impulses in man, the impulse of nature and that of grace: of nature, not to die: not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed (2 Cor 5:4); and another will carry you where you do not wish to go (John 21:18); and the impulse of grace, which charity follows, is to love God and neighbor. This impulse to love God moves us to be with Christ; hence he says, having a desire to be dissolved, not absolutely, but to be with Christ: we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

This shows the error in the opinion of the Greeks that the souls of the saints are not with Christ immediately after death.

The reason why I desire this is that to be with Christ is **a thing by far the better. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart have fainted away (Ps 73:26), i.e., they have been of no use in attaining to good. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:10).

But love of neighbor moves us to desire his betterment; hence he says, but to abide still in the flesh is needful for you, i.e., my life is necessary for your benefit: for if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you (2 Cor 5:13).

36. Or another way, I am hard pressed between the two, i.e., on two sides: there arises a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better. But to abide still in the flesh is needful for you. The sense is not changed. But this does not seem to be subject to doubt; indeed, the Apostle seems to be inclined to the worse side. For the love of God rouses the first desire in us, and the love of neighbor the second. But the first is a greater and better desire. Therefore, etc.

I answer that the love of God is twofold, namely, concupiscible love, by which a man wills to love God and find his delight in him; and this is for the man’s good. The other is the love of friendship, by which a man prefers the honor of God, even over this delight with which he enjoys God; and this is perfect charity.

Hence it is stated in Romans: for I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38). And then he continues: for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren (Rom 9:3). He said this to show that he possessed a more perfect charity, as though for the love of God and neighbor he was prepared to lose the delight of seeing God. Therefore, he shows this as something more perfect.