God’s Word Translation
Philippians 1:21
21Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more.
Philippians 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
- New International Version (NIV)For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Context of Philippians 1:21
19for another reason. I know that I will be set free through your prayers and through the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of. I will speak very boldly and honor Christ in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more. 22If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don’t know which I would prefer. 23I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice.
Read all of Philippians 1Philippians 1:21 word by word
Ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Philippians 1:21
- Philippians 1:20I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of. I will speak very boldly and honor Christ in my body, now as always, whether I live or die.
- Philippians 2:21Everyone else looks after his own interests, not after those of Jesus Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our approval, our holiness, and our ransom from sin.
- Galatians 6:14But it’s unthinkable that I could ever brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his cross my relationship to the world and its relationship to me have been crucified.
- Colossians 3:4Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.
- Philippians 1:23I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice.
- Isaiah 57:1Righteous people die, and no one cares. Loyal people are taken away, and no one understands. Righteous people are spared when evil comes.
- Romans 8:35What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love?
- 1 Corinthians 3:22Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1We know that if the life we live here on earth is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an eternal house in heaven that isn’t made by human hands.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope.
- Revelation 14:13I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: From now on those who die believing in the Lord are blessed.” “Yes,” says the Spirit. “Let them rest from their hard work. What they have done goes with them.”
Commentaries on Philippians 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21For to me to live is Christ - Whether I live or die, Christ is gain to me. While I live I am Christ's property and servant, and Christ is my portion; if I die - if I be called to witness the truth at the expense of my life, this will be gain; I shall be saved from the remaining troubles and difficulties in life, and be put immediately in possession of my heavenly inheritance. As, therefore, it respects myself, it is a matter of perfect indifference to me…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For to me to live is Christ - My sole aim in living is to glorify Christ. He is the supreme End of my life, and I value it only as being devoted to his honor - Doddridge. His aim was not honor, learning, gold, pleasure; it was, to glorify the Lord Jesus. This was the single purpose of his soul - a purpose to which he devoted himself with as much singleness and ardor as ever did a miser to the pursuit of gold, or a devotee of pleasure to amusement, or an…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-26Verses 21-26 Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. It delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to possess the chief good. The apostle's difficulty was not between living in this world and living in heaven; between these two there is no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21to die is gain: For believers, death is not something to fear. It means going to be with Christ (see 1:23; compare John 5:24; 11:25–26; Romans 8:38–39).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. For--in either event (Php 1:20) I must be the gainer, "For to me," &c. to live is Christ--whatever life, time, and strength, I have, is Christ's; Christ is the sole object for which I live (Ga 2:20). to die is gain--not the act of dying, but as the Greek ("to have died") expresses, the state after death. Besides the glorification of Christ by my death, which is my primary object (Php 1:20), the change of state caused by death, so far from being a…Read the comment
Topics related to Philippians 1:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Philippians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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