Philippians 1:23
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul feels pulled between two desires, longing to depart and be with Christ, which he calls far better.
What Does Philippians 1:23 Mean?
Paul pictures himself pressed from both sides, caught in a strait between two pulls. One is his longing to depart and to be with Christ, an outcome he calls far better than anything this life offers.
The word for depart was used of a ship loosing its moorings or a soldier striking camp, a setting out toward home. For Paul, death is not an end but a departure into the nearer presence of Christ. He does not romanticize dying, but he treasures the One he would go to be with. That hope drains death of its dread. To be with Christ is the believer's deepest longing fulfilled, and Paul speaks of it not with fear but with a homesick eagerness to be where his Lord is.
In the Original Language
analuo (ἀναλύω), 'to depart' -- to loose moorings or break camp, a setting out for home.