Paul is in prison and, in four chapters and one hundred and four verses, writes the most comprehensive treatise on Christian joy: Philippians.
It is a letter written with the intention, among other things, of thanking the Philippians for the monetary help they sent him. But seizing the opportunity, the apostle addresses other issues and makes some confessions. It is his habit to qualify his writings with personal testimonies and his own feelings that allow us to get to know him better.
But these confessions not only serve to learn more about Pablo’s profile. God inspired the apostle to write about this, because the experience and reality of his salvation is available to all believers. What Paul received and experienced in Christ is not reserved for him alone, since it can be the normative, logical, and natural experience of every Christian.
This precious and well-known expression of Paul, “for me, to live is Christ”, has been the object of study for a long time. It’s one of those statements that thousands of volumes (of good commentaries, books, and articles trying to explain it) will never do it justice. It is a statement loaded with great meaning for the apostle and it is also for us.
In saying this, Paul makes a confession not only of what he believes, but also of how he feels and experiences the reality of his salvation. This is not a doctrinal statement about Christ. Rather, it is a confession of how he experiences the risen Christ. In other words, when Paul says, “to live is Christ,” he is trying to explain how he experiences the reality of his faith in Christ.
It is a way of expressing with words what words can never express. Saying, “to live is Christ”, is his simple and sincere way of explaining something extraordinary: Paul’s life is Christ.
John Calvin said that in the text, “for me, living is Christ and dying is gain”, Paul meant that he was indifferent to any situation, “whether I live or die, because, having Christ, he considers that both are gain”.
Now, although the ideal order for a good interpretation would be to read the passage in its immediate context, I think we can also get a lot out of it if we take a slightly more panoramic look. That is, if we contemplate this expression taking into account everything that Paul has said in Philippians, we can also give ourselves a clear, legitimate and even more complete idea of what it means.
So why did Paul say “to me, living is Christ”?
Because Christ is the example of Paul
Jesus is the perfect man. He lived a blameless life and pleased the Father in his actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motivations. But one of the great models that our Lord left us was his humble attitude, upon coming to earth as a mere mortal. That is, for Paul, Christ left us an example of a humble attitude, leaving his condition as God and for this reason he called us to imitate him:
“Let there be in you, then, this feeling that there was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider being equal to God as a thing to cling to, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant , made in the likeness of men; and being in the condition of a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, and death on a cross ”, Philippians 2: 5-8 ESV.
Because Christ is the treasure of Paul
At one point in the letter, Paul confesses that there was a time in his life when what he valued most was his Jewish heritage, his achievements, and his zeal for the law. In other words, Paul treasured his Israelite offspring. Upon being saved, he found that Christ was a greater treasure and therefore those things that he previously esteemed had now lost value to him. Everything loses value in view of the incomparable value of knowing Christ.
“But everything that was gain to me, I have counted as loss for Christ’s sake. And even more, I count all things as loss in view of the incomparable value of knowing Christ Jesus”, Philippians 3:7-8 ESV.
Because Christ is Paul’s goal
Paul had evaluated the value of things and saw that Christ is incomparable and infinitely superior to anything he can obtain or experience on earth. That is why Paul made Christ the goal of his life. Treasuring it, loving it, having it as the most precious thing, was what he sought. His Lord was the medal he pursued, the prize his heart sought.
“And even more, I count all things as loss in view of the incomparable value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost everything, and I consider it as rubbish in order to win Christ” Philippians 3:8 ESV.
Because Christ is the righteousness of Paul
Paul taught, preached, and defended that salvation is only a gift of God’s grace. Good works do not justify anyone before God. Paul never dared to think that his merits earned him forgiveness of his sins, acceptance before his Creator, and his righteous status. He knew that good works are not enough to save the sinner.
He recognized that all of this we only obtain by virtue of Christ. His Lord is the source of his righteousness. That justice that forgives, restores, and declares the sinner just, can only be the one Jesus obtained through his life, death, and resurrection. The righteousness that is from God through Christ is the only one he clings to. Christ is the righteousness of Paul:
“And to be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith from Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith”, Philippians 3:9 ESV.
Because Christ is the hope of Paul
Paul knows that we are strangers in this world and that heaven is our home. From that place, Christ our Savior will return for his people. That was what the angels said to the disciples when Christ was taken up in the clouds before them (Acts 1:11). The Lord will return for his church, and Paul looks forward to that day. He will return to consummate the redemption of his people and make way for an eternity with Him. Christ is the hope of the apostle:
“But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”, Philippians 3:20 ESV.
Because Christ is the joy of Paul
Christ is the source of the apostle’s joy, delight, and satisfaction. By commanding the Philippians to rejoice in Christ, Paul demands something that he himself experiences. This is striking because the letter of joy (this is how Philippians is known) is written from prison. The question that arises is: how is it possible that this man can experience so much joy while in prison? The only way to explain it is by affirming that the source of his joy comes from being saved by Christ, from knowing Christ, and from having him as the greatest treasure in his heart. Christ is the source of his joy and he wanted it to be the same for the believers in Philippi.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice!”, Philippians 4:4 ESV.
Because Christ is the power of Paul
Paul knows that in Christ we have abundant grace. But it is quite instructive to see that, for the apostle, grace is not only forgiveness for his sins. That is to say, the grace of God in Christ not only supplies forgiveness, repairs, and covers the sins we commit, but it is also the power of God not to sin. Grace is also power that transforms, enables, and strengthens to serve, obey, and glorify God. The risen Christ, through his Spirit, dwells in the believer to strengthen him in temptation, to sustain him in adversity, and to enable him to live for the glory of God. That’s why he said:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, Philippians 4:13 ESV.
To summarize, in Philippians we find the testimony of all that Jesus Christ is for Paul. Christ is the example he wants to imitate, the treasure of his heart, the goal he pursued, the only justice that made him acceptable before God, the hope for his future, the joy that satisfied him, and the power that enabled him to glorify goodbye. Everything Paul needed and wanted was found in Christ. Only in Him.
Christ was everything for Him. May it be so for us too.
1. Calvin, John. Calvin’s Complete Commentaries | Kindle version.