“What I shall choose”
The full verse · Philippians 1:22 · KJV
I the , is the of my : I shall I .
Asked by
Paul: the apostle, in bonds and facing either life or death, writing to the church at Philippi (Philippians 1:13, 20)
Asked to
Paul: weighing aloud, before the Philippians, whether he would prefer to live or to die (Philippians 1:21-24)
The Scene
Paul, a prisoner who hopes Christ will be magnified in his body "whether it be by life, or by death," has just written, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:20-21).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPaul weighs two good things and cannot easily pick between them. If he lives, there is "the fruit of my labour." If he dies, he gains Christ. Barnes says Paul did not know which to choose. He reads "the fruit of my labour" to mean, as it seems to him, that living on "will cost me labour," though he notes that others take it to mean a life fruitful for the gospel. Matthew Henry calls it a strait "not between two evil things, but between two good things." Gill adds that Paul's life, if it went on, would be "though a toilsome and laborious one, yet useful and fruitful." The question is not fear of death or weariness of life. It is the honest struggle of a man for whom both outcomes are gain.
The Response
What Scripture recordsPaul works through his own question in the next lines. "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Philippians 1:23-24). Then he reaches a settled conclusion: "I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith" (Philippians 1:25).
Historical Context
The world behind the words"Wot" is old English for "know." The Greek verb behind it is gnorizo, which usually means "to make known"; the KJV renders it here as "wot," know. "Choose" translates hairesomai, from a verb meaning "to take for oneself, to prefer." The KJV phrasing is an indirect question with no question mark: "what I shall choose I wot not." In the next line, "in a strait" describes being hemmed in. Barnes explains it as being "pressed, or pent up, so as not to know what to do."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyBecause Christ was his life, Paul can call dying "gain" and being with Christ "far better" (Philippians 1:21, 23). Matthew Henry writes, "It is being with Christ which makes a departure desirable to a good man." Paul's hope was not escape but a Person.
Yet love for others kept him willing to stay. What tipped his thinking was not his own preference but the Philippians' need: "to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Philippians 1:24). The same mind appears in his call, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5), who did not hold on to His own good but served others.
Look Closer
Why was Paul unsure which he would choose?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, Paul could not choose between Your presence and his labor for others; whose good are You asking me to put ahead of my own wishes in this season?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- If someone looked at your life, what would they say your "to live is" statement is?
- Tell about someone whose life was poured out for others' faith. How did it affect you?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Paul's words give a way to hold both life and death. If Christ is your life, then living means fruitful work for Him, and dying means being with Him. Neither has to be dreaded.
Notice also what decided Paul's thinking: other people's need. Your days are not only for your own comfort or progress. Ask where your life is "more needful" for others' "furtherance and joy of faith" (Philippians 1:24-25).
Paul's desire to depart was a longing for Christ, not a wish to escape hardship. If thoughts of death come from weariness or despair, that is a reason to reach out for help, not a sign of spiritual maturity. Scripture's own application: 2 Corinthians 5:8-9
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