Paul's dillema in Phillippians 1, what would you choose?

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Would you choose to go be with Christ or stay in the body.

  • Of course I'd go be with Christ!

    Votes: 4 57.1%

  • I would stay for the sake of others.

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • Total voters
    7
Marano

Marano

Senior Member
Dec 7, 2011
398
32
28
31
Phillippians 1
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Now if God gave you the option to go be with Christ now, would you go? Or is it more necessary that you stay a little more for the sake of others like Paul. In my case I would be torn too, I'm sure the immediate answer would be I want to go be with Christ now, but wouldn't that be selfish and disregard the people around you? Also Paul mentions if he goes on living, it means more fruitful labor for him, so we must question ourselves what fruitful labor we have to show for while in the body?
 
I would be torn too. I dont want Christ to come back until the ministry he has called me to is finished. Use all of me while I still am able, then I will rest with you Lord.
 
As much as I'd love to be with the Lord and have prayed Lord take me. I need to stay, to see my grandson and other that are to come, grow and by God's grace come to the knowledge of the truth.
 
Spokenpassage said:
I would be torn too. I dont want Christ to come back until the ministry he has called me to is finished. Use all of me while I still am able, then I will rest with you Lord.
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Do you believe Jesus' return is imminent or that we must go through the tribulation first?
 
Marano said:
Do you believe Jesus' return is imminent or that we must go through the tribulation first?
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I believe that we've been in the tribulation since the departure of Christ into heaven, and that the end of it is at his imminent return.
 
Spokenpassage said:
I believe that we've been in the tribulation since the departure of Christ into heaven, and that the end of it is at his imminent return.
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So an amillenist position? I believe there will be a tribulation period though as revealed in revelation and that we will go through it, and some time after that Jesus returns.
 
Marano said:
So an amillenist position? I believe there will be a tribulation period though as revealed in revelation and that we will go through it, and some time after that Jesus returns.
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Do you believe that Christ will set up an temporal kingdom for a thousand years after the tribulation?
 
Marano said:
Absolutely the millennium is very real to me when I read the bible, and it's still to come after this age.
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I see. So, what distinguishes his current reign in heaven than from that after the tribulation?
 
Spokenpassage said:
I see. So, what distinguishes his current reign in heaven than from that after the tribulation?
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Really what we would have to disagree on is how to me the account in revelation of the 1000 reign of Christ is a literall kingdom on earth with men, Christ will reign as a king over all the earth for a thousand years.

What I don't quite get from the millenium though and am still looking for an answher is who are gog and magog that will be deceived by satan after the 1000 year period when he is let loose for a while and wages war against the camp of the saints (jerusalem).
 
When the pain gets bad, I confess, I would choose being with Christ. But if not today, then I look forward to the day when I will see Christ face to face!

And on good days? I definitely want to stay here, pray for my grandchildren and read them Bible stories, and live out my life till God takes me home. I really am an optimist, in spite of the pain, and I know Jesus is in control, and we will be with him when HE is ready, not when we want it!
 
I don't want to derail the thread, brother, but an even harder statement the apostle makes is in Romans, where he said he wished he were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his countrymen. How many of us would go to that length? Only person who would be accursed and cut off from God was Christ, and we see in the apostle's statement the Christ-like attitude we should all have.
 
Angela53510 said:
When the pain gets bad, I confess, I would choose being with Christ. But if not today, then I look forward to the day when I will see Christ face to face!

And on good days? I definitely want to stay here, pray for my grandchildren and read them Bible stories, and live out my life till God takes me home. I really am an optimist, in spite of the pain, and I know Jesus is in control, and we will be with him when HE is ready, not when we want it!
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Live long and prosper...:cool:
 
Spokenpassage said:
I don't want to derail the thread, brother, but an even harder statement the apostle makes is in Romans, where he said he wished he were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his countrymen. How many of us would go to that length? Only person who would be accursed and cut off from God was Christ, and we see in the apostle's statement the Christ-like attitude we should all have.
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Yeah that the apostle Paul would go to that lenght for the sake of the israelites is really something, how many of us indeed would do that?
 
Spokenpassage said:
I believe that we've been in the tribulation since the departure of Christ into heaven, and that the end of it is at his imminent return.
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I believe that mankind, if not all creation, has been in (should I say it?...lol) a "dispensation of tribulation", since the "garden of Eden" incident, and, quite possibly, long before, Adam n Eve! That is, if you would take Revelation 12 (the whole chapter), in a parenthetical sense, of "events" that occurred in the previous heaven and earth age, which was before this current heaven and earth age, in which we now do battle/s, and wars!
 
If I was given the choice then I'd assume the Lord would take care of the family I would leave behind so yes I'd be gone.
 
Marano said:
Phillippians 1
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Now if God gave you the option to go be with Christ now, would you go? Or is it more necessary that you stay a little more for the sake of others like Paul. In my case I would be torn too, I'm sure the immediate answer would be I want to go be with Christ now, but wouldn't that be selfish and disregard the people around you? Also Paul mentions if he goes on living, it means more fruitful labor for him, so we must question ourselves what fruitful labor we have to show for while in the body?
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I would choose to stay until God calls me home. Not for the sake of others but because it's God's will.
 
Marano said:
[FONT=&]Phillippians 1
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.[/FONT][FONT=&]22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know![/FONT][FONT=&]23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;[/FONT][FONT=&]24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.[/FONT][FONT=&]25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,[/FONT][FONT=&]26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Now if God gave you the option to go be with Christ now, would you go? Or is it more necessary that you stay a little more for the sake of others like Paul. In my case I would be torn too, I'm sure the immediate answer would be I want to go be with Christ now, but wouldn't that be selfish and disregard the people around you? Also Paul mentions if he goes on living, it means more fruitful labor for him, so we must question ourselves what fruitful labor we have to show for while in the body?[/FONT]
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I would want to stay to minister to my grandbaby (and others)
 
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