by Matthew W. Bassford<\/p>\n
Among its other effects, a terminal diagnosis will lead you to read the Scriptures with very different eyes. All sorts of passages that you thought you understood take on new depth and meaning. For me, the chief of these is Philippians 1:21-24.<\/p>\n
Years ago, I read this passage as Paul being Paul. He was a good man and loved the Philippians, so he wanted to continue living in order to help them. That’s true, but it’s vastly incomplete because it doesn’t really reckon with either half of Philippians 1:21.<\/p>\n
Let’s start with the back half. When Paul describes death as gain, he isn’t guessing. According to II Corinthians 12:2-4, he was caught up into the third heaven and heard inexpressible things that no human can repeat. The unimaginable joys of eternal life were no mystery to him.<\/p>\n
Against that gain, though, he balances life in the likeness of Christ. Serving the Philippians is as precious to him as his heavenly reward. This might seem incredible to us, but I think it’s where most genuine disciples would end up if they were placed in Paul’s position.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/bucket-list-300x200.jpg\")
I’m not eager to die. I don’t look forward to the process of dying, which is likely to be very unpleasant. I don’t relish giving up my abilities one by one. I already miss hunting and hiking, and I’m sure I’ll miss being able to walk when I lose that. However, against those things, I can set my hope of that which is far better. From a selfish perspective, heaven wins every time!<\/p>\n
Instead, the losses that I mourn the most are of my opportunities to serve others. I bitterly regret that I probably won’t be able to finish raising my children. I grieve that I won’t be able to give my wife a lifetime of being happily married. I mourn that I will have to step away from the pulpit and the keyboard and won’t be able to help others on to heaven. Once I die, I will be done with all of those things.<\/p>\n
I think that’s what Paul is talking about when he says, “To live is Christ.<\/em>” Christ was a servant who actually left Heaven<\/strong> so He could come to earth and help us! The essence of following Him is living with self-sacrificing love. Paul prized the opportunity to do that so highly – an opportunity that would last only as long as his life did–that he was willing to postpone his reward for the sake of others.<\/p>\n The Christian’s bucket list, then, doesn’t consist of travel and skydiving. There’s nothing wrong with them, of course, but they are of no lasting value. Instead, the truly valuable things in life are the times when we can put a family member or a friend ahead of ourselves, take on that Bible class at church that nobody else wants to teach, or gather our courage and invite an outsider to worship with us. Those, not our possessions or abilities, are our true gifts. As Paul found, they are the only things in this life that are worthy to be compared to the joys of heaven.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Matthew W. Bassford Among its other effects, a terminal diagnosis will lead you to read the Scriptures with very different eyes. All sorts of passages that you thought you understood take on new depth and meaning. For me, the chief of these is Philippians 1:21-24. Years ago, I read this passage as Paul being…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[109,41,574],"class_list":["post-41764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-death","tag-life","tag-service"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":95290,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/euodia-and-syntyche\/","url_meta":{"origin":41764,"position":0},"title":"Euodia and Syntyche","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edwin Crozier In one little paragraph, we find the rubber hitting the road for Paul's letter to the Philippians: \"I entreat Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63260,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/personal-sacrifice-and-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":41764,"position":1},"title":"Personal Sacrifice and Service","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:17-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul often discussed the topic of unity in his letters to the various churches. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Unity based having the same goals and the same standards - Romans 15:5; I Corinthians 1:10; II Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:1-3; I Thessalonians 5:11-15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul\u2019s letter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95583,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/willing-to-die\/","url_meta":{"origin":41764,"position":2},"title":"Willing to Die","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hugh DeLong \"Then Paul answered, 'What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus'\" (Acts 21:13). Paul, the last of the apostles selected by Jesus, was to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25660,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-was-timothy-put-in-prison-in-rome\/","url_meta":{"origin":41764,"position":3},"title":"Why was Timothy put in prison in Rome?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 19, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was researching the web for any clues I might gain as to the author of Hebrews, when it was written, etc. and I found your web page. As you know, there are many theories. I tend to believe that it was Paul, possibly Luke \u2014 translating Paul\u2019s Hebrew\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6914,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-paul-say-he-left-titus-in-crete\/","url_meta":{"origin":41764,"position":4},"title":"Why did Paul say he left Titus in Crete?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just discovered your website after searching the Internet for \u201cPaul\u2019s letter to the Laodiceans\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Your explanation\u00a0is very interesting and has merit.\u00a0 Thank you for providing answers to so many questions that arise from time to time. 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