… but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Summary: This meditation considers what Paul means by saying he can “depart” (Verse 23) or “remain in the body.”
Paul’s words are quite clear in this passage. The discussion of whether or not he should “remain in the body” clearly implies that the alternative is to leave the body.
What does this mean?
People argue about the meaning, of course, but to my eye, the answer seems clear enough.
In order to create the universe and all that is in it, God had to preexist the creation. The stuff of God is called “spirit” (John 4:24). The beginning of Genesis describes the beginning of the physical realm (Genesis 1:1). These two realms are very different. They are both real, but since we are born into the physical realm, instead of being created as spiritual beings like angels, we experience life in the physical realm. The physical is all we know.
Jesus talks about this in his discussion with Nicodemus. He says, “ I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12)
How indeed?
Spiritual things are invisible to our physical eyes, but that doesn’t mean we cannot “see” into the spiritual realm. Paul describes this in his letter to the Corinthians. He writes:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
In other words, God can see us, but we can’t see him. That “mirror” Paul talks about is a one-way mirror!
As Paul nears the end of his life, he seems sharply aware of the limits on our human flesh. Sooner or later, his end will arrive. In the prior verses, we see him wrestling with this fact. “What shall I choose?,” he asks (Philippians 1:22).
Perhaps the best illustration we have of the spiritual is our thought life. In our minds, we can imagine anything. Children, especially, have rich imaginations. Our thoughts may seem “real” to us, but to everyone else, they are … nothing. We can imagine a color, a flower, or a cloud, but no one else can “see” what we see until we tell them or draw them a picture.
In my mind, I imagine the spiritual realm is like the world I experience in my thoughts. Life without my body would mean I could fly like a bird, swim like a fish, and jump over the moon.
That sounds funny to talk about, doesn’t it?
In Luke’s account of Stephen’s trial before the Sanhedrin, the Bible says:
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (Acts 7:55-56)
For a moment, Stephen was allowed to see into the heavenly realm. No one else could see what he saw, but he definitely saw it. Then, he declared it. Then, he lived it.
Application: Trust God’s plan. Life in the spirit is a very real thing.
Food for Thought: Paul says it is necessary to remain in the body. What would happen to the Philippians and others if Paul did not remain in the body?
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Paul remaining in the body appears to be God’s plan and will to build and encourage the church body. While they don’t need Paul, they do need God. And they certainly need God’s plan for them. This is true for all of us. We all need the Lord and depend on His plan for our daily lives. To accomplish this He will use His word, other people, etc.