die (v. 4, "not that we would be unclothed"); and on the other

hand, he was not merely "willing rather" but "earnestly desiring

(3) The third passage, II Cor. 5:6, 8, "to be absent from the

to be clothed upon" (v.2). It is true that some years later he did

body and to be present with the Lord", was the inspired desire of

say "to die is gain"; but as we have seen above, the

the Apostle, which could be realized only in resurrection.

circumstances were very different, for he was then in prison.

Resurrection (and not death) is the subject of the whole context.

These words are generally misquoted "Absent from the body,

(4) This brings us to the expression of Paul's desire in Phil.

present with the Lord", as though it said that when we are absent

1:23. The desire of the Apostle was not "to depart" himself, by

from the body we are present with the Lord. But no such

dying; but his desire was for the return of Christ; the verb

sentence can be found. No less than nine words are deliberately

rendered "depart" being used elsewhere in the New Testament

omitted from the context when the quotation is thus popularly

only in Luke 12:36, where it is rendered "return": "when he shall

made. The omission of these words creates quite a new sense,

RETURN from the wedding". May we not fairly ask, "Why are

and puts the verse out of all harmony with the context; the object

we not to translate it in the same way in Phil. 1:23?"

of which is to show that we cannot be "present with the Lord"

The preposition ανα ana (again), when compounded with the

except by being clothed upon with our RESURRECTION body,

verb λυω luo (to loosen), means to loosen back again to the place

our "house which is from heaven".

from whence the original departure was made, not to set out to a

We might with equal justice quote the words "hang all the

new place; hence, αναλυω analuo means to loosen back again or

law and the prophets", and leave out "on these two

to return, and it is so rendered in the only other place where it

commandments"(Matt. 22:40); or say "there is no God" and

occurs in the New Testament, Luke 12:36: "when he shall

leave out "The fool hath said in his heart" (Psalm 53:1), or say

RETURN from the wedding" It does NOT mean to depart, in the

"Ye shall not drink wine", and leave out "Ye have planted

sense of setting off from the place where one is, but to return to

pleasant vineyards, but (ye shall not drink wine) of them" (Amos

the place that one has left. The noun αναλυςις analusis occurs in

5:11); or talk about "the restitution of all things" and leave out

II Tim. 4:6, and has the same meaning, returning or dissolution,

"which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets"

i.e. the body returning to dust as it was, and the spirit returning

(Acts 3:21).

to God who gave it. The verb does not occur in the Greek

All these partial quotations are correct so far as the Text is

translation of the Canonical books of the Old Testament, but it

concerned, but what about the Context? The context is, "We are

does occur in the Apocryphal books which, though of no

confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body,

authority in the establishment of doctrine, are invaluable, as to

and to be present with the Lord" (v. 8).

the use and meaning of words. In these books this word always

By omitting the words printed in italics the sense is entirely

means to return, and is generally so translated.

changed. Being "at home in the body" in both verses is

But there is another fact with regard to Phil. 1:23. The

explained, in verse 4 as being in "this tabernacle", which, in v. 1,

English verb depart occurs 130 times in the New Testament; and

is called "our earthly house of this tabernacle"; and being

is used as the rendering of 22 different Greek words. But this one

"present (or at home with) the Lord" is explained in verse 2 as

verb analuo occurs only twice, and is rendered depart only once;

being "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven". The

the other occurrence being rendered return, and used by the Lord

Apostle distinctly says, on the one hand, that he did not wish to

Himself of His own return from heaven. We must also further