The first nine verses of this chapter are very much misunderstood, briefly, the Apostle

does not desire death, but resurrection, not to be unclothed but clothed upon, that

mortality may be swallowed up of life. Paul, however, is no dreamer; much as "that

day" attracts him, he has the present pressing upon him, just as in a similarly difficult and

perverted passage Phil. 1: 22-26, where although he desires the "return" translated

"depart", yet if that cannot be, he will gladly labour and suffer here. In our verse the

word "labour" literally means, "we love the honour", or are "ambitious". The Apostle

uses it again elsewhere "ambitious to preach the gospel in the regions beyond", and to the

saints he wrote, "be ambitious to be quiet and mind your own business" (Rom. 15: 20;

I Thess. 4: 11).  Surely it should be the ambition of every saved one, that, when in

resurrection glory they stand before the Lord Jesus, they should be accepted, not with

regard to salvation, but service.  The word "accept" occurs in  Rom. 12: 1, 2;

"acceptable" 14: 18; Eph. 5: 10; Col. 3: 20: "well pleasing" Titus 2: 9; Heb. 11: 5, 6;

12: 28; 13: 16, 21.  If these passages are prayerfully considered, they may be of help in

really understanding our verse.