if I am to live. — iveapxi) This is a limitation; for even they who die, live. — KOL^C, tpyou, the fruit of my labour) I derive this fruit from it [from living], that I may thereby do the more work; a noble work, ch. ii. 30 ; desirable fruit, Rom. i. 13. An other seeks fruit from [by means of] his labour ; Paul regards the labour itself as the fruit. This living is the fruit of my labour. The expression, xapvbg spyov, the fruit of labour [= the labour (is) my fruit] ; as, the river of the Rhine, the virtue of liberality [for the river Rhine ; the virtue, liberality]. The price of the labour is its immediate result.1 Cicero says, " I propose to myself as the fruit of friendship, friendship itself, than which nothing is more abundant." — a'/pvjffoftai, I shall choose) He sup poses the condition, viz. if the power of choosing were given to him. This is the reason of [the ground on which he uses] the Future. [The lot of the Christian is truly an excellent one. It is only of things that are good that the choice can be made, so as to perplex or put his mind in a strait ivith hesitation. He never can be disappointed. — Y. g.] — cv yvupi^u) I do not explain, viz. to myself ; i.e. I do not determine.
23. 'Zw's'fcOfAai, I am in a strait [I am perplexed]) He suitably expresses this hesitation, when he dwells upon this deliberation. — dt, but [for]) He hereby declares the cause of his doubt. — s^tavy having) The participle, expressive of the feelings of the mind, for the indicative. — sis rb avaMaai) to depart from bonds, from the flesh, and from the world. There is no need to seek for metaphor. The use of this word is of wide extent [applica tion], Luke xii. 36 ; 2 Tim. iv. 6. — ativ Xpiarti, with Christ) there, whither Christ has gone before him. Paul takes it for granted as a certainty, that, after his martyrdom, he will be immediately with Christ, and that his condition will be greatly superior to what it was in the flesh. [How delightful it is to rejoice in this hope I Reader, dost thou love Christ ? Think then what will be the feeling of thy mind, if, after an interval of some months or days, thou shalt be with Christ. If that were indeed sure in thy case, what wouldst thou think should be done ? See then that thou art doing this very thing at the present time. — Y. g.] — CTOAX& //-aXXoi/ xptTffgov, far the more preferable [far better]) This short clause is
1 The reward which the labour itself affords is an immediate result, inde pendent of its future rewards. — ED.