But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.
But if I live in the flesh, that is, if I shall continue to live longer in this mortal body, this is the fruit of my labour; that is, I foresee what will be the blessed fruit of my labour, namely, the conversion and gaining of more souls unto God and Christ; at least, as it is worthy labour, so shall it be my endeavour...
But if I live in the flesh,.... To be in the flesh sometimes signifies to be in a state of nature and unregeneracy, and to live in and after the flesh, to live according to the dictates of corrupt nature; but here it signifies living in the body, or the life which is in the flesh, as the Syriac version renders the phrase here, and...
Verse 22. But if I live in the flesh. If I continue to live; if I am not condemned, and made a martyr at my approaching trial. This is the fruit of my labour. The meaning of this passage, which has given much perplexity to commentators, it seems to me is, "If I live in the flesh, it will cost me labour; it will be...