Did Paul believe that upon death that he would “depart and be with Christ”?
Let’s look at this text carefully:
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” Philippians 1:21–23
Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians while imprisoned in Rome. He sensed that his time was limited on this earth and, in these specific verses, he expresses his mental battle between laying down his life or continuing to live. Nowhere in these verses does he say that he will immediately enter the presence of Christ when he dies.
The key word here is “depart.” When did Paul believe he would depart and be with Christ? (emphasis supplied throughout):
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6–8
As you can see, Paul clearly states that his crown of righteousness (his reward of eternal life), will be given to him “on that Day.” Which day? The day of “His appearing.” Paul explicitly states that He will be in the presence of Christ in his newly transformed condition at the appearing of Christ in the clouds at the Second Coming of Jesus.
He expresses this again in 1 Thessalonians 4 and in 1 Corinthians 15:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51–53
Again, Paul believed that he would die and remain unconscious in the grave until the resurrection at the Second Coming of Jesus. This is clearly communicated in the texts above.
We should never base a doctrine or truth upon a single text. We should always study to find the harmony of a truth across the Scriptures and consider what all texts say on a subject before drawing a conclusion.