In Philippians 1:12-26 the apostle Paul encourages his Philippian friends and readers that, though the journey for him (and them) is difficult, the Gospel is advancing and that is cause to celebrate. And in one of the loftiest verses in the New Testament, Paul claims that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." Digging deeper it is clear that Paul can make this claim due to his purpose aligning with God's, his power coming from the Spirit, and his perspective that he has gained over the years.