Philippians

I am not sure if I am getting the figurative language right, but bear with me.

The first one I found was 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  But if I am to
live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do
not know which to choose.

If a person read this and didn't understand the first statement they would not recognize that he meant that while He is on earth living a person should be living like Christ or trying to be like Him.  And when he dies he gains eternal life in heaven, so to him that is gaining because he is ging to be with God.

The second part of this section of Philippians means that if he is to stay in the flesh (stay alive on earth) then he will work to bring people to know God and teach them what Jesus did. But if he chooses to die he gains eternal life with God.  So he doesn't know which to choose.


 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of
the false circumcision;  for we are the true circumcision, who
worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no
confidence in the flesh,  although I myself might have
confidence even in the flesh

Beware of false circumcision is going back to where the Jews were circumcised because it was apart of their law.   To be a Christian you don't need to be circumcised because Jesus died on the cross, so to be a Christian you do not have to be circumcised. 



If no one knew what these metaphors meant then it would be very confusing to read this and understand what he means.  But if you think through them the imagery was the perfect way of showing what it would mean to live on earth and how it would be a gain to go to heaven