There appears to be a certain similarity between Paul’s conception of dying and the ideas the ancient Greeks had about it. Among several Greek writers we likewise encounter the notion that death is profit (kerdos; see the literature cited in Müller1).The important difference is that the Greeks considered death to be gain from the vantage point of a negative view on life. Death meant deliverance from all earthly misery, the liberation from the constraints of the body. Conversely, Paul’s outlook on life is positive. For him, to live is Christ. The meaning of his life lies in his missionary work.2
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,