Bible Study - 2 Corinthians Chapter 5
Bible Study - 2 Corinthians Chapter 5
| 1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. |
Our earthly tent is a metaphor for our earthly bodies. The tent was necessary for travel in those days as travel was by foot, mule, horse, camel, or boat. Thus, a tent was effective as a metaphor for a temporary lodging as compared to houses. Adding to the temporary nature is the fact that they are easily damaged and destroyed, and would have to be replaced many times in the lifetime of a person. Whereas homes usually outlasted their occupants. However, nothing of this world is really permanent. All is subject to decay and entropy, and eventually it all will be wiped away like marks on a chalkboard. Whereas God will make us an eternal home, that is an eternal and perfect body, we will have after resurrection. "We have" is in the present tense because it is already ours once we belong to Jesus. It is as sure as if it was already in our possession. |
| 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, | "In this" a following "tent" or "house" is implied. In verse 4 it is explicit. Our groaning here is not from despair, but is instead a longing for the sure and perfect future. It is like a child who is enjoying the birthday meal and cake, but is longing to open the highly anticipated present. |
| 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. |
Essentially, this is a poetic way of putting that we can be sure of our future. Death is not a permanent condition, and neither is this body. Some try to make an argument about heaven and death from this verse. There is not enough detail here to support anything specific. One view is that we receive our heavenly body as soon as we die and we are in heaven. Another view that some say this verse supports is that we are in an in-between state in the current heaven until eschaton, and get our new bodies at the resurrection. Then we enter the new heaven and the new earth in them. This is a disputable matter, and it doesn't matter which side one is on. It should be remembered that time itself is a creation of God. (This is supported by science as space and time interact in a continuum.) While it's not a common view, it could be that we are taken out of time. Then from our perspective our death is immediately followed by eschaton, even if there are thousands of years between the two events. |
| 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. | Life on this earth and in this body is a burden. The comparison between this body and our new perfect bodies is like the difference between being unclothed, (with all the connotations of being cold, unprotected from injury, and ashamed,) and being clothed to the new body with all it's benefits. The last phrase gives a very different perspective for the believer. To the world and the unbeliever's perspective the here and now is life, and death something to be avoided. For the believer, this mortal life is really death. The new life is the true life that will swallow up this death we exist in now. |
| 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. | It was always God's plan for us to live with Him in perfect and eternal bodies. The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden was for that purpose. That we have the Spirit is the [literally in the Greek] deposit or down payment on that future. Another way to look at it is the Holy Spirit is the pledge of the future. |
| 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord - | Being courageous, confident always, knowing that in this mortal body that is our home in this life we are separated from God. These are all active verbs, in the present tense (or perfect tense.) This is the state we are to be in. This body exists in a fallen state, and we are separate from God. Although we do have the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ in us, we will not see God fully and as he is while in these bodies. |
| 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight - | We know this because we walk by faith and not by sight. The word sight in Greek, eidous, is literally "form, outward appearance." In other words, Christians should not be concerned with the superficial, nor should we be fooled by it. We ought to see beyond that to the eternal. Words are cheap. But actions reveal the heart inside. |
| 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. |
We are courageous, (of good courage,) is a present tense statement of fact. A Christian sees through the superficial trappings of this life to the life we will have with the Lord in person. It is a good and proper attitude to want to be in that state rather than this one, longing for it. Don't confuse this with suicidal thoughts. This is a positive desire for what is to come, not a negative desire to end the present state. Think of it like a soldier in a foreign land proud to be doing their duty for their country, but still being homesick. Christians are homesick for a home we haven't yet experienced. Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. |
| 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. | The logical conclusion to the previous verses is whether we are at home in our perfect bodies and with Him or in our present state and away from Him, our ambition and aim is to please God. This is like we are with a new love, we want to do all we can for her. |
| 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. |
The bematos, or judgement seat, of God is often referred to as the bema seat in Christian writing. That is understandable since the word judgement has taken on very negative connotations today. (I believe this is deliberate in order for badly behaving people to turn away good and proper correction.) Awarding the crown in a beauty contest, or officials awarding first, second and third place in a race are all judgements with a very positive connotation. In the greek the bema is a platform, step or seat where judgement, reward or condemnation, is received. It could be judging who is the winner, or who is guilty and what their punishment is. Whether it is good or bad depends one's perspective. For the guilty, it is punishment. For the victims it is justice. And for the winner it is reward. As Christians, what is judged is our reward, because Christ took our sins upon himself. So there is nothing to condemn us for. Therefore we should welcome standing before the bema seat like the winner of a race eager for their medal. For unbelievers there is condemnation, judgement, and punishment. To be perfectly clear, all have sinned and deserve punishment. God is not punishing people for not believing. He is rescuing those who do believe from what they rightfully deserve. God will judge rightly, but He paid the price for those believe. Clearly stated here and elsewhere is that this judgment is for what is done in this body. Therefore, there is no changing of our status after death. Also, our new bodies do not have sin nature, so we won't sin after death. |
| 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. |
Fear is another English word that is distorted in the current culture. It is only used in the sense of being frightened. However, fear in this context is the extreme reverence for an earthly king of times past. And even though the king is loving, he has the power, right, and ability to exert complete control over us, even to have us killed just because he wants to. It is like being in the presence of a vicious tiger, knowing he could tear us apart, but protected by the thick glass between us. So we feel safe, but are still aware of the awesome power beyond our ability to protect ourselves. This is a healthy and right fear. Because of our awe and reverence to God, and knowing the judgment He will bring, we try to persuade men to become Christians, and thus find reward at the bema seat instead of condemnation. We (Paul, Timothy and all,) are known, (made manifest,) by God. It is God's judgement that matters. And Paul hopes they are known to the consciences of the Corinthians. Put simply, Paul stands openly before God and the Corinthian church. Whether they see that is up to them. If they are right with God then their conscience is clear and they will see Paul openly. |
| 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. |
Again, Paul is not trying to present evidence of his good standing to the Corinthians. Implied is they ought to be able to see for themselves. He is giving them ammunition to use against critics in their midst and agitating outsiders. Paul's description of his critics is a harsh zinger that connects directly with verse 7. They take pride in appearance, the outward appearance, the superficial, and not by faith as Christians do. In other words, he is calling them out as not being Christian at all! |
| 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. |
This is a cliché that is rarely used today, but actually conveys the meaning very well. Basically, it is saying, "I must be crazy!" When seeing something unbelievable and or amazing, particularly actions of a loved or trusted one, or an outcome, that is contrary to all logic, someone might exclaim, "I'm just beside myself." The crazy here is not literally crazy. It is the feeling of being crazy that amazing circumstances bring. God is beyond amazing. Essentially, Paul is saying that while God fills him with awe and wonder, the Corinthian church makes him sober-minded / clear-headed. On the surface, service to Christ is crazy. So we are crazy for Christ. But for others we are of sound mind, such as how service to others appears to the one being served. |
| 14 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. |
That the love of Christ controls us is not some Star Wars type control by "the force". Compels us would be more accurate to us today. Or better, compels and sustains us. This is the compulsion that drives us, the desire inspired in us, and the boundaries we want to stay within. This is like when we are completely head over heels in love with the person we know we will someday marry, and we stay within the boundaries of an exclusive relationship because we want to. This is the conclusion that ties a bow on the arguments that Paul has not and does not need to commend himself. And now he focuses on Christ's love. The doctrine of reconciliation is summed up at the end of this verse. That Christ has died for all is stated as a historical fact. That all have died is a statement of the substitution of Christ for our punishment, and a symbolic death for us. (This is like the symbolic death represented by baptism.) |
| 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. |
This is a repeat of verse 14, with the addition of a third purpose of Christ's death and resurrection, that we would have a new life free from the bondage of sin. The world sees things totally backwards. They see service to Christ as bondage and being able to sin their brains out as freedom. The truth is that sin is bondage, not just in that it leads to destruction, but that here and now it holds people in bondage of consequences and addiction. This is not just a physical addition like with drugs, but the addiction of the mind. Ask someone who has cursed every third word for years how easy it is to stop. Or ask someone who has led a life of promiscuity how easy it is to have a real relationship and connection with one person. Not to mention sin leaves one empty and unfulfilled, leading to seeking ever greater sin in an attempt to fill the emptiness. Service to Christ is the real freedom. It is joy. It is light. |
| 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. |
This is the right attitude, in contrast to the wrong attitude of verses 7 and 12. We don't look at the surface of others like the world and fake religious people do. We look to the fruit, how people live their lives, the changes that happen in them because of Christ in them. Jesus was God incarnate. The Son of God became human for several reasons, and one was that we could know Him in the flesh. It was with their human eyes and ears that people saw and heard Him. After His death and resurrection we still know Him, but not by flesh but by a more intimate and true relationship that is beyond the surface. |
| 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. |
This is not a change of perspective of the person who has become a Christian. Although that does occur, it is not being addressed here. Christ's death and resurrection brought a new order. The old order is passed away. The new order brings new things. It is in this context that anyone in Christ becomes a new person. It is like when a video-gaming and/or party going person enlists in the military. They are brought into a new order. Their previous life is washed away. Now they are in a new environment that reshapes them. This environment makes a new person who is in top physical shape, knows discipline, knows teamwork, and knows how to be effective. When they go home on leave, their own family hardly recognize them. |
| 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, |
This new order is entirely of God and is His doing. We separate ourselves from God with sin. God reconciles us to Him through the death and resurrection of Christ. We messed up what He did, and even though it was our mess, He cleaned it up and fixed things between us. Our ministry is the Gospel, which is the reconciliation of sinners to God, just as we were reconciled to Him. |
| 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. |
That God was in Christ is not a contradiction of the trinity, it affirms it. (Not to mention scripture doesn't contradicts scripture, and scripture is clear on the trinity.) God is three persons in one substance. (Three whos in one what.) This is affirming that Jesus was and never stopped being God. Only God was capable of reconciling us to Him. That our trespasses, (sins,) are not counted against us is the forgiveness that Jesus' death and resurrection provided us. He took the punishment we deserved on Himself, who was blameless and perfect as only God could be. It is this gospel message of reconciliation with God and the forgiveness of sins that he taught and shared with anyone who would listen. |
| 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. |
An ambassador is an accredited diplomat sent by a country to be its official representative to another country, organization, or even a single person in the case of a king who is an absolute ruler. The words of the ambassador are those of who he represents. A good ambassador is careful to accurately convey the message he is sent to deliver. The message to the Corinthian church from Christ, through Paul's team, is to turn away from false gospels, turn to the real gospel, and thus be reconciled with God as He intended. |
| 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | Don't take the first part of this verse out of context. It does not say God made Christ. It says God made Christ to be sin for us, even though He was completely blameless and did no sin. (He did experience all of our temptations.) This is the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Jesus, who always existed, was and is God, and never sinned, took our sin upon Himself. He endured the punishment we deserved, but He did not deserve. Thus we can be free from sin, and we can become righteous, the righteousness of God. |
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation.