2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Applebury's Comments

The Building From God
Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2 For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven: 3 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord 7 (for we walk by faith, not by sight); 8 we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Wherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him. 10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Comments

For we know.Paul continued to explain his courageous effort to preach the gospel of Christ. He had told of his awareness of the fact that this precious treasure was in earthen vessels. He was constantly aware of the weakness of the vessel. He did not despair, however, for he knew what lay ahead for the faithful servant of Christ. He knew that this life was only temporary, but beyond it there was eternal life with God. This information had been revealed to him through the Holy Spirit. See 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. More than that, he had actually seen the risen Lord. This fact confirmed the testimony that had been made known to him and, through him, to all who are willing to accept the Word of God. The hope of heaven is based solidly upon the testimony of the Scriptures.

Two factors influence the interpreters of this chapter: (1) the assumption that Paul was anticipating the return of Christ in his own lifetime; and (2) the assumption that he had in mind the intermediate state of the dead as he discussed the issues of this chapter, But we raise the question: Did Paul expect the return of Christ in his lifetime? Jesus had made it clear to His disciples that no one knew the time of His coming, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son himself, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36). The information given orally to the apostles by Jesus was recalled to their minds by the Holy Spirit. See John 14:26. Paul, who was also an inspired apostle of Christ, surely had all the information that was given to the other apostles. In writing to the Thessalonians, he used the very expression that Jesus had used about the second coming: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). In his second epistle to them, he corrected the false notion that was held by some of them that the day of the Lord was just at hand. He reminded them of certain things, such, as the apostasy, that were to come before that day. See 2 Thessalonians 2:12. In 1 Corinthians 15:51, Paul wrote Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall be changed. Some have understood this to mean that Paul was expecting the return of Christ before his death. It seems more likely that he was making a general statement in agreement with what he had said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Some will be alive at the time of the return of Christ, but there is no indication that Paul expected to be one of that number.

Paul did say to the Philippians, For to me to live is Christmagnified by my ministry of preaching His gospeland for me to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Although he had a strong desire to be with Christwhat faithful Christian doesn-'t?he added, I know that I shall abide, yea and abide with you all for your progress and joy in the faith (Philippians 1:25). But Paul, of course, was well aware of the fact that his physical body which was subject to death was wearing out. As he faced that eventuality, he wrote to Timothy saying, I am already being offered and the time of my departure is come (2 Timothy 4:6). It seems idle, therefore, to speculate over the apostle's supposed expectation of being alive when Christ comes.

The saints of all ages should remember the words of Christ when He said, Watch and be ready! Paul made it his aim whether in this life or the heavenly state to be well-pleasing to God.
As to the matter of the intermediate state, there is a question whether or not Paul even hints at it in this context. For a discussion of the intermediate state of the dead, see Studies in Luke, pages 278-279.

if the earthly house.This does not indicate that Paul had any doubt as to whether or not he might die before the coming of Christ. The only uncertain thing in his mind was the time of his death. The statement may be more properly rendered as follows. For we know that whenever the earthly house of our tabernacle shall be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. We have a similar statement in 1 John 3:2: We know that if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him. But there is no doubt in the mind of John about the fact that He will be manifested. It would, therefore, be better to translateand correct, tooas follows: We know that whenever he shall be manifested, we shall be like him.

For an illustration of the fact that if should sometimes be rendered when, see Hebrews 3:7. The American Standard has if but R S V has when and correctly so.

we have a building from God.The contrast is between the physical body and the resurrection body. The one is earthly and temporal; the other is eternal and heavenly. Some in Corinth had been doubting the fact of the resurrection. They had asked about the kind of body in which the dead were to be raised. See 1 Corinthians 15:35. Paul said there is a natural bodyone that is suited to this lifeand there is also a spiritual body. See 1 Corinthians 15:44. He described it as follows: For our citizenship is in heaven: whence also we wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able to subject all things unto himself (Philippians 3:20-21). This agrees with John that the saints shall be like Him when they see Him as He is.

It is doubtful that the thought of a tabernacle that will give place to a permanent building in heaven was derived from the Tabernacle in the Wilderness that gave place to the permanent Temple in Jerusalem. People in Paul's day were thoroughly familiar with tents as well as permanent structures. It was natural for Paul to use the figure for he was a tentmaker. Peter uses the same figure referring to his physical body when he referred to his approaching death as the putting off of his tabernacle (2 Peter 1:14 and John 21:18-19). The reference in John is to the manner of Peter's death and not necessarily to the time of it. Paul spoke of the time of his departure, using a phrase in common use. It referred among other things to the soldier who folded his tent as he prepared to leave for home.

a building from God.This does not suggest that the body we have is not from God, for we are His creatures, Paul's thought was of the permanent abode of the saints of God as a creation of God, not a house that man makes. Abraham looked for the city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). Peter describes it as an inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto the salvation ready to be revealed at the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5). This is the Father's house in which, according to Jesus, there are many mansions. See John 14:2.

Paul Spoke of the spiritual body and the permanent building in which the saints will dwell in heaven. Both concepts describe the contrast between heaven and the earthly, temporary, perishing body in which we live in this life. The terms do not contradict each other; neither do they necessarily refer to different phases of the life beyond the grave.

For verily in this we groan.Whatever that suffering was that brought Paul near death in Asia, it was an experience that left a vivid impression on his mind. As he thought of it, he sighed the relief that heaven would bring. Like a soldier who longs for victory and the time to go home, Paul was eager for the battle to be over so that he might lay aside the temporary physical body and be clothed with the habitation which is from heaven.

not be found naked.Those who assume that Paul had in mind the intermediate state of the deadthe Scriptures clearly teach that there is such a stateassume that he is speaking about it in this passage. But it seems more likely that he was only contrasting this life with the heavenly state. Then what does not be found naked mean? The Corinthians were thoroughly familiar with the philosophical view that taught that absence from the body meant freedom from trial and hardship. The goal was to have no body at all. But this was not Paul's idea. Rather than this being a discussion of the intermediate state of the dead, it seems to be Paul's answer to those who might have held false views of the resurrection. Some of the Corinthians had been denying the resurrection. Paul's desire to be free from the body was based on what he knew by revelation concerning the resurrection body. No one with this knowledge would look forward to a time when he would be without a body that is, be found naked. The resurrection body will be like the glorious body of Christ. This explains why Paul said, We that are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened. The afflictions, distresses, imprisonments, and hardships which he suffered were heaven burdens. But to Paul they were light when compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits the faithful follower of Christ. He explained the expression, not be found naked by saying, not that we would be unclothed but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up with life.

the earnest of the Spirit.See comment on 2 Corinthians 1:22. The earnest of the Spirit is the guarantee or pledge that God will provide a spiritual body for the saints in heaven. When we say that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee, we are using the well known figure of speech, metonymy, which puts the person for the thing he does. The Holy Spirit is the Person who gives the guarantee or reveals the pledge. It was revealed directly to the apostle, but written in the sacred Scriptures for us. It is proper, then, to say that the saints of God have a written guarantee that there is a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

for we walk by faith.As to the heavenly home, we must depend on the information God has made known by His Spirit through the inspired apostles. We do not see heaven, but we hope for it because God says it is waiting for His people. This is the basis of Paul's undaunted courage in face of hardship. He was willing, of course, to be absent from the body that he might be at home with the Lord.

There are two thoughts expressed here: (1) At home in the body means absence from the Lord; and (2) absence from the bodydeathmeans at home with the Lord. Since Paul, apparently, did not choose to discuss the intermediate state at this point but concentrate upon the goal of heaven, it seems unnecessary to consider it in the explanation of his remarks. When Christ comes at the end of the age, the dead will be raised and those that are alive will together with them be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they ever be with Him. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

That the righteous dead will be with the Lord in the intermediate state seems to be indicated by the words of Jesus to the dying thief: Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. See comment on this passage in Studies in Luke, page 380.

Wherefore we make it our aim.Paul's constant concern was that he be well-pleasing to the Lord. He seemed quite content to leave the matter of the time when he would be absent from the body and present with the Lord in His hands. This is in accord with what Jesus said about the unknown time of His coming. The faithful need to watch and be ready! Paul did not want to be like that unfaithful servant who, because his master had delayed his coming, began to mistreat his fellow-servants. See Matthew 24:45-51. Jesus said that the unfaithful servant would be cut asunder and have his portion appointed with the hypocrites. Paul knew of the judgment which all will face. His mission was to help others prepare for that Day.

For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ.Paul uses the figure of a military tribunal to describe the Judgment. The judgment-seat is the elevated platform on which the judge sits. All will be gathered before the Judge.

Jesus used the figure of a royal throne to describe the same Judgment scene. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-32). John describes the Judgment Day by using the figure of the great white throne: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, before the throne; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books according to their works (Revelation 20:11-12).

Some assume that these are three different judgments. Since all of them refer to the end of the world and the coming of Christ, it is clear that all of them describe the same Judgment Day.

God through Christ is the Judge. He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:30). Ecclesiastes closes with the same thought: This is the end of the matter. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing whether it be good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Revelation indicates that the books will be opened on that day. One of them is the record of the deeds of men whether they be good or bad. Another of the books is the Book of Life. If any man's name is not found written in that book, he will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. Still another book is the gospel which Paul preached: God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel by Jesus Christ (Romans 2:16). The Judgment Day is a strong motivating force leading to repentance.

Jesus said, Marvel not at this for the hour cometh, when all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29). Paul's ambition was to be well-pleasing to God so that in the Judgment Day he might be among those who have done good.