2 Corinthians, Chapter 5
© Copyright 2003 Darroll Evans, all rights reserved

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

"For we know" (Gr. oidamen gar-oidamen gar) (literal: we understand because)---the "we" refers only to Christians.

There is a great difference between what Christians understand and what non-believers understand. For Christians, death is not a valid concept.

Christ Jesus calls us to live for him!

As Christians, we understand that we physically die. Our bodies return to the dust.

Because we have been called and appointed to trust in The Messiah, Jesus we are part of a bigger plan, a plan of reconciliation to the Father.

As Christians, we are a temple of God, and shall become part of the final Temple of God. That is our destiny.

We now reside in a temporary dwelling. However our destiny is to dwell in a permanent home.

Many say that we are going to a new home. But, our new home is coming to us.

Revelation 21:2-3
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 5:2-3
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

God has prepared something for us that we cannot fully comprehend or appreciate while we are here on this Earth. 

One of the metaphors used in the Bible refers to clothing. We are "clothed" in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Because of that, we are not spiritually naked.

2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

This verse describes the heart of every Christian. We know that we are dying, and we also know that because of our relationship to Christ Jesus, we shall live.

Jesus’ life imparted to us negates death. 

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

God has prepared us, saved us, given us the promised Holy Spirit for the purpose of sustained personal relationship.

2 Corinthians 5:6-9
6 Therefore we are always confident, 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 confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Our confidence is not self-based. It is Christ-based.

Until we gain our resurrection body, we cannot be in the see God.

I John 3:2---"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (NKJV).

I wear glasses. When I take them off, I can still see, but it is with blur discrimination that I understand what I am seeing. Spiritually it is the same for us now. We see the triune God with blur discrimination.

While we are in this physical body we are absent from the pure, unobstructed presence of God.

Verse 7 is as presented in the KJV a parenthetical aside. "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)." The just shall live by faith. We do conduct our daily lives by inward faith, and not by external appearances.

Verse 8 is perhaps the most misquoted verse in the entire Bible. We prefer "to be absent from the body AND (Gr. kai-kai)to be present with the Lord." It does not say, "to be absent from the body IS to be present with the Lord."

There is no need to misquote Scripture to prove a point.

Our current situation is not the focus of our desire or ambition.

Christians’ focal desire to please God in all things. 

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We MUST appear before the judgment seat of Christ. It is not an option.

Christians shall be judged, and receive just payment (reward) for our deeds. This is not a judgment to decide salvation. That was decided at the cross.

John 6:28-29
28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (NKJV)

Revelation 22:12---"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (NKJV). 

Have you trusted Christ Jesus?

2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Some may tell you that fear of the Lord is actually respect. In this case "terror" (Gr. fobon-jobon) means extreme terror.

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord" indicates that we were there. We know what it is like to live in sin.

Christians understand sin. We were sinners! Those outside of Christ do not understand us. They have no reference point!

"We persuade men"---Our job in this age is to proclaim Christ Jesus.

Paul was transparent before God. We are always transparent before God, but sometimes we are not so before men.

2 Corinthians 5:12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

Paul proclaimed Christ and waited for God to reveal the truth of His Son. Perhaps we should go back to that method.

We should proclaim Christ to all, and let God sort them out.

2 Corinthians 5:13-14
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
14a For the love of Christ constraineth us;

"Be beside ourselves" speaks of a state of mind. It speaks of insanity.

Some folks think that we are insane to believe in Christ Jesus. Those same folks shall one day believe as we do.

If you were standing before the Great White Throne, and saw Christ Jesus standing beside The Father, would you continue to deny?

Or, would your "free will" force you to make the obvious decision?

Many Christians have no concept of how powerful God’s love is. Love NEVER fails!

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15
14b because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

We rightfully determine that (literally) "if One died for all, "the" all were dead.

The Greek text contains the definite article indicating that "all" speaks of as specific group. The specific group being discussed is humanity!

Let me offer a re-write using that concept. "If One died for all [of us], then all [of us] were dead."

You may not believe that Christ died for all. I pray that God will open your eyes to understand the scope of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Jesus died for us so that our lives might be re-focused. We are no longer to live for ourselves.

Now, we are to live for Christ. We are to live for Him who died for us, and rose again to show us the way to true life.

Our lives are no longer focused on us. They are now focused on Him. 

2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

From our point of conversion, we look to the spiritual and not the physical. We may have thought of Christ as a great teacher or leader. Now we know Him as Lord.  

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This section is difficult for many Christians to comprehend. If you spend all you time analyzing this, it will never make sense.  Just trust it.

If you are a new creature, the old creature has died. Don’t drag it out and parade it around.

Verse 18 says bluntly, "All things are of [the] God." Do you believe that?

He is the same One that has reconciled us to Himself by Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (Gr. katallagees-katallaghV).

What is this ministry of reconciliation? 

It is not being reconciled to other humans. It is being reconciled to God the Father through the Son, Christ Jesus.

God gave us the word and ministry of true reconciliation. He has made us ambassadors for Christ.

Verse 19 is the heart and soul of the gospel. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Do you believe that? If not read it again!

Verse 19 tells you what Christ Jesus was to accomplish. In your relationship to Christ, is He a success or a failure?

We are not to beg others to come to Christ. We are to tell others to be reconciled to Christ and let the Holy Spirit sort them out.

We are ambassadors, not salesmen. Salvation is a gift from the most Holy God to His chosen children.

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