Verses 1-4 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. 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. 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.
Continuing his teaching started in chapter 4 about resurrection of the saints to be with Christ Jesus, the Apostle Paul assures the Corinthians that if and when the physical body (earthly house of this tabernacle) is dissolved (discarded) there is a spiritual body made by God and not by the hands of man which will be eternal and in Heaven. He and other believers were desiring to shed the earthly house and to be in their heavenly house. But each believer must be metaphorically clothed with the Holy Ghost/Spirit and not found without His covering (naked). Then the things that were earthly will be replaced by those spiritual and eternal.
Application: Notice that the Apostle Paul speaks of heavens, plural, in verse one above. Scripture states that there is a third heaven to which the Apostle Paul was taken where he saw things he could not write about, and anything above the earth is a heaven. So it stands to reason that if there is the heaven which mankind and all that is living on Earth exists and breathes, and the apostle saw the third heaven, then even though nothing is said about a second heaven, it must exist. The number three is consistently noted in Scripture as the number of perfection. Jesus was three days and three nights in the tomb. God manifests Himself in three ways, as the Father, as the Son of God or Jesus Christ, and as the Holy Ghost. Creation resulted in seas, earth, and sky. Flower petals are seen in groups of threes. This writer believes that the first heaven is that of the realm of mankind, the second heaven is that of the realm of Satan and his fallen angels, and that the third heaven is the dwelling place of God Almighty. However, there is no Scripture to support this belief and is entirely the result of this writer’s musings.
Verses 5-7 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 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:)
When buying a property or any large item such as a car, earnest money is given to show that the buyer is serious about the purchase. In the Kingdom of God, the Holy Ghost/Spirit is given by the LORD to all who convert in order to show that He is serious about saving believers’ souls and granting them forgiveness of their sins and life eternal in Heaven. When indwelt by the Holy Ghost/Spirit, every Christian believer has the assurance of salvation and knows that he/she is a child of the living God whose destiny is to be present with the LORD.
Application: No true Christian should ever worry about their salvation or have doubts that they are really saved because the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit is evidence that they have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. Those who question their salvation need to take a serious look at what the Bible says about salvation, take a serious look at what their lifestyle is like, and take a serious look at the type and quality of the spiritual fruit they are producing. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness temperance; against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 If they have the same character, and if their lifestyle, desires, thoughts, and actions remain the same after they believe they were converted as before they were converted, then perhaps repentance is again required, perhaps baptism in Jesus’ name is required, and perhaps the seeking of the Holy Ghost/Spirit is required. A truly saved, born again Christian is a ‘new man’ according to the Bible as the old things of their life passes away and the LORD makes everything new: new understanding of Scripture, new way of thinking, new way of behaving, new desires and goals, and so forth.
Verses 8-9 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.
Application: The true Christian’s desire should be to be with the LORD in Heaven rather than to be living in this wicked, fallen, devil run world. But at the same time, the true Christian should be willing to serve the LORD while physically present in this world in whatever capacity the Holy Ghost/Spirit directs. And the true Christian should be examining their fruits to be sure that they are walking in the Spirit and are remaining in that walk with His Spirit. Those people calling themselves Christian, but who are flirting with or actively involved with the things of the world, may simply be deceiving themselves as far as their salvation is concerned because it is impossible to love the LORD Jesus Christ and also love the things of the world. They are not compatible.
Verses 10-11 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. 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.
There will be a time of divine judgement when the LORD Jesus Christ returns to this Earth in which every man and every woman will be judged for what they thought, said, and did while living in their physical bodies. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ will be punished, but those who love Jesus Christ will be rewarded instead of punished because as a child of God they are forgiven and seen as righteous because of the shed blood of Jesus on the Roman cross. Knowing what awaits the unbelievers was part of the motivation of the Apostle Paul and his companions to try and persuade all who they met to repent and turn their lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Application: In today’s modern society the idea of Heaven and Hell has been the brunt of jokes and various forms of entertainment, and so most people do not even believe that these places exist. Some people believe that everyone goes to Heaven regardless of how good or how evil they are. So it is very difficult to convince someone who is not a believer that they are in danger of their soul being condemned to Hell and eventually to the Lake of Fire. But it is the duty of every Christian to share this truth with every unbeliever that comes into their life. Today’s Church has become lazy in evangelism and, judging by the prophetic signs that are everywhere in the world today, time as it is known is getting shorter and shorter and the LORD Jesus Christ will return sooner than most people are anticipating. Then it will be too late to share the Gospel with unbelievers.
Verses 12-13 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. 13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
The Greek word translated as “commend” is “sunistao” and it means a number of things, but in the context of this verse it means to show, prove, establish, or exhibit. The Apostle Paul is saying that he does not need to prove himself or the other apostles any more to the Corinthians and that they have been given enough resources of the Gospel and enough truth of the ministry of Paul and his companions to enable them to boast about the apostles to those who are critical of them and who believe that the outward appearance or the rank and social standing of anyone in the ministry is more important than the inward heart and character of the ones who are in ministry. Whether people think the apostles are crazy or out of their mind by what they preach and do or whether people think the apostles are of a sound mind, it makes no difference as everything they do or say is for and to the God they serve. They are not working to please people, but to please the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 14-16 For the love of Christ constraineth us; 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. 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.
The Greek word translated as “constraineth” is “sunecho” and it means to hold together, to compress, to press together with the hand, to press on every side, to hold completely, or to be held by, closely occupied with any business or in teaching the word. So the love of Jesus Christ was the driving force in the apostles’ ministry. They understood that if Jesus died for all, then it stood to reason that all were spiritually dead. So those who accepted the gift of salvation and spiritual life eternal should no longer live physically for themselves, but live for Christ. The Greek word translated as “know” is “eido” and it means to see, to perceive with the eyes, to perceive by any of the senses, to notice, discern or discover. As such, the apostles did not look at people through physical eyes and form judgements about them from their outward appearance or “the flesh”. They did not care if people were rich or poor, tall or short, ugly or attractive, smart or intellectually challenged. The only thing the apostles saw or noticed or discerned was the state of people’s souls. Were people alive in Christ Jesus or were they spiritually dead and in need of a Saviour?
Verse 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Verse 17 above is a proof text in that it is fact and is a verse which believers can use to judge the condition of those people who claim to be born again believers in Jesus Christ. If anyone converts and has the Holy Ghost/Spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling inside of them, they cannot, they absolutely cannot remain the dirty, rotten sinner they were before conversion. They literally become a new man or woman and all that they were before conversion is gone away. This is why addicted people when converted and baptized in Jesus’ name come out of the water with no further desire to engage in their addiction. This is why people are healed in Jesus’ name and why people no longer have the desire to sin against the LORD God. This is what it means to be born again. Just as a newborn baby has no sin or knowledge of sin until older, born again people have no more sin in the sight of God and no longer want to sin. This does not mean that the new believer cannot be enticed back into the old way of life which is why it is so important to disciple new believers.
Application: Should someone claim to be a Christian and their fruits are rotten (have anger, unforgiveness, are critical, lie and so forth) it is a safe assumption that they are not a born again believer. Christian’s cannot judge the eternal destiny of anyone, but they can and need to judge the fruit of those claiming to be followers of Jesus. And Christians are free to confront pretenders in love because they need to hear the truth and be converted.
Verses 18-19 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.
The Greek word translated as “reconciled” is “katallasso” and it means to return to favour with, or to receive one into favour. The Greek word translated as “reconciliation” is “katallage” and it means exchange, restoration to favour, and in the New Testament it means the restoration of the favour of God to sinners who repent and put their trust in the saving death of Christ. So since God established the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, all things are of Him: forgiveness, salvation, and restoration of the broken relationship because of sin between mankind and their Creator.
Application: The Catholic doctrine of the trinity or three gods somehow adding up to one god is clearly shown to be false by verse 19 above. The Apostle Paul states that God (Father and Spirit) was in Christ (messiah and flesh) for the purpose of restoring sinners to a right relationship with Him. In so doing, people’s sins/trespasses were/are forgiven and forgotten by Him, and the plan of this salvation and reconciliation was given to the apostles to teach and to preach to the lost. So the Creator of the world who is Spirit manifested Himself to mankind by taking on a body of flesh. Jesus Christ was/is God, very God. He is not a part of God, but is fully God and He dwelt in a physical body among physical men and women and that physical body rose from the dead and is in Heaven and will return to Earth to judge the dead and the living. Therefore, Jesus was fully man (flesh) and fully God (Spirit). There is no trinity, plain and simple.
Verses 20-21 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. (2 Corinthians 5)
God’s plan of salvation was to put all the sin that has ever been or will ever be on the LORD Jesus Christ so that the perfect sacrifice of His sinless body and the shedding of His blood would atone once and for all and there would be no need for any further animal sacrifices. The Old Covenant would pass away and the New Covenant made in Jesus’ blood would come forth and govern the Church. All of mankind who repents and follows Jesus would be/will be restored to right relationship with God and would be/will be seen as righteous by God because of being spiritually covered by the blood of Jesus. The Apostle Paul and his companions were ambassadors for Christ and spread the Gospel so that people could be reconciled to the LORD.
Application: It is only through the shed blood of Jesus that anyone can be born again and saved from sin, death, and Hell. No works or charitable acts will make someone righteous. There is nothing that anyone can do to work their way to a state of righteousness and therefore work their way to Heaven. God is the one who makes people righteous and who chooses to forgive and forget their sins and to call them His children.