2 Corinthians 5
5
Our Future after Death
1For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling # = our present physical body # 2Pt 1:13 is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling # = our future body in the heavens, # Eph 6:9; Php 2:10 not made with hands. # Col 2:11 2Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring # 1Pt 2:2 to put on our dwelling from heaven, 3since, when we are clothed, # Other mss read stripped we will not be found naked. # Mt 25:36; Lk 10:30 4Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality # Rm 7:24; 8:23; 1Co 15:26 may be swallowed up by life. 5And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
6So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, # Mt 8:10; Ac 3:16; Rm 1:8; 1Co 2:5; Gl 2:16; 1Tm 1:2; Heb 4:2 not by sight, # Lk 3:22 8and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord. # Php 1:23 9Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing # Heb 13:21 to Him. 10For we must all appear before the tribunal # Jn 5:22-30 of Christ, # Mt 25:31-46; Php 1:6; Heb 10:31 so that each may be repaid # Mt 16:27 for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
11Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, # Ps 147:11; Pr 1:7; 1Pt 1:17; Rv 14:7 we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance # Lit in face rather than in the heart. 13For if we are out of our mind, # Ac 10:45 it is for God; if we have a sound mind, # 1Pt 4:7 it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels # Or For the love of Christ impels, or For the love of Christ controls us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, # Jn 11:51; 2Co 4:10 then all died. 15And He died for all # Lk 20:38; Heb 2:9 so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, # Rm 14:7 but for the One # Lk 20:38 who died for them and was raised.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
16From now on, then, we do not know # Or regard anyone in a purely human way. # Lit anyone according to the flesh Even if we have known # Or have regarded Christ in a purely human way, # Lit Christ according to the flesh yet now we no longer know # Or regard Him in this way. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; # Jn 1:3; Rv 3:14 old things have passed away, and look, # Rm 8:24 new things # Other mss read look, all new things have come. # Is 43:19; 65:17; Rm 6:4; Eph 4:24; Rv 21:5 18Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: # Rm 5:11 19That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world # 2Pt 2:20 to Himself, # Ti 2:11 not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors # Eph 6:20 for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, # 2Co 12:10; Php 1:29 “Be reconciled to God.” 21He made the One who did not know sin # 1Jn 3:5 to be sin # Or be a sin offering for us, # Rm 8:3; Gl 3:13; 1Pt 2:24 so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
2 Corinthians 5
5
1We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a home for us to live in. It will not be the kind of home people build here. It will be a home in heaven that will continue forever. 2But now we are tired of this body. We want God to give us our heavenly home. 3It will clothe us and we will not be naked. 4While we live in this tent, we have burdens and so we complain. I don’t mean that we want to remove this tent, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be covered with life. 5This is what God himself made us for. And he has given us the Spirit as the first payment to guarantee the life to come.
6So we always have confidence. We know that while we live in this body, we are away from the Lord. 7We live by what we believe will happen, not by what we can see. 8So I say that we have confidence. And we really want to be away from this body and be at home with the Lord. 9Our only goal is to always please the Lord, whether we are living here in this body or there with him. 10We must all stand before Christ to be judged. Everyone will get what they should. They will be paid for whatever they did—good or bad—when they lived in this earthly body.
Helping People Become God’s Friends
11We know what it means to fear the Lord, so we try to help people accept the truth. God knows what we really are, and I hope that in your hearts you know us too. 12We are not trying to prove ourselves to you again. But we are telling you about ourselves. We are giving you reasons to be proud of us. Then you will have an answer for those who are proud about what can be seen. They don’t care about what is in a person’s heart. 13If we are crazy, it is for God. If we have our right mind, it is for you. 14The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. 15He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.
16From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. 17When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.#5:17 When anyone … world Or “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.” The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin#5:21 sin Or “an offering for sin.” so that in Christ we could be right with God.
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