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渴望天上的居所

我們知道,如果我們在地上的帳棚拆毀了,我們必得著從 神而來的居所。那不是人手所造的,而是天上永存的房屋。 我們現今在這帳棚裡面歎息,渴望遷到那天上的住處,好像換上新的衣服; 如果穿上了,就不會赤身出現了。 我們這些在帳棚裡面的人,勞苦歎息,是由於不願意脫去這個,卻願意穿上那個,使這必死的被生命吞滅。 那在我們身上完成了工作,使我們達成這目標的,就是 神。他已經把聖靈賜給我們作憑據。

我們既然一向都是坦然無懼的,又知道住在身內就是與主分開( 因為我們行事是憑著信心,不是憑著眼見), 現在還是坦然無懼,寧願與身體分開,與主同住。 因此,我們立定志向,無論住在身內或是與身體分開,都要討主的喜悅。 10 因為我們眾人都必須在基督的審判臺前顯露出來,使各人按著本身所行的,或善或惡,受到報應。

勸人與 神和好

11 我們既然知道主是可畏的,就勸勉眾人。我們在 神面前是顯明的,我盼望在你們的良心裡也是顯明的。 12 我們不是又再向你們推薦自己,而是給你們機會以我們為樂,使你們可以應付那些只誇外貌不誇內心的人。 13 如果我們瘋狂,那是為了 神;如果我們清醒,那是為了你們。 14 原來基督的愛催逼著我們,因為我們斷定一個人替眾人死了,眾人就都死了。 15 他替眾人死了,為的是要使活著的人不再為自己活著,卻為那替他們死而復活的主而活。

16 所以,從今以後,我們不再按照人的看法認識人;雖然我們曾經按照人的看法認識基督,但現在不再這樣了。 17 如果有人在基督裡,他就是新造的人,舊事已經過去,你看,都變成新的了! 18 這一切都是出於 神,他藉著基督使我們與他自己和好,並且把這和好的職分賜給我們, 19 就是 神在基督裡使世人與他自己和好,不再追究他們的過犯,並且把和好的道理託付了我們。 20 因此,我們就是基督的使者, 神藉著我們勸告世人。我們代替基督請求你們:跟 神和好吧! 21  神使那無罪的替我們成為有罪的,使我們在他裡面成為 神的義。

Our body is the house in which our spirit lives here on earth. When that house is destroyed, then God will give us another house. That house is not made by man's hand. But God made it. It will last for ever in heaven.

While we are in the house we have now, we are always crying and wanting to have our house from heaven.

When we have moved into it, then we are sure that we will never be left without a house.

While we are in this house, we cry and are troubled. It is not that we want to move out of this house, but we want to move into the other one. Then this body which will die will be changed into one which will live.

God is the one who has made us ready for this change. He has already given us the Spirit. This is the first part of what we are to receive, and it proves that we will get more.

So we always feel sure. While we live in our bodies we are not in our house with the Lord. We know that.

We do not see these things, but we believe them.

We feel sure that we will want to leave this body and go to live with the Lord.

So it does not matter if we are living here or go to live there. Wherever we are we want to please the Lord.

10 We must all stand before Christ to be judged. Then we will receive pay. If we have done well, our pay will be good. If we have not done well, our pay will not be good.

11 We know that the Lord must be feared, so we try to get people to believe. God knows what we are and what we do. And we hope that in your hearts you, too, know.

12 No, we are not praising ourselves again. But we are telling you this so that you may really be proud of us. Then you will be ready to answer people who are proud of themselves. They are proud of the things which can be seen. But in their hearts they have nothing to be proud of us.

13 If we are crazy, it is for God's sake. If we are right in our minds, it is for your sakes.

14 The love of Christ makes us do what we do to win men. We believe that one man died for all people. [To God] it is as if we all died with him.

15 He died for all, so that those who live would not live to please themselves. But they should live to please him who gave his life for them and rose again from death.

16 So then we no longer know people by what we see on the outside. There was a time when we knew Christ that way, but now we do not know him that way any longer.

17 So, if any man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. His old life has gone. You see, he has begun a new life.

18 But it is God who has done all this. He sent Christ to make peace with us and to bring us back to himself. Now he has given us the work of bringing other people back to God.

19 We are not looking at things that can be seen, but at things that cannot be seen. The things which can be seen last only a little while. But the things which cannot be seen last for ever.

20 So we are messengers for Christ. God is using us to call people. So we are standing here for Christ and begging people, `Come back to God!'

21 Christ did no wrong thing. But for our sake God put the blame for our wrong ways on Christ. So now God sees us as good, because we are in Christ.

Awaiting the New Body

For we know that if the earthly(A) tent(B) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan,(C) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(D) because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan(E) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(F) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.(G)

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight.(H) We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.(I) So we make it our goal to please him,(J) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us(K) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,(L) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.(M) 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,(N) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,(O) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,”(P) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.(Q) 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves(R) but for him who died for them(S) and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly(T) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,(U) the new creation(V) has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!(W) 18 All this is from God,(X) who reconciled us to himself through Christ(Y) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.(Z) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,(AA) as though God were making his appeal through us.(AB) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.(AC) 21 God made him who had no sin(AD) to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or Christ, that person is a new creation.
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering

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 in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

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.

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

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

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.

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.

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.

13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

14 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.

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.