2 Corinthians 5
Christian Standard Bible
Our Future after Death
5 For we know that if our earthly tent we live in(A) is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens,(B) not made with hands.(C) 2 Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring(D) to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 since, when we are clothed,[a] we will not be found naked.(E) 4 Indeed, 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(F) may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
6 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith,(G) not by sight.(H) 8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.(I) 9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing(J) to him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat(K) of Christ,(L) so that each may be repaid(M) for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
11 Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,(N) we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12 We 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 outward appearance rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind,(O) it is for God; if we are in our right mind,(P) it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,(Q) and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all(R) so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,(S) but for the one(T) who died for them and was raised.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.[b] Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,[c] yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;(U) the old has passed away, and see,(V) the new has[d] come!(W) 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.(X) 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world(Y) to himself,(Z) not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors(AA) for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,(AB) “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin(AC) to be sin[e] for us,(AD) so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5
New Living Translation
New Bodies
5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
We Are God’s Ambassadors
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us,[b] so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[c] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[d] 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
