Our Future after Death

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling[a](A) is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling[b] in the heavens,(B) not made with hands.(C) Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring(D) to put on our dwelling from heaven, since, when we are clothed,[c] we will not be found naked.(E) 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. And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith,(G) not by sight,(H) and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.(I) 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 tribunal(K) of Christ,(L) so that each may be repaid(M) for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord,(N) we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. 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 the outward appearance[d] rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind,(O) it is for God; if we have a sound mind,(P) it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels[e] us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all,(Q) then 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[f] anyone in a purely human way.[g] Even if we have known[h] Christ in a purely human way,[i] yet now we no longer know[j] Him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;(U) old things have passed away, and look,(V) new things[k] have come.(W) 18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave 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, certain that God is appealing 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[l] for us,(AD) so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:1 = our present physical body
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:1 = our future body
  3. 2 Corinthians 5:3 Other mss read stripped
  4. 2 Corinthians 5:12 Lit in face
  5. 2 Corinthians 5:14 Or For the love of Christ impels, or For the love of Christ controls
  6. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Or regard
  7. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Lit anyone according to the flesh
  8. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Or have regarded
  9. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Lit Christ according to the flesh
  10. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Or regard
  11. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Other mss read look, all new things
  12. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering

Absent from the Body and at Home with the Lord

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed, in this house we groan, because we[a] desire to put on our dwelling from heaven, if indeed, even after we[b] have taken it off,[c] we will not be found naked. For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened for this reason, that[d] we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit.

Therefore, although we are[e] always confident and know that while we[f] are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we live by faith, not by sight— so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore indeed we have as our ambition, whether at home in the body or absent from the body, to be acceptable to him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the things through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Controlled by the Love of Christ

11 Therefore, because we[g] know the fear of the Lord, we are attempting to persuade people, but we are revealed to God, and I hope to be revealed in your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are out of our senses, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we[h] have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died. 15 And he died for all, in order that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

16 So then, from now on we know no one from a human point of view[i], if indeed we have known Christ from a human point of view[j], but now we know him this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as if[k] God were imploring you through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:2 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“desire”) which is understood as causal
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:3 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have taken off”) which is understood as temporal
  3. 2 Corinthians 5:3 A number of important early manuscripts read “have put it on” here
  4. 2 Corinthians 5:4 Literally “in that”
  5. 2 Corinthians 5:6 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“confident”) which is understood as concessive
  6. 2 Corinthians 5:6 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are at home”) which is understood as temporal
  7. 2 Corinthians 5:11 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
  8. 2 Corinthians 5:14 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have concluded”) which is understood as causal
  9. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Literally “according to the flesh”
  10. 2 Corinthians 5:16 Literally “according to the flesh”
  11. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were imploring”) which is understood as conditional