2 Corinthians 5
EasyEnglish Bible
God has prepared a new body for us
5 Our bodies are like a tent that we live in here on earth. One day, that home will come to an end. But we know that God will give us a new home. It is not a house that a human builder has built. God has built it for us in heaven and we will live there for ever. 2 Now, while we are in our body here on earth, we cry inside ourselves. We want to go and live in our house that is in heaven. 3 That will be like new clothes that we put on. When we go to live there, we will not be without clothes and ashamed.
4 While we still live in our bodies here on earth, we cry inside ourselves. Many difficult things happen to us. We do not really want to take off our old body. But we do want to put on our new body, like new clothes. When that happens, we will no longer need our old body which had to die. Instead we will have a new body that will live for ever. 5 God is the one who has prepared us to have a new life in heaven one day. He has given his Spirit to be with us now. Because of that, we know that we will receive all God's good things one day.
6 Because God's Spirit is with us, we continue to be brave. While we still live here on earth, we know that we are not yet at home with the Lord. 7 As we live here, we have to trust God. We do not yet see the things that belong to heaven. 8 We are brave because we trust God. We would like to go away from our body here on earth. Then we would go to be at home with the Lord. And that would be better! 9 But all the time we want to please the Lord. We want to do that while we are still at home in our body here on earth. We also want to please him when we go away from these bodies. 10 Because all of us must go and stand in front of Christ as our judge. He will decide about the things that we have done during our lives here on earth. Whether we have done good things or bad things, we will receive what is right for us.
God makes us new people in Christ
11 We know that the Lord will judge us, so we are careful to obey him. Because of that, we tell God's message to people. We want them to believe in God. And God himself knows that we try to do what is right. I hope that you know that also, when you think about it.
12 We are not trying again to make you think that our work is good. But we do want to give you the chance to be proud of us. Then you will be able to show the false teachers that they are wrong. They are proud about what they look like on the outside. They do not think about what they are really like inside themselves. 13 To some people, we may seem to be crazy. That is because we want to serve God. But if we seem to be wise, that is to help you.
14 Whatever we do, we do it because Christ loves us. We know that one man, Christ, died on behalf of all people. So we also know that all of us died with him. 15 He died on behalf of all people. So, while we live, we no longer live to please ourselves. Instead, we live to please Christ. He is the one that died on our behalf. He is the one that God raised up, to live again.
16 So that changes how we think about people. We no longer use human ideas to think what they are like. At one time, we thought about Christ as humans think. But now we think about him very differently! 17 When anyone belongs to Christ, they become a new person. Their old way of life has gone. Their new life has begun!
18 All this is what God does for us. Because of what Christ has done, God has brought us back to himself, as his friends. Now he wants us to bring other people to be his friends too. That is the job that he has given to us. 19 God's message is this: By Christ's death, God was bringing people of the world back to himself, as his friends. He would no longer keep their sins in his thoughts. This is the message that God wants us to tell people.
20 So we speak to people on behalf of Christ. It is like this: When we speak, God himself is speaking to you. On behalf of Christ, we say to you, ‘Please come back to God, as his friends!’ 21 Christ never did any wrong thing, but God punished him as if he had. He died as punishment for our sins. As a result, we become right with God when we belong to Christ. We become right, because he is right.
2 Corinthians 5
New King James Version
Assurance of the Resurrection
5 For we know that if (A)our earthly [a]house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house (B)not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this (C)we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our [b]habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, (D)having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, (E)but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also (F)has given us the Spirit as [c]a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For (G)we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, (H)well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 (I)For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, (J)that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, (K)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Be Reconciled to God
12 For (L)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity (M)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For (N)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that (O)if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, (P)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 (Q)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, (R)yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone (S)is in Christ, he is (T)a new creation; (U)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become (V)new. 18 Now all things are of God, (W)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that (X)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [d]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are (Y)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For (Z)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become (AA)the righteousness of God in Him.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 Physical body
- 2 Corinthians 5:2 dwelling
- 2 Corinthians 5:5 down payment, earnest
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 reckoning
2 Corinthians 5
English Standard Version
Our Heavenly Dwelling
5 For we know that if (A)the tent that is (B)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, (C)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent (D)we groan, longing to (E)put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on[a] we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (F)may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, (G)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.[b]
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that (H)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for (I)we walk by faith, not (J)by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we (K)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to (L)please him. 10 For (M)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, (N)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing (O)the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But (P)what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 (Q)We are not commending ourselves to you again but (R)giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we (S)are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ (T)controls us, because we have concluded this: that (U)one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, (V)that those who live might no longer live for themselves but (W)for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, (X)we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is (Y)in Christ, he is (Z)a new creation.[c] (AA)The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, (AB)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us (AC)the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[d] the world to himself, (AD)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us (AE)the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, (AF)we are ambassadors for Christ, (AG)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 (AH)For our sake he made him to be sin (AI)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become (AJ)the righteousness of God.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:3 Some manuscripts putting it off
- 2 Corinthians 5:5 Or down payment
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 Or God was in Christ, reconciling
2 Corinthians 5
Revised Standard Version
5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 so that by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who pride themselves on a man’s position and not on his heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation;[a] the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[b] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 Or God was in Christ reconciling
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.