2 Corinthians 5
The Temporal and Eternal (part 1 of 2)
2Cor 5:1
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
When we consider that there are no chapter breaks in the letter as Paul wrote it - it becomes easy to see how this idea of the "earthly tent being torn down" is simply a continuation of the concept in chapter 4 of the "Outer man decaying". This provides important linkage and continuity between chapter 4 and 5.
2Cor 4:16 but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
Anchor Link: "Earthly Tent Torn down" - used as continuation of the "Outer man decaying" in chapter 4.
This is not really a point of debate among Christians who see harmony in taking both of these key phrases as referring to the same event - our mortal bodies wearing away.
Key Link : "ETERNAL vs non-eternal in chapter 5 as it was in chapter 4.
The contrast between the eternal attribute of the "house in heaven" vs the earthly tent - is a continuation of the chapter 4 concept contrasting the Eternal "unseen things" with the "temporal" mortal things of this world.
KEY Problem: Eternal Body made in heaven
This brings up an immediate problem with second view of the nature of man - held by Christians today. As already stated, that view man has an earthly body, at death he receives an eternal body in heaven, at the resurrection he receives another eternal body as in 1Corinthians 15. Clearly, one spirit with two eternal bodies is problematic. One solution is to try to get the "eternal body" received at death to "go away" about the time our "immortal soul" gets it's resurrected body.
Unfortunately the "ETERNAL" attribute assigned here in chapter 5 to the "heavenly tent" does not allow us to conclude that it does not endure. The second view requires that we are immediately "present with the Lord" at death, complete with an eternal body that does NOT endure past the future resurrection at the coming of Christ - where we receive immortal bodies as clearly stated in
1Corinthians 15.
This is not a problem for the first view where man may have three states; Earthly body decaying during this life, Absent from earthly body - during death and before resurrection, an finally "Present with the Lord" at the resurrection with a resurrected ETERNAL body (as in 1Corinthians 15).
However, to this point Paul has only dealt with TWO states. The earthly and the heavenly - NOT three. So unless he can show a third intervening state between the mortal decaying state and the heavenly eternal state (which would allow us to defer the second state until the resurrection) we will have a problem with the "eternal" aspect of the heavenly tent.
Anchor Point and Link: "heavenly bodies vs earthly bodies with 1Corinthians 15
The contrast between "earthly" tent and "heavenly" tent - uses the same Key Word contrast between (earthly and heavenly) that we find in 1Corinthains 15.
1Cor15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
1Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body
...
47The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
48As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
49Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Once we have this LINKAGE 1Corinthians 15 and that of 2Corinthians 5 we take further note of the fact that 1Corinthians 15 places this contrast (between heavenly and earthly) in the CONTEXT of the future resurrection.
Paul will now provide two key anchor points - one will link us back to the discussion of the resurrection in Romans 8 and the other will provide the three-state model of man required by one of the contending views for the nature of man.
Key Phrase: "WE GROAN" Linked in Romans 8 - CONTEXT of the resurrection.
2Cor 5:2
2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.
4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed
Romans 8:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, œin hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Notice that Romans 8 (written after 2Corinthians 5) EXPANDS this "groaning" of the saints and notes that creation itself has reason to be "groaing" as well as the saints. Longing for the SAME event as the saints on earth. Because creation receives anticipated RELEIF at the time when BOTH the saints are freed from mortality and NATURE itself is freed from the corruption and destruction caused by sinful mankind. Clearly this key concept of "groaning" is used in Romans 8 with respect to the resurrection and coming of Christ. The linkage between these two chapters indicates a shared context again.
We also note above that Paul has introduced three states of man.
Third State: "being UNCLOTHED" is Undesired - the cause of REAL groaning and "burdened".
Unclothed is the state of having NEITHER the earthly tent NOR the heavenly. 2Corinthians 5 treats it as a REAL concern. Real enough to cause "groaning".
:2 For indeed
in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3 inasmuch as we,
having put it on, will not be found naked.
4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed
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It is helpful to consider two models that might illustrate the two opposing views of the nature of man as it relates to 2Cor 5. In the first model man's decaying physical condition may be compared to a leaky wooden boat on the ocean. As the boat takes on water the occupant of the boat realizes that they will soon be left swimming without a boat. At some point in the distance is the prospect of an ocean liner coming to the rescue. The "groaning" and earnest "longing" of the leaky boat occupant is that the ocean liner arrives before the boat completely sinks. The liner will arrive in any case, but the occupant would prefer not to have tread water during the difference in time between the arrival of the ocean liner and the inevitable sinking of the leaky boat. Clearly 3 STATES of the occupant are possible, although only ONE is desired (the ocean liner).
In the second model - illustrating the second view of man - our decaying physical body is compared to a fuse of a bomb. The fuse is burning and will inevitable burn out as it disappears into the heart of the bomb. The bomb itself represents the much more glorious eternal heavenly body. There is in fact NO possibility that once the fuse reaches the bomb - it will not go off IMMEDIATELY. There are only TWO states - the fuse state and the BOMB exploding state. No waiting is anticipated whatsoever.
In the next Anchor Point we find linkage between the summary of the resurrection given in 1Corinthians 15 and the language used at the heart of 2Corinthians 5 as it considers the experience of death for the believer.
KEY Phrase: "SWALLOWED up by Life" LINKED with 1Corinthians 15.
2Cor 5:4 "because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed , so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life".
1Cor 15
:50Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
1Corinthians 15 had already been sent to the church at Corinth in the previous letter so they understood the context of this key phrase "Swallowed Up" as it relates to death, the decaying, perishable mortal body and the anticipated acceptance of a heavenly, imperishable, eternal body. Seeing this key phrase used again in this second letter, brings in the context of it's previous use.
Key Link:"unclothed and clothed" with "swallowed up by life"
2Cor 5:
4 "because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed , so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life".
By linking the previously defined resurrection language "Swallowed up" with the 3 Key phrases that describe the 3 states of the dead (Clothed in the earthly tent, unclothed, clothed in the eternal heavenly body) - Paul has established concrete linkage to the resurrection.
The next KEY anchor point LINKs the resurrection context of Ephesians 1 with 2Corinthians 5.
KEY Phrase: The "Spirit given as a pledge"
2Cor5:5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
Paul will expand on this theme again - in a letter to the Ephesians. There he makes it clear (as most Christians agree) that the CONTEXT is the coming of Christ.
Ephesians 1
:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
As Paul mentions the "redemption of the body" in Romans 8, so the term "redemption of God's own possession" in Ephesians 1 is taken as the same event.
And so by using the key anchor phrase "Holy Spirit given as a pledge" in 2Corinthians 5 - Paul again brings us to the subject of the resurrection in his latter letter to the Ephesians. In that latter work he went on to explain/expand the meaning of the Spirit "given as a pledge" - explaining that it is in reference to our future home in heaven given at Christ's return.
Key Theme: Encouragement taken from the anticipated resurrection.
2Cor 5:
6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-
This verse brings in the very interesting concept "at home in the body and absent from the Lord". This is not the very controversial form "to be Absent from the body IS TO BE present with the Lord" that many would prefer, but something like it occurs in verse 8. Let's look first at the "being of good courage" key phrase and then come back to the "at home in the body and absent from the Lord" when we get to verse 8.
As we have seen in chapter 4 of second Corinthians, the early church considered the return of Christ and the benefits to be gained (including the resurrection) to be of paramount importance as a focus that results in encouragement.
2Cor 4:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
This emphasis on hope and encouragement gained by focusing on the resurrection and second coming, has been shown to be true throughout scripture and is given succinct emphasis by Peter in his letters.
1Peter 1:
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
2Peter 1:
13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
14knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind
We know from this that Peter's HOPE was fixed COMPLETELY on the grace to be brought to him at the resurrection at the revelation of Jesus Christ - as he faced the laying aside of his earthly dwelling and "departing".
The resurrection associate with Christ's coming back for His saints has been shown to be the source of encouragement and endurance in the battles of this world in the first letter to the Corinthians and in the second letter.
1Cor 15:
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
This was the conclusion in the first letter (1Cor 15) AFTER reviewing carefully the benefits of the resurrection that would occur at Christ's return - the ETERNAL, HEAVENLY bodies that would be given to the saints at that time.
We have seen this same endurance, perseverance and hope message associated with the resurrection in 2Corinthians 4.
