Furthermore, just as God was worshiped in a temporary building (the Tabernacle) in the wilderness, so He was worshiped in a Temple in the Land of Canaan. The children of Israel were pilgrims in the wilderness, but they anticipated residence in the Land of Promise. We, too, as Christians are pilgrims in the sin cursed world; thank God, we look for a place called Heaven which will be permanent. This promise is contingent upon our faith, (we know, Paul writes), in the promises of God. Several contrasts are noted in this verse - (1) earthly house and heavenly house; (2) earthly house is destroyed but heavenly house is permanent; (3) earthly house is of the earth and heavenly house is made without hands; and (4) earthly house temporary and heavenly house permanent. Death, the grim reaper, leaves none unharvested except those who are alive at the Second Coming; all must face his inexorable scythe. There is one note of uncertainty in this chapter, introduced by the conditional clause: "' if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved'. This, however, is in no sense an uncertainty about the unclouded future blessedness of all who are Christ's, but only concerning the question whether or not he would be overtaken by death. The reason why Paul treats this as only a possibility and not an inevitability is because it is balanced by another possibility, namely, that of the prior return of Christ, in which case he will not experience death, but immediate bodily translation and transformation" (Hughes, p. 160).
2 - 4 In our earthly house we groan (stenazomen) or sigh with discontent, earnestly (epipothountes) or greatly longing for a heavenly habitation (oiketeprion) or house fitted (ependusasthai) or clothed upon for the eternal dwelling place of God. This groaning is not a groaning of doubt or fear, or even of mortality, but of hopeful longing as of a woman in prospect of childbirth (Barnett, p. 261). Our bodies in heaven will be incomparably superior to our earthly body; in fact, there can be no comparison. We are discontent and dissatisfied with our earthly body racked with pain, heartaches and disappointments. Romans 8:23 reads, "...we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body." The glorified body is compared to an over-garment, new clothing superimposed on the old.
In heaven, after the resurrection/rapture, the redeemed will have a body (a way of moving around), but it will be far superior to our earthly body. When we are clothed (endusamenoi) or endued with this new body, then we will be no longer found (heuethesometha) or discovered naked (gumnoi), bodiless or bare. We do not wish to strip off (our bodily garment) but to put another garment over it. What is the nature of this new body; just how will it be superior to our old body - we cannot imagine what God has prepared for us. At the resurrection the bodies will be raised and the soul in heaven will no longer be unclothed; at the rapture our old bodies will be clothed immediately with a new body. John writes in Revelation 6:9, 10, "And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" These were disembodied souls that await the resurrection or rapture when bodies and souls will be reunited.
Paul further states in verse 4 that we groan or sigh and are burdened (baroumenoi) or oppressed not that we be unclothed or stripped, but that the old body will swallow up (katapothe) or be engulfed with the new body and mortality (thneton) or that which is liable to death will put on immortality. "The idea of an interim body, with qualities intermediate between the earthly body and the glorified body is something entirely strange to the New Testament" (Meyer, pp. 261 - 263). Paul writes of death being swallowed up by life and victory in I Corinthians 15:54, "Death is swallowed up in victory." Of course he quotes from Isaiah 25:8 which reads, "(God) will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces..." One reason for the desire to have a new body is the conflict in the physical body and its desires war against the spiritual man (Romans 7:14 - 25). Because of this conflict Paul referred to his feelings in the physical body as wretched; "Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Only what is mortal perishes; the personality, consisting of soul, survives. Henry Varley wrote under the title A Larger House, "Passing by a house a short time since I noticed the intimation, 'This House to Let.' 'How is this? Is the former tenant dead?' I asked. 'Oh, no, sir,' said the caretaker: 'he has removed to a larger house in a better situation.' Even thus, as we look upon the clay tenement in which some loved Christian friend has dwelt, we answer, 'No, he is not dead, but removed into the enduring house in the 'better country,' where the 'better resurrection' is, and where eternal life is" (B. I. Volume XLIV, p. 221) 5 The One Who will accomplish this feat is Jehovah God. He prepared and perfected us for this very result, namely, to put on the robe of immortality. It is He Who will give (dous) or bestow upon us a new body so that we can inhabit heaven with Him. The action that which He has wrought (katergassmenos) or worked, to prove His promise He has given to each of His children the earnest (arrabona) or guarantee of the Spirit. The earnest money, down payment, assurance or pledge is to assure each of redeemed that the final redemption of the body will take place just as the soul has already been redeemed. This word was used first in II Corinthians 1:22 where Paul tells all the saints that they are sealed and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 6 - 8 Because of what Paul has stated in the preceding verses the child of God can have confidence (tharrontes) or be of good courage that this will take place. Furthermore, we know that while we are in the body or at home (endemountes) or present in the body, "we are absent (ekdemoumen) or away from the Lord." Yeager states concerning this verse, "From a selfish point of view (Paul) preferred not to remain in the flesh (Philippians 1:22 - 26), but he realized that his ministry on earth was needed. The point here is that Paul was certain of his alternatives. He could remain upon the earth in a disintegrating body of sinful and pain-ridden flesh or be in the presence of the Lord, temporarily disembodied and thus set free from the body, but, after the resurrection, rejoined to his body, now glorified, to live eternally in a perfect body" (Volume XIII, p. 348). Paul could be sure of the alternatives of life because of his faith which he mentions in the next verse.
("For we walk by faith (pisteos) or belief, not by sight." We walk by faith and not by appearance; not by anything actually seen. Paul and all the redeemed can be confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord which is far better. This one verse among others tolls the death-knell on so-called "soul-sleeping." Paul indicates that the soul of the redeemed goes out to be with the Lord immediately at death to await the redemption of the body. At the resurrection or the rapture the souls of all the saved will have a new body fitted for an eternal abode with the Lord. Paul longed to be quit of the body without the necessity of death. "The world cannot understand why the Christian does not fear death. The victorious Christian looks forward to it with joy. The world dreads death because for the unsaved it brings to an end the epicurean indulgences for which they lived. The Christian anticipates death with joy for the same reason in reverse, for the Christian deplores what the unsaved sinner enjoys" (Yeager, p. 350).
9 - 10 While in the body of flesh or in the presence of the Lord we labor (philotimoumetha), are ambitious or strive to be accepted (euarestoi) or well-pleasing to God. In Philippians 1:21 - 24 Paul gives his readers about the same incite, "For to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor, yet what I shall choose I know not. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."
After death there is a judgment which all of God's children will face. There are a number of judgments mentioned throughout the Bible. This particular judgment is the Judgment Seat (bematos) or throne of Christ where rewards will be forthcoming for all the saved. "For we must all appear (phanerothenai) or show one's self 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 (phaulon), worthless or evil." This is quite an awe-inspiring scene! Every child of God from Adam to the Coming of the Lord, or every saved person of every generation, every clime, every nation and every culture will approach the raised platform where the Great Judge of the universe will be seated. The things done in the body or literally, the things (done) by the instrumentality of the body will be judged; we shall reap what we have sown. Here our works since we were saved will be tried as by fire; every deed including the motives behind them will be tested (I Corinthians 3:13) to see of what sort it is. "If any man's work abide which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire" (I Corinthians 3:14, 15). This will not be a judgment of sins; our sins have already been taken care at Calvary, but our works will be tried as by fire.
Paul writes in verse 12, "For we commend (sunistanomen) or approve not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion (aphormen) or opportunity to glory (kauchematos) or boast on our behalf, that ye may have something to answer them which glory (kauchomenous) or rejoice in appearance (prosopo) or countenance, and not in heart." He is again arguing his case against the false prophets; those who would challenge his commission. The results of his ministry are evident in the converts won to the Lord. Paul has preached a supernatural message, and it has produced supernatural results as can be seen from the Corinthians converts. Grounds for boasting, whatever they were, were superficial and external.
If Paul is beside himself (exestemen) or astonished, whether he is sober (sophronoumen) or out of his mind, it is for the cause of the Lord God. If Paul acts abnormal or normal, he was doing the will of God. When a man acts normal, people pay no attention to him; however, when a Christian acts normal the world thinks he has gone mad or is deranged. Paul's lifestyle was that of a normal Christian, but the world could not understand him; he looked and acted as though he were deranged (Acts 26:24). "Like most preachers Paul, was often carried away by the wonder of his subject, and, in consequence, was accused by some of emotional excess" (The Sunday School Times, November 9, 1963, p. 7).
14, 15 The Christian's motivation is his love for the Lord; God's love constrains (sunechei) or moves upon us to do something unusual so far as the world is concerned. "...If one died for all, then were all dead." Paul's judgment (krinantas) or reasoning was since one died instead of all, therefore all met death. "Christ's death was the death of all, in the sense that He died the death they should have died; the penalty of sins was borne by Him; He died in their place; and this is why His love has such a compelling power over the believer, and engenders in him such undying gratitude" (Tasker, p. 86). He is referring to Christ here; He died in our stead, therefore all have died (apethanon) or perished. "Christ, by dying for the elect, actually secured the release from the penalty of death for all for whom He died...It is well to remember that neither Paul nor any other Christian knows who the elect are. We must therefore go to all men announcing to all (Matthew 28:18 - 20) that Christ has paid the total death penalty for some. This is good news. If Christ loved the elect enough to die for them, He puts every elect saint under the pressure (sunecho) or moral obligation to spend his life witnessing to all men and sharing the good news of the gospel of reconciliation. The witness is universal. The results show that to some the good news smells like death but to others it smells like life (II Corinthians 2:14 - 17)" (Yeager, p. 357). Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive..."
"And (Jesus) died for all, that they which live might live no longer for themselves (selfishly) but for him who for their sake died and was raised (egerthenti) or resurrected..." (R. S. V.). Whatever the Christian does or will do, whatever the Christian is or shall be is all because of what Christ is doing, has done or will do in the future for us. We work for the personal advantage of Christ, and not ourselves; we are His bond-slaves. Paul wants the children of God to live no longer the psychic, i. e., the animal, selfish, egotistic life, but to their risen Savior.
16, 17 "Wherefore henceforth know (oidamen) or perceive we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known (egnokamen) or understood Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know (ginoskomen) or understand we him nor more." The Christian should offer salvation to all men even though he may know that not all men are going to receive it and be saved. We cannot say for sure if Paul knew the Lord Jesus Christ during His personal ministry, if he did he regarded Him as just a man or a great teacher. Now, however, since his encounter with Him on the Damascus road, he sees Jesus as the risen, glorified, eternal Savior.
If any man is in Christ or saved he is a new creature (ktisis) or creation: old things are passed away (parelthen) or taken away; behold, all things are become new (kaina) or fresh." The word kaina means new in kind, of a different order. This new creation or creature has not yet taken place, but we have the assurance that it will take place at the resurrection or the rapture. Our conversation or citizenship is in heaven, from which we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20). The "old things" are the ancient things, all that belongs to the old Adam.
18 - 21 Jehovah God controls everything or all things; God has reconciled (katalloxantos) or transformed us to Himself by Jesus Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. The word katalloxantos is a combination of kata = from and allasso = to change, so our Lord has perfected a change in the way God looks at us; He formerly looked upon us as sinners, now He looks upon us as His children (of course, the sinner has really changed from sinner to saint). God has not changed at all; He is ever the unchanging (immutable) One. The sinner is now acceptable to Jehovah God. What we lost in Adam, we gained in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now the child of God is a minister (diakonian) or administrator of that reconciliation; we strive to see men accept the same salvation as we have.
"To wit (that is), that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing (logizomenos), reckoning or charging their trespasses (paraptomata) or offenses unto them; and hath committed (themenos) appointed to us the word of reconciliation." See the verse above for the alternate meaning for "reconciliation." Yeager says of verse 19, "The 30 years of the incarnation was a period when God was carrying on a continuous process that culminated at Calvary in the reconciliation of the world to Himself. The work of redemption, once finished (tetelestai, John 19:30) allowed God in perfect righteousness to forbear the imputation of our sins to us since He had already imputed them to the Sin Bearer (I Corinthians 5:7; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5,6)" (p. 366). God has "entrusted" to us or literally, has deposited with us, as though it were a sacred treasure.
"Now then we are ambassadors (presbeuomen), representatives or 'old men who are experienced and diplomatic' for Christ, as though God did beseech (parakalountros) or exhort you by us; we pray (deometha) or request of you in Christ's stead (in behalf of Christ), be ye reconciled to God." This is the sense of embassy; Paul realized that he was an envoy of heaven living in a foreign land. His business was to represent Christ and His concerns to a lost world. The gospel plea is a plea for reconciliation; truly it is good news. Who is an ambassador? An ambassador serves; he is one who represents the King, those who stand in the courts of human conscience, authoritatively representing the authority of the King (Morgan, p. 244).
"For (God) hath made (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew (gnonta) or experienced no sin; that we might be made (genometha) (to become) the righteousness of God in Him." Our precious Lord was sinless although He "in all points was tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Even the prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah, "and the Lord (God) hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6b). The Lord Jesus Christ took our sin (He took our place), and He gives us His righteousness. What an exchange!! This vicarious atonement doctrine can be found especially in Isaiah 53:5,6; and I Peter 2:24. Other passages which speak of the substitutionary death of Jesus for the guilty sinner are Romans 5:6 - 11; 8:3, 4; I Corinthians 15:3 and Galatians 3:13.
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