Chapter Five
2 Cor. 5:1. For we know that if our earthly house, this tabernacle, be dissolved, we have from God a dwelling in the heavens, a house not made with hands, eternal.
Since he said above that in the measure that the outer man decays, the inner man is renewed, and thus said what seemed to be something new, he now says that when this mortal and earthly body has completely decayed, then countless blessings will spring forth for us. At this point he again reasons with them about the resurrection, though not as clearly as before, so as not to seem to regard them as incorrigible. He called the body an earthly tent, and by calling it a tent, he pointed to its transience; for such is a tent. If, however, the dwelling places of the righteous are often called tents, it is with an addition, namely: "everlasting habitations" (Luke 16:9). See then how he contrasted the earthly house with the heavenly, and the tent with an eternal house. Increasing the praise of the future glory of our body, he added: not made with hands — not in contrast to this body, for it too is not made with hands. Some, however, understand by the house made with hands the life we lead on earth, and by the tent the body itself, so that this passage receives the following meaning: if the earthly life of our body is destroyed, which can also be called made with hands, as if fashioned by hands (for bread, wine, and the like, from which our life is composed, are made by hands), we shall have in heaven another life, indestructible and not made with hands, that is, not requiring the assistance of our hands.
2 Cor. 5:2. For this reason we also groan, desiring to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
Into what dwelling? Into the incorruptible body. And he calls it heavenly not because it will descend from above, but because from there the grace of incorruption will be sent down. Therefore we should not grieve when certain bodily trials befall us; on the contrary, we should even groan over the fact that we have not been divested of the entire corruptible body, so as to be clothed in the incorruptible one. This body the apostle did not call a tent, but a "dwelling," because it abides forever.
2 Cor. 5:3. if only we, even having been clothed, are not found naked.
So that not all would rely solely on the incorruption of the body, he says: only that we, having been clothed in incorruption and having received an incorruptible body, may not be found naked, that is, of glory and safety, as those who have the defilement of sin. For the resurrection is universal, but not the honor.
2 Cor. 5:4. For we who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, that what is mortal might be swallowed up by life.
Since what was said — "we groan," desiring to be freed from the body — might seem burdensome, for the attachment of the soul to the body is inexpressible, he says: we groan not about simply being freed from the body, but about desiring to be clothed with incorruption. We desire not to be stripped of the body, but to be freed from corruption, so that corruption may be destroyed and annihilated in life, not the body. For we are burdened not because we have a body, but because it is corruptible. By this the mouths of the heretics are completely stopped. For the discussion here is not about one body or another, but about corruption and incorruption.
2 Cor. 5:5. For this very thing God also made us,
He who made us for this very thing from the beginning, he says, is God, for He created us so that we would be incorruptible. And this was not pleasing to Him only now, but was pleasing from the beginning. And this will assuredly come to pass.
2 Cor. 5:5. and gave us the pledge of the Spirit.
Do you want proof, he says? I will give you yet another. He Who gave us the Spirit through baptism also gave us the pledge of incorruption, for He sanctified both soul and body, and made both the one and the other divine, having freed them from sin, from which death arose. Therefore, if He gave the Spirit, it is evident that He freed us from sin. Thus, the pledge of future immortality is the Spirit. Or alternatively: having granted us the Spirit in part for now, He gave a certain pledge that He will also give the whole. But how will He give it, if we are not to be incorruptible in both soul and body? Therefore, having received here a small portion, that is, the pledge, hope that you will then possess the whole.
2 Cor. 5:6. Therefore we are always of good courage; and as we know that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, –
2 Cor. 5:7. For we walk by faith, and not by sight,
2 Cor. 5:8. So we are of good courage and prefer rather to depart from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
He continues to confirm what was said above, namely that one should not be troubled by dangers. For dangers and deaths, he says, bring us the desired acquisition — incorruption, for which we groan, and they lead us more quickly to our Master. "We are always of good courage," that is, fearing neither persecutions, nor plots, nor deaths. Notice the wisdom, how he concealed the names of death and life, and called the first being at home with the Lord, and the latter being away from the Lord, so that no one would cling to the present life, as it draws one away from the Lord. Then, lest someone say: so then what? does the body alienate us from God? — he deflected this objection by saying: "for we walk by faith, not by sight," that is, although even here we know Him, yet only in part, for this is what "by faith" means, and not face to face, which is what "by sight" means. But if this is so, then "we would prefer to depart from the body and be at home with the Lord." He did not say: to attain incorruption, but — what is more excellent — to be with the Lord, for this is more important than incorruption.
2 Cor. 5:9. And therefore we earnestly endeavor, whether present or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
The main thing one should be concerned about is to please God in one's life. Lest, hearing about departure, you think that it alone is sufficient for your salvation, he says: strive to depart as one well-approved, that is, lead a life here as well that is pleasing to God.
2 Cor. 5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
Here he reminds of the Dreadful Judgment, and with the words "must appear" he arouses fear. For do not think that there walls, or coverings, or the depth of the heart will hide either deeds or thoughts; there everything will be revealed.
2 Cor. 5:10. that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Saying this, he strengthens those who lived uprightly and piously with hope, and rouses the negligent through fear toward correction. At the same time, he confirms the teaching on the resurrection of bodies. For that which served either good or evil deeds is undoubtedly either rewarded or punished. Thus here the mouths of the heretics are stopped.
2 Cor. 5:11. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
Knowing, he says, about the Dreadful Judgment, we do everything so as not to lead people into temptation, for this is what the words "we persuade men" mean, that is, we heal them from offenses. For we are subject to condemnation not only when we have done something bad, but also when, being able to remove the cause for suspicion and eliminate the offense, we do not do so. "But we are made manifest unto God," for He knows how we conduct our lives, and there is no need to convince Him, as one convinces someone who doubts. "I trust also are made manifest in your consciences," as those who know well everything concerning us. Therefore there is no need to convince you, as though you had suffered offense from us.