2 Corinthians 5

This chapter delves into the profound realities of the Christian life, focusing on our heavenly dwelling, the ministry of reconciliation, and the concept of being new creations in Christ. Paul contrasts the temporary nature of our earthly existence with the eternal home prepared for us by God, underscoring the transformational impact of Christ's love and the urgent call to reconcile others to God.

2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (NKJV)
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

Paul uses the metaphor of an earthly tent to describe our mortal body, highlighting its temporary nature and contrasting it with the eternal heavenly dwelling prepared by God. The groaning expresses a deep longing to be clothed in our heavenly body, reflecting a desire for immortality and completeness that transcends our earthly existence.

2 Corinthians 5:4 (NKJV)
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality might be swallowed up by life.

This verse continues the theme of longing for the eternal. The groaning and burden experienced in our earthly bodies stem from a desire not for death but for transformation—where our mortal selves are "swallowed up" by eternal life, a promise fulfilled through resurrection.

2 Corinthians 5:5 (NKJV)
Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

God Himself prepares us for this transformation from mortality to eternal life, and He has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee or down payment of what is to come. This assurance from the Spirit underlines the certainty and divine origin of our hope for resurrection and eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NKJV)
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Paul expresses confidence in the face of life's challenges, explaining that while we live in our earthly bodies, we are away from the Lord's physical presence. Yet, this separation is bridged by faith, not sight. The ultimate hope and desire are to be "absent from the body" and thus "present with the Lord," which encapsulates the Christian anticipation of eternal communion with Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:9 (NKJV)
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Whether living in the body or after death, the goal remains the same: to please God. This overarching purpose guides the believer's life, emphasizing a continuous commitment to align one's actions and choices with God's will.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Paul reminds us of the inevitability of judgment before Christ. Every person will be accountable for their actions performed in the body, whether good or bad. This judgment will determine the rewards or consequences in the life to come, reinforcing the gravity of living a life that aligns with God's expectations.

2 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV)
Knowing, therefore, 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.

Aware of the "terror of the Lord" and the serious implications of the judgment to come, Paul and his companions are driven to persuade others about the truth of the Gospel. This sense of accountability before God motivates their ministry, ensuring they are transparent and their motives clear to those they serve.

2 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NKJV)
For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Paul addresses the Corinthians concerning the criticisms leveled against him, clarifying that his actions, whether seeming irrational ("beside ourselves") or rational ("of sound mind"), are done with purpose—either for God's glory or for the benefit of the Corinthians. This defense allows the Corinthians to confidently support Paul against his critics, who prioritize outward appearances over genuine inward faith.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NKJV)
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

The driving force behind Paul's ministry is the love of Christ. This profound realization that Christ's death was for all prompts a new way of living—not for oneself, but for Christ. This transformation, marked by selflessness and dedication to Jesus who died and rose again, is central to the Christian faith and ministry.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NKJV)
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Paul declares a fundamental change in perspective that comes with being in Christ: Christians no longer view others or Christ from a purely human point of view. The transformation into a new creation means the past, with all its limitations and failures, is gone. In its place is a new reality shaped by the presence and power of Christ, where everything is renewed.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV)
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

God's work through Christ is to reconcile a fallen world to Himself, not counting people's sins against them. This message of reconciliation has been entrusted to believers, who are called to proclaim and live out this reality, inviting others to restore their relationship with God through Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NKJV)
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Believers are described as ambassadors for Christ, representing Him on earth and pleading for reconciliation on His behalf. The profound exchange at the cross, where Jesus became sin despite His sinlessness, enables us to become the righteousness of God. This divine exchange underscores the depth of God's love and the transformative power of the Gospel.