2 Cor 5: Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Cor 5:1-5

1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

A. Find Out:    

1.  What two “buildings” does Paul refer to? v.1
2. What do we do and why? v.2,3
3. Again, what do we do now? v.4a
4. Again, why? v.4b
5. What two things has God done? v.5 

B. Think:

1. What is the “tent” that Paul is talking about?
2. What is the other “building” he speaks about?
3. What point is he making talking about these two buildings?

C. Comment:

Paul had just been writing about the frailty of his life and ministry and had concluded by speaking about their eternal hope which helped them cope with the pressures of their present life.

Now he speaks further on this hope. He describes living in a human body as living in an earthly tent. It is something that is temporary, something that will eventually be destroyed. While we are in this human body we groan, not only from aches and pains and illnesses, but also from a sense that there must be something more, something better. That “something more” is a place in heaven with a new, glorious, spiritual body, an eternal body where there is no decay (see Rev 21:4 & 1 Cor 15:42-44)    

Now take note of Paul’s last words in today’s reading “it is God who has made us for this very purpose”. We have been made for an eternal destiny. Our time on earth in a human body is merely the entrance foyer to our eternal life. We focus on this life as if it is all important, but it is so only in so far as it is the possible entrance (for some never make it!) to eternal life. How can we be sure of this? First because God has said so, and then second, because God has put His own Holy Spirit within us as a sample or deposit of what is to come. The Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse of eternity as he expresses something of heaven on earth. If He has done that for us now, we can be sure of it in eternity. 

D. Application:

1. Our destiny is a life in eternity. Plan for it!
2. Our human body and material life is temporary.

Passage: 2 Cor 5:6-10

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Paul say about living in the body? v.6
2. How did he say they lived? v.7
3. What again did he say he would prefer? v.8
4. So what was his goal? v.9
5. Where did he say we must all appear? v.10a
6. What will happen there? v.10b

B. Think:

1. What did Paul know about the future?
2. How did that affect his present day living? Read Col 3:1-4
3. How do you think this eternal dimension should affect us?

C. Comment:

Paul had previously written about eternal life beyond this life on earth in a human body. Now he declares his confidence in this hope of an eternal life that continues on after this world. Twice in this passage he declares this confidence. He knows that while he is here in a human body, he still has yet to receive his eternal inheritance. While he’s here he can’t be in heaven with the Lord. In fact, because of all the tough things that happen to him, (inferred from earlier verses) he would actually rather being away from this earthly body and living in his new heavenly body with God.

Sandwiched in between these two declarations of confidence is a simple but dynamic statement: we live by faith not by sight. In the present context this is simply a reiteration of what he said in 4:18, we live not by looking at what can be seen but by looking beyond to what is unseen. God has spoken about our eternal destiny, and it is this which motivates Paul in his life and ministry. Heb 12:2 says the same thing about Jesus who “for the joy set before him endured the cross”. Jesus looked beyond the cross to what would follow. That helped him go through the cross. Paul knew that in eternity he would be rewarded for what he did here. That was a great motivation!

D. Application:

1. Does eternity motivate us in this life today?
2. Are we secure and confident in Christ as Paul was?

Passage: 2 Cor 5:11-15

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are ‘out of our mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Paul try to do and why? v.11
2. What did he say he was not doing, but was doing? v.12a
3. What did he want them to be able to do? v.12b
4. What did he say about being in or out of his mind? v.13
5. What compelled him and of what was he convinced? v.14
6. Why had Christ died? v.15

B. Think:

1. Why does Paul say he is speaking about himself?
2. Why might it seem he is “out of his mind”?
3. Yet what is it that urges him on?

C. Comment:

Paul has just written about the judgement seat of God (v.10) and the thought of that should create within us a fear or awesome respect of God, which in turn will provoke us to share the Gospel so others will be all right when they come to that same judgement seat.

Then it is as if Paul becomes aware that he has been saying rather a lot about himself and his ministry and explains why. Look, he says, we’re not trying to commend ourselves but are just trying to help you see why you can take pride in us when you speak about us to others. He goes on, if we’re out of our mind, if we seem crazy going on like this, it’s purely because we want God to be glorified. If we’re right in what we’re saying, it’s because we have your good in mind. It’s Christ’s love that motivates us, he goes on, that creates this love for you (implied), because Christ gave his life for us, so now we give our lives for him and therefore everything that we, and you, do we do for him.

There is some amazing teaching here. Paul doesn’t like talking about himself, but he’ll do it if it helps the Corinthians. Although they are in the wrong, he has a heart of love for them. That love is motivated by Christ’s giving his life for Paul. So now Paul gives up his life in the service of his Lord.

D. Application:

1. Are we aware of how much God loves us?
2. Does His love motivate and inspire us?

Passage: 2 Cor 5:16-21

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

A. Find Out:

1. How did he now regard people, and what had he done? v.16
2. But how does he see people today? v.17
3. What 2 things has God done? v.18
4. How does he expand on this? v.19
5. So what were they and what did he ask? v.20
6. What 2 things has God done? v.21

B. Think:

1. How do these verses flow on from Paul has already said?
2. Why did Paul regard people in a different way?
3. What has God done to reconcile us to Himself?

C. Comment:

Paul has just been speaking about living with an eye on the unseen, on reality, and now he says that when he looks at people, he doesn’t see them as he used to. Once he had even considered Christ a mere man, but that has all changed now. Now he knows that if any man is “in Christ” he is a new creation, he’s not just a man, he’s a man with a relationship with God and a man in whom is the Spirit.

This, he knows, is all the work of God who has reconciled us to Himself through the work of Christ. Once we were at a distance from God, separated from Him by our sin, but Jesus came and took our sin upon himself on the Cross so that free from that sin we could be declared righteous. Once we were declared righteous there was nothing to hinder our coming close to God and God coming close to us; we had been reconciled to Him and he to us.

There is nothing more wonderful than this truth: the Almighty, Holy God, Maker of all things, whose holiness would burn up sinners, has in fact taken the sin of sinners through His Son so that the issue of their sin is no longer an issue. Instead, the way is made open for them to receive all the rights of sonship, able to enter into all the goodness of God that He provides for us. Isn’t that glorious!

D. Application:

1. Jesus has taken our sin and we are declared righteous.
2. Because we ARE righteous, we are reconciled to God. Hallelujah!