2 Corinthians 5:1-4 Bible Teaching

2nd Corinthians Chapter 5

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2nd Corinthians 5.1-5

Okay, so let’s slow it down and work through chapter 5 of 2nd Corinthians as last week I sort of gave a fast overview of the contents and how radical and amazing they are relative to the faith. This chapter is directly connected to the former chapter and we know this because the first verse begins with, “For,” referring to the point that was last made in chapter 4, which was where Paul said: “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,” and now says, “For . . .” The chapter also contains statements that Paul has already stated (in chapter four) so we can see how closely related the two are to each other.

Anyway, Paul says (after stating that they do not look to visible things because they are temporal but to invisible things because they are eternal): For . . . we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Context of Paul's Message

Alright, back to verse one:

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Where Paul says, “we” here, it again appears to speak of those who were engaged in the work of the ministry, particularly the Apostles and those who traveled with them. His point about “knowing that if their earthly house dissolved” appears to be directed to those who were engaged in the dangerous work of sharing the Gospel and so once again we see that in the letters to the Corinthians, Paul’s use of “we” almost always speaks of the apostles and not the general body of saints. Interestingly enough, when Paul uses “we” in the book of Romans it is almost always referring to the body of Saints and rarely to the Apostles! And so every use of “we” in the Record must be examined on a case by case basis.

Anyway, here he is giving a reason why he and his fellow-laborers did not become “weary” in their work and that reason included the fact that they knew that even if their body should die, they had an inheritance reserved for them in heaven. The expression "we know" is the language of strong and unwavering assurance. The phrase, contrary to our modern language that eschew saying we know anything shows that Paul had no doubt on the subject. It proves, right here, that there can exist the subjective inner assurance that a person has been saved to the Kingdom.

This certainty is sometimes debated among people – even believers – and it is a double-edged sword. On the one hand – as we will see even in this chapter, Paul writes in terms of his ultimate state in the afterlife as an uncertainty. On the other hand we do have a couple passages (by Jesus and John – and now here by Paul) that speak to knowing some things without question.

Understanding "Knowledge" in the Scriptures

There are a bunch of words in the Bible translated to know – (ON BOARD)

• Verbs include ginosko, oida, epiginosko, proginosko, epistamai, sunoida, agnoeo, gnorizo
• Adjectives: gnostos, phaneros, epistemon, agnostos
• Nouns: gnosis, epignosis, agnosia

But it is the GINOSKO that best means "to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand," and/or "to understand completely." Such knowledge is described by Tolstoy as that “special character of religious knowledge,” which is altogether denied and mocked by critics of faith.

I rarely speak of knowing anything anymore because I do think most of my knowledge is limited at best and faulty at worst. But personally, subjectively, I would suggest that every one of God’s children can KNOW certain things – and I base this on the scriptures use of the verb GINOSKO. The big uses of GINOSKO in describing personal knowing or that “special character of religious knowledge” are found in John’s epistles where he says:

1st John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Spiritual Knowledge in 1st John

This by saying that a believer can KNOW that they are in God when “the LOVE of God is perfected.”

1st John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

I would suggest that we can KNOW the Spirit of God that whenever anyone confesses Jesus as having come in the flesh is of God.

1st John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

This verse seems to be speaking of John and His apostolic knowledge of knowing the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error – and he appears to be saying that whenever someone receives (hears) their message verse rejecting it, they know the difference. The next one is big – because it tells us how we can tell if we really know God – as he says:

1st John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Bottom line – when we choose to love as God asks us to love – we KNOW we know God.

The Presence of His Spirit

1st John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. That we can know that we dwell in Him and Him in us by the presence of His Spirit (which is described by its fruits)

1st John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

In other words, when we obey the first commandment, and love God, and keep his commandment (which is to love) John says that, “by this we know that we love the children of God” meaning each other – other believers.

These are the KNOWS that Scripture describes and that every person can say that they possess:

(ON BOARD)

Understanding Our Knowledge

We can KNOW we are in God. We can KNOW the Spirit of God. We can KNOW we KNOW God. We can KNOW we dwell in Him, and number five, which is an interesting roundabout We know that our love for the children of God WHEN we First love God and obey his commands (which paradoxically, are to love!)

By these five ginoskos in scripture any believer can say they KNOW things in this life relative to God and themselves as His children. We cannot prove our knowledge by worldly standards – don’t even try – but by faith we CAN justifiably say that we not only subjectively but that we actually KNOW these things and no believer can dispute the claim.

The Concept of "I-DO"

Now, the interesting thing is here in chapter 5 the “know” that Paul uses is “I-do” and it best means, “we are aware . . .” This is different that ginosko and I would point out that the biggest differences between it and all the other terms translated know in scripture and the Ginosko’s of 1st John, is that the knowing 1st John speaks about is a spiritual knowledge that is NOT based on ANYTHING material or physical, NOT based on tangible evidence, and that all of it is discerned spiritually by the individual believer.

“I-DO” and the other terms we throw around for knowing are not the same. Okay. That was a bit of a side track but is really important in both justifying the believers use of knowing things that cannot be proven externally and in showing the differences between other types of knowing in scripture.

For we know (we are aware) that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We are aware “that if our earthly house” which stands in direct contrast to a heavenly house.

What is the difference? The question dives right into a major conflict I see present with the Biblical narrative and certain Biblical events. Let me explain: The Biblical events that set one standard are the resurrection of Jesus – which indisputably was Him being put to deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., lying in the grave three days and then rising up WITH his physical body that still bore the wounds inflicted upon it, and walking around eating fish and honeycomb and appearing and disappearing at will. That model has become THE model for all of Christianity – Mormonism included – in its understanding of our ultimate fate – that we too, all human beings,

Resurrection and Transformation

And the thinking is that these earthly bodies will be changed in such a way as to be conformable to heaven. Same shape, to some a perfect shape, same everything but somehow perfected and made amenable to the heavenly realm. Because of the biblical event of resurrection of Jesus we understand that this is the most natural and reasonable description of the resurrection that all human beings have (or will) experience.

I get this – and am drawn to it as there is a hope from the ego and self that we, as human beings, will continue on forever and ever and that Jesus has made sure that this would be the case. However, when we begin to examine the scripture – the Apostolic writings and all that they say about resurrection, we begin to run into conflict between Him and His resurrection and what is described relative to us. These passages – from verse 18 in chapter 4 through much of what we will read here in 5 – are some of the passages that stand in conflict. I mean Paul is obviously making a comparison being the “earthly house” which properly means, a body or house that thrives and is built "upon earth, is terrestrial, belongs to the earth and/or is on the earth.

Earthly vs. Heavenly Body

Now, I realize that the Christian view is that this earthly body will be transformed or changed but that it will retain its original format. Before we address this, let’s begin by admitting that our earthly bodies, our tabernacles of clay, our temples, serve to house our individual souls. The full line Paul uses is this: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Let me highlight some key words here:

1 Earthly House
2 Tabernacle
3 DISSOLVED

(We have)

1 A Building of God
2 A house not made with hands
3 In the heavens

So, let’s quickly compare these terms: The Greek helps distinguish all of this even more and we’ll appeal to it.

EARTHLY HOUSE vs A BUILDING OF GOD
(EPIGEOS OIKIA) (OIKODOME EK)
Wordly Residence Structure out of God

Got that comparison?

TABERNACLE HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS
(skenos) (Ark-kee-rop-oi-aye-tos)
A temporary hut Inartificial and unmanufactured

GOT THAT ONE?

Finally

DISSOLVED ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS
(Kataluo) (aionos ouranous)
To demolish Age to age in heaven

Future Spiritual Body

So Paul is comparing the human body here with “a residence in the world, a temporary hut, that can be “utterly demolished” to a structure “from God,” “unmanufactured” (again, unmanufactured) that will last from age to age in the heavens). Now, this is not a crushing blow to physical resurrection but it is a piece to the puzzle that when factored in with what Paul says in other places makes for a pretty sound argument for a heavenly, spiritual, not material resurrection for all and NOT one manufactured from earthly materials.

Stepping from the carnal descriptions and focusing on the future promise descriptions, the phrase “We have a building of God,” refers to the “future spiritual body” that will be the home or building of the human soul." What we know about that body or building not made with hands, not visible but invisible (because it is eternal) is:

• It is not temporary; not a tent or tabernacle that could be taken down.
• It will cloth all leaving some covered and some naked.
• It will be heavenly and eternal.
• It would represent "life" in direct contradistinction to "mortality."
• It will be a house not made with hands.

Let all of this information serve to help form a basis for other information that will be forthcoming.

So, speaking of this “body made with hands” that will dissolve, Paul says

2 For in this (meaning in this body) we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house

The Concept of Groaning and Our Heavenly Habitation

In our temporary tabernacle or tent, made of observable tangible things, we groan. The sense is that we are subjected to so many trials and afflictions in the present body; and that the body is subjected to so many pains, aches, deteriorations, and to so much suffering, that it makes us both groan and to “earnestly desire” to be “clothed upon” (interesting way to put it) with that body which shall be very different from the one we presently inhabit.

The term groan, which Paul says we do as a result of our present habitation, is mentioned by him in the book of Romans 8 as well – but in that setting it refers to more than just individual groaning but says:

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, (meaning the whole creation) but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The term groan here and in 2nd Corinthians, interestingly enough, can and often refers to silent groaning, as in prayer over some heavy subject and not necessarily the loud groans we might make when injured. Interestingly too, when we read in John 11:33

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,”

It better means was angered and frustrated and not so much a silent groan in the Spirit – two very different words. When we think about it, this groaning we experience of woe and weightiness in the spirit is truly part of having to bear about these bodies that are under the constant threat of stress, disease, injury, attack, accident, threat, and disability. That is a heavy weight. And when the tent or tabernacle starts to break down and malfunction, the groaning grows commensurately.

The Hope in Groaning

Paul adds that, at least for believers, our groaning includes a hope (a desire and an expectation = which is how biblical hope is defined) where we are “earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” The Greek for clothed upon is used only twice in the Record and its EPEN-DU-OMAHEE. It literally means to put clothes upon. Because there are clothes and because there is something to hang or put the clothes upon, and because Paul says that we earnestly desire to be clothed upon with our house (OI-KAY-TAY-RHEE-ON) habitation or dwelling FROM HEAVEN . . .

Then I think we can say the following, even expect the following to represent what will occur for all souls after this life:

One, God will clothe us . . .
Two, by placing clothes on or over our heavenly souls
And three, these clothes are synonymous with the heavenly dwelling (habitation) in which will bear and cover all people in the hereafter.

I am personally convinced that this is both the resurrection that we all talk about, that the clothing is heavenly, and spiritual, and that these will actually be the many mansions Jesus went to prepare after His resurrection. Because Paul speaks of different resurrections, and because we are rewarded according to our labors, I tend to see the afterlife rewards as being meted out in and through the resurrected bodies we all individually and respectively receive.

Ancient Views on Body and Soul

Here Paul speaks of our habitation here as a garment which may be put on or laid off but as he himself as earnestly desiring to put on the immortal clothing in heaven which was eternal once put in place. Both of these types or figures are common in ancient writings as the Pythagoreans compared the body to a tent or hut for the soul and the Platonists liken the human body to a vestment. The Jews also speak of a vestment in this world and the next and they say the good will be clothed with a vestment that is radiant and cannot be had here on earth.

Paul evidently regarded man as composed of body and soul. The soul (mind, will and emotion) was the more important part but a body is essential to the idea of the complete man. In other words, not body, no man. So we know that for human beings to continue on in the hereafter that they must be more than a soul – they must bear some sort of means to contain or bear about or cover or identify what their soul actually is. So when we speak of the resurrection…

Spiritual Coverings and Immortality

Being spiritual, the suggestion is NOT that there is no body, house, habitation or tent after this life. Not at all. For Man to be Man, she/he has to have a covering. The only thing I am suggesting is that the coverings are NOT material (meaning not fleshly, boney, or blood-filled) they are Spiritual coverings of some sort delivered and given according to the will of God Himself.

Now, some scholars think that Paul is speaking specifically of the time when Jesus was to return and how Paul expected and desired, amidst his groanings, to be changed from a mortal being to an immortal being in the twinkling of an eye. This was a commentator named Locke and his position. In fact, Locke translated this passage from Paul in the following way: “For in this tabernacle I groan, earnestly desiring, without putting off this mortal, earthly body by death, to have that celestial body superinduced, if so be the coming of Christ shall overtake me in this life, before I put off this body." Talk about taking liberties with the word!

But it is verse three that really says something curious as Paul adds:

2 For in this (meaning in this body) we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: READY

Verse 3 “If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.”

Insights from Translations

Now, there are three angles we are going to take to try and understand this. One is to consult the various translations of this passage. Most of them believe that Paul is simply saying, in one way or another, that BY BEING CLOTHED WE WILL NOT BE FOUND NAKED.

The (BBE) says “So that our spirits may not be unclothed.” The (DBY) “if indeed being also clothed we shall not be found naked.” The (MKJV) “if indeed [in] being clothed, we shall not be found naked.” The (MNT) just says, “I shall not be found naked.” The (NKJV) “if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.” The (Oracl) “And surely, being thus invested, we shall not be found naked.” The (RSV) “so that by putting it on we may not be found naked.” The (TCNT) “Sure that, when we have put it on, we shall never be found discarnate.” The (WNT) “if indeed having really put on a robe we shall not be found to be unclothed.” And the (YLT) “if so be that, having clothed ourselves, we shall not be found naked.”

Commentary Perspectives

The second view we will take is the opinion of some Bible commentators. Of course, this passage has been interpreted in a number of different ways and I sometimes get amazed at the massaging men will do to make passages say what they want. Rosenmuller says, "For in the other life we shall not be wholly destitute of a body, but we shall have a body." Tindal writes, "If it happen that we be found clothed, and not naked." Doddridge thinks it means, "Since being so clothed upon, we shall not be found naked, and exposed to any evil and inconvenience, how, entirely soever we may be stripped of everything we can call our own here below." Hammond says, "If, indeed, we shall happily be among the number of those faithful Christians, who will be found clothed upon, not naked."

Biblical References to Clothing and Nakedness

Finally, there are two passages that speak to clothing and nakedness in scripture – let’s look to them. The first is in Hebrews 4:13 where the writer says: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” I don’t know how that plays into this concept of nakedness and being clothed in heaven, but there is something to the fact that before God all of us, at least here, are naked and laid bare. That state is always uncomfortable and humbling and embarrassing when nakedness refers to the whole person and so there is something being said here about being found clothed in heaven.

Perhaps more to the point, in Revelation 3 where Jesus is speaking to the seven churches and says to the church at Laodicea “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint

Spiritual Clothing and Resurrection

“Again, the concept of nakedness is here in living color and tied to those who were of the world and had not purchased gold tried with fire or raiment that is white as a means to cover the shame of their nakedness.

The last verse that speaks to nakedness is found in Revelation 16:15 where Jesus says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Here in II Corinthians, the word "clothed" refers to the future spiritual body in the eternal habitation. Here’s the deal – all will receive a set of resurrection clothes, according to Jesus – one category is to life eternal and the other is to damnation – but all will receive a heavenly uniform.

Because of this fact, I wonder if when Paul is speaking of being clothed he is limiting it to believers here. He seems to be because he says that he longs to be clothed, but THEN he adds at verse three, “If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.” That line seems, in some ways, to be suggesting that Paul is saying that he longs to be clothed in heaven IF being clothed will mean he is NOT found naked. And what I tend to pull from this is not what anyone else has said but is the idea that Paul is admitting in verse 2 that yes, he CERTAINLY longs to be out of this body of temporal pain, and desires to be clothed with a heavenly body SO LONG AS that heavenly set of clothing will not leave him in a state of nakedness.

How could someone be both clothed and naked at the same time? Leaning to the idea that all will be resurrected, and there will be differing suits of glory based on the love and faith of the person involved . . . Could it be that some will be clothed in wonder, comfortable, modest suits of eternal glory that cover them completely from the eyes of God and therefore makes them entirely at ease in His presence but there is another type of resurrection that leaves the wearer feeling naked, and ashamed, and uncomfortable no matter where they go? I wonder.

What we can say is Paul's expression implies that he had an earnest desire to be clothed in the best heavenly body so long as that body suit of Glory will not cause him to be or feel naked.

Finally, we also note in and through all of this that the present body (which causes us to groan) will be laid aside. It will return to corruption and I would add will be dissolved forevermore in the elements from which it came. Then the disembodied spirit will ascend to God and to heaven where it will be clothed by God according to His good will.”

Yearning for Heavenly Coverings

Paul continues on with the idea of being in tabernacles of groans and being clothed on high when he says in verse 4:

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

In other words, he reiterates that those who are in their tabernacle do and will groan because they / we are burdened, but the groaning is not so that they will become unclothed altogether, but clothed UPON in an immortal suit that will swallow up their mortality and give them eternal life.

Mortality Swallowed by Eternal Life

That word rendered "swallowed up," (katapoyh) seems to suggest that the moment the disembodied receive their heavenly home of glorious immortal clothes, their mortality, that which made them human, will be consumed or swallowed up by the heavenly body of glory. This seems to describe the moment when the human soul, absent of a limiting and weighty corporeal body of flesh and bones is swallowed up in a glorious body of eternal light and at that moment the mortal man or woman becomes forevermore immortal, full of light, full of freedom and warmth eternally. It was Paul’s desire to pass away from the mortal state to one that shall be eternal, immortal, without pain, death, despair, or groans.

More next week.

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Venessa and Steve