5 1 For we know that if our earthly house— our tent[a]— is torn-down[b], we have a building[c] from God, a house not-made-by-human-hands, eternal, in the heavens.
We Do Indeed Groan In This Body And Would Prefer To Get Home To The Lord
2 For indeed in this tent we are groaning, yearning to put-on-over[d] ourselves our dwelling from heaven— 3 inasmuch[e] as we, having taken-off [f] this tent, shall not be found naked[g]. 4 For indeed we, the ones being in the tent[h], are groaning, being burdened, because we do not want to take-off [i] our earthly tent, but to put on our heavenly dwelling over it, in order that the mortal may be swallowed-up by the life. 5 And the One having made us for this very thing is God, the One having given us His pledge: the Spirit. 6 So while always being confident[j], and knowing that while being-at-home in the body we are away-from-home, from the Lord 7 (for we walk by faith, not by appearance[k])— 8 yet we are confident[l] and prefer rather to get-away-from-home, out of the body, and to get-at-home with the Lord.
Therefore We Are Ambitious To Please Him By Persuading People
9 Therefore[m] we indeed are ambitious[n] to be pleasing to Him— whether being at-home or being away-from-home. 10 For we all must appear[o] before the judgment-seat of Christ in order that each one might receive-back[p] the things done in[q] the body, in-accordance-with the things which he practiced, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore knowing the fear[r] of the Lord, we are persuading[s] people.
Now Our Heart Has Been Made Known To God, And I Hope To You. Boast In Us
Now[t] we have been made known to God. And I hope that we also have been made known in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an opportunity for a boast about us, in order that you may have an answer for the ones boasting in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we lost-our-senses, it is for God! If we are sound-minded, it is for you!
For The Love of Christ Controls Us As We Live a New Life For Him
14 For the love of [u] Christ controls[v] us, we having determined this— that One died for all, therefore all died. 15 And He died for all so that the ones living might no longer be living for themselves, but for the One having died and been raised for them. 16 So then from now on, we regard[w] no one based-on[x] the flesh[y]. Even though we have known Christ based on the flesh, nevertheless now we no longer are knowing Him thus. 17 So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation[z]. The old things passed-away; behold, new things have come-into-being[aa].
And God Gave Us This Ministry of Reconciliation As His Ambassadors
18 And all things are from God, the One having reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and having given us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 how that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself— not counting their trespasses against them, and[ab] having placed the message of reconciliation in us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, since[ac] God is appealing through us.
We Are Begging People To Be Reconciled To God...
We are begging[ad] on behalf of Christ: “Be reconciled to God! 21 He made the One not having known sin to be sin for us, in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”...
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 That is, our physical body.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 Or, taken-down.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 That is, a resurrection body; or, a place to stay (Jn 14:2).
- 2 Corinthians 5:2 That is, like an outer garment.
- 2 Corinthians 5:3 Or, since indeed.
- 2 Corinthians 5:3 Some manuscripts say having put-on the heavenly-dwelling.
- 2 Corinthians 5:3 That is, without a body; or, without a dwelling-place. The reverse of v 1.
- 2 Corinthians 5:4 That is, physically alive on earth.
- 2 Corinthians 5:4 to take off... to put on. That is, to die... to live with God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:6 That is, in the present life we live by faith.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7 Or, sight, what is seen.
- 2 Corinthians 5:8 That is, in the future life that awaits us when we die.
- 2 Corinthians 5:9 We do not lose heart, looking to the next life, 4:16-5:8. Now positively, we are ambitious, looking to what remains of earthly life.
- 2 Corinthians 5:9 Or, make it our aim.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 Or be made-known (as in v 11).
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 Or, get, obtain, receive-in-full.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 Or, during-the-time-of, by-means-of.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 That is, reverence for the Lord and the desire to please Him that this fact (v 10) elicits in us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 That is, in accordance with what God commanded us to do.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 Or, But. Others begin this point with v 12.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14 That is, proceeding from; or, for.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14 Or, grips, governs, directs, compels.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 Or, know, recognize, take interest in, value.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 Or, in accordance with, in relation to. We regard people only in relation to the One who died for them: as living for Him or needing Him.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 That is, based on earthly viewpoints and distinctions.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or, creature.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or, come-to-pass, come-about.
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 God ‘was reconciling’ in two senses, the ‘not counting’ which still continues and the ‘having placed’ which is finished.
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 Or, seeing-that.
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 Or, pleading. What follows gives the content of the begging (Be reconciled), and the manner of it (6:3-10).