5:1 earthly house, the tent The body, which is susceptible to death and decay (compare 4:7).

destroyed Refers to death.

house not made by hands, eternal Either refers to the resurrected body believers receive when Christ returns (1 Cor 15:50–54), the corporate body of Christ, the new Jerusalem, or the temple in the city (Rev 21:10, 22).

5:2 dwelling from heaven See note on 2 Cor 5:1.

5:4 but to be clothed Paul describes this transformation in 1 Cor 15:50–54.

life Refers to eternal life. See note on Rom 2:7.

5:5 the down payment, the Spirit God provides believers with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that they will receive resurrected spiritual bodies when Christ returns (see 2 Cor 1:22; compare note on Eph 1:14).

5:6 in the body Refers to life in the physical human body, not the Church as the body of Christ.

absent The Greek word used here, ekdidōmi, often translated as “absent” or “away,” can also mean “exiled.” Paul may be drawing on the background of Isa 40–55, where God promises to restore His exiled people (see note on 2 Cor 1:3).

5:7 by faith, not by sight Believers have not seen proof of resurrection and glorification with their own eyes. Paul encourages them to live by faith and to confidently expect God to do what He promised in Christ (compare 1 Pet 1:18). See note on Heb 11:1.

Faith

5:8 absent from the body Likely alludes to an intermediate period between a believer’s death and the final resurrection of all people (compare Rev 20:11–15). When believers die, they leave the physical body and enter the presence of Christ (compare Phil 1:23; 1 Thess 4:13–18).

5:9 be acceptable to him Paul and his companions oriented their lives to please God in every way. He encourages the Corinthian believers to regard time on earth as profitable.

5:10 we must all appear God will judge all individuals—including believers—not only in terms of salvation, but also with respect to eternal rewards for deeds performed while on earth (Rom 2:6–10; 1 Cor 4:5; compare 2 Cor 11:15).

judgment seat When Paul was in Corinth, he was brought before the judgment seat by Jews who opposed him (see Acts 18:12 and note). In Romans, Paul uses the judgment seat of God to show that believers should not judge others (see Rom 14:10). Here, Paul uses it to encourage the Corinthian believers to live lives that are acceptable or pleasing to God (2 Cor 5:9).

5:11 fear of the Lord Involves reverence for Christ, His mercy and sacrifice. See note on Prov 14:2; compare note on Eccl 3:14.

Fearing God in the Old Testament

5:12 not commending ourselves See note on 2 Cor 3:1.

those who boast in appearance Paul’s opponents may have boasted in their rhetorical skill (see 11:6 and note) or status as Jews (11:22). Paul insists that such boasting is not profitable. He instead boasts in his weakness because that is where Christ’s power is displayed more clearly (see 12:9–10). See 1 Cor 1:29 and note.

Humility Devotional

5:13 out of our senses Some of the individuals in the Corinthian church may have regarded Paul as crazy or foolish. Alternatively, Paul could be alluding to the painful letter he sent to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 2:4), which may have negatively shaped their view of him.

5:14 love of Christ The Greek text here could refer to the love that Christ has for people or the love they have for Him.

5:15 he died for all Probably means that Christ died for all people without distinction (e.g., gender, social status). However, not all receive the benefits of His atoning death; only those who believe the gospel and live for Christ do.

for the one who died for them Christ’s death breaks the power of sin so that believers may live for the purposes of God (see note on Rom 3:9).

5:16 from a human point of view Indicates assessing someone according to the common person’s values and standards. Some within the Corinthian church evaluated Paul and his ministry according to this perspective and standard (1 Cor 1:17; 2 Cor 10:10).

known Christ from a human point Before choosing to follow Jesus, Paul and his other Jewish companions evaluated Jesus and His messianic claim according to their own standards.

5:17 in Christ Refers to being in union with Christ through the Holy Spirit; those who believe in Christ participate in His death and resurrection.

new creation Believers are transformed in Christ as part of God’s renewal of all creation (Rom 8:19–20; compare Isa 65:17–25). As a new creation, believers grow into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor 3:18; 4:4; compare Col 3:10).

Spirit and Flesh in Paul’s Letters

5:18 reconciled us Refers to the end of hostility between God and people. Christ’s death provided the means of reconciliation. His suffering made peace between God and humanity possible (see Isa 53:5 and note; compare note on 2 Cor 1:3).

ministry of reconciliation Paul presented Christ’s sacrifice as the basis of reconciliation and the source of his apostolic vocation (vv. 14–18). He wants the Corinthians to understand the centrality of Christ in his ministry in contrast to other teachers, who boast about themselves.

5:19 the world The Hebrew word used here, kosmos, refers to people estranged from God and under the influence of sin and the devil (see 4:4).

not counting their trespasses against them God does not use people’s sins as a reason to withhold salvation or reconciliation. Compare Rom 4:7–8.

5:20 we are ambassadors Meaning representatives of Christ. Paul and his companions not only spoke on behalf of Christ, but their lives—namely, their endurance of suffering—represented Christ’s life and character. As Christ’s representatives, they were charged with presenting the message of God’s plan of reconciliation to the world.

5:21 who did not know sin Paul affirms that Christ did not sin, though He was tempted (Matt 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13; Heb 4:15).

to be sin This describes how God regarded Christ as sin for the sake of undeserving sinners (compare Gal 3:13). More specifically, Paul may be presenting Christ as a substitute for sinful humanity or he could be referring to Christ’s identification with sin through His union with sinful humanity. Another possibility is that Paul is interpreting Christ’s sacrifice in light of ot sacrificial concepts (e.g., Lev 4:24; 5:12; Isa 53:10).

the righteousness of God Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God demonstrated His righteousness (dikaiosynē) by judging sin yet showing mercy to sinners. Here Paul refers to the idea of Christians becoming the righteousness of God. He may mean that believers, as a result of God’s justification, receive a right standing before God while Christ takes on their sins (Rom 5:8). Alternatively, Paul could be describing God’s righteous character, which believers receive and should live out in their lives. See Rom 1:17 and note.