CHAPTER V
THE HOUSE
NOT MADE WITH HANDS
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Summary—The Groaning for Deliverance. The Divine Clothing for
the Soul Which Has Laid Aside Its Mortal Tenement. Absent From the Body, but
Present with the Lord. Appearing Before the Judgment Seat. Dying with Christ.
New Creatures. The Ministry of Reconciliation.
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1–4. For we know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle. Paul has spoken of looking for the
things that are unseen and eternal (4:18). He now describes the body as only
a tent dwelling, a temporary abode, in which we are camping during a journey.
If death should come and the body be dissolved, there is another dwelling for
the redeemed, “the spiritual body” described in 1 Cor. 15:44, a heavenly
and eternal body. To the saint, death is the exchange of the earthly tent
dwelling for this eternal spiritual body. 2. For in this we groan. While
in this fragile, suffering earthly body, Paul longed for the deliverance from
it and “for the house not made with hands,” the spiritual body. Clothed
upon. The thought is that when the spirit leaves the mortal clay, it lays
off an old and worn-out clothing, and is to be clothed upon, or invested in,
its divine clothing. 3. If so be that, being clothed, we shall not be found
naked. This shall come to pass, provided the spirit is clothed with a
spiritual body at the resurrection, and not disembodied or naked. This is an
allusion to the errors so prevalent at Corinth which he had combated in 1 Cor.
ch. 15. It was a Greek theory that when the spirit left the mortal body that
it remained without a body, but Paul says: “If we too, clothed upon, shall not
be without an immortal body.” See Meyer on this passage. Many hold that Paul’s
language is due to the belief that they would meet the Lord in the mortal body
in that age at his speedy coming. This, I am sure, is a wrong interpretation. 4.
For we that are in this tabernacle. This tent dwelling for the journey. Do
groan, being burdened. Groan for deliverance from it, because the burden is
so heavy. Not that we would be unclothed. It is not that we wish to be
freed from a body, but we wish a better one; to lay off the old raiment that we
may be clothed upon with the heavenly raiment, the spiritual body, in order
that “this mortal shall put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53).
5–9. He that wrought us for this self-same thing. Gave us this longing for immortality. God not only gave it,
but the earnest of the spirit, a sure proof of the fulfillment of all
that he has promised. 6. Therefore we are always confident. Because of
what is stated in verse 5. Paul knew, when danger threatened, that to be in
the body was to be absent from the Lord’s presence, and that if he
was slain and thus left the body, he would go at once to the presence of the
Lord. 7. For we walk by faith, not by sight. It is by faith here that we
see the Lord, though absent from him. 8. We are confident. In the face
of every peril, because we know that death, an absence from the body, would be to
be present with the Lord. Note here the doctrine of the immaterial nature
of the human spirit. It puts aside the body to be clothed with a new garment.
It is absent from the body but present with the Lord. The body is not essential
to its conscious existence. It does not sleep because the body sleeps. To Paul,
death meant to be present at once with Christ, leaving the body behind.He
labored (verse 9) so that, whether present in the body or absent
from it, he might be accepted with Christ.
10–13. For we must all appear before the judgment seat. This is a stimulus to labor so as to be accepted by Christ
(verse 9). The object of this judgment is that he may reap the fruits of what
he has done in the body. The language here implies that our probation ends with
our earthly life. 11. Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord. Fearing
the Lord and accountable to him, he seeks to discharge his ministry by
persuading men. See the Revision. We are made manifest to God. He sees
our whole life and knows our motives as well as our deeds. I trust also.
His life was known to God and approved. He hoped, too, that it was known to the
saints at Corinth and that he had a witness in their conscience, in the effect
of his preaching. 12. We commend not ourselves, but rather gives them an
opportunity of glorying over his work and life so that they can answer the
false teachers who assail him. 13. If we are beside ourselves. See Acts
26:24. The same charge had probably been made at Corinth. If it were true, it
was due to his zeal for God or to the power of God. If at other times he was
the opposite, sober, it was all that he might calmly reason with them
and win them. His trances, visions and revelations his enemies imputed to
madness.
14–16. For the love of Christ constraineth us. It was the power that moved him in all his conduct. That
one died for all, therefore all died (Revision). I thus judge that if
Christ died for all, all in Christ have died with him to a life of sin. Baptized
into his death we must be dead to sin. The next verse shows that this is the
meaning. Compare Rom. 6:3, 4, 6, 11 and Gal. 5:4. 15. And he died for all,
etc. He died with this end in view, that those for whom he died and had
life through him should not live for themselves, but for him who died for them.
Thus Paul lived. His life was a consecrated life. 16. Wherefore we
henceforth know no man after the flesh. As all have died to live new lives
for Christ, they are not Jews and Gentiles; Romans, Greeks or Scythians, but
all are Christians, not to be known as belonging to the old fleshly races
longer. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh. The Christ
risen and sitting on the throne as our Lord is not in the flesh, and the Christ
to whom the church adores is that risen Christ.
17–21. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Because, crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6), buried into
his death (Rom. 6:4), we have died with Christ (verse 14), and risen to
walk in a new life (Rom. 6:4). The old life ended when we died and were
buried. Born anew, we are new creatures who must live a new life. All things
are become new. The affections, the motives, the thoughts, the hopes, the
whole life. 18. And all things are of God. These have all come from God
through the gospel, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.
Before we were at variance with God, and disobedient. Through Christ we have
been brought to love God, to love his will, and hence to obey him. We have been
changed, are new creatures. The ministry of reconciliation. The gospel,
the object of which is to transform men, and to bring them to peace with God. 19.
That God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. This explains
more fully the ministry of reconciliation. It was not God who was to be
reconciled, but the world. In Christ it is offered peace and shown the love of
God. The ministry of reconciliation is to persuade men to accept God’s love and
mercy, and to repent so that he can forgive their trespasses. 20. Then we
are ambassadors. We have God’s message, are his authorized messengers, and
speak for God, beseeching you for Christ, and in his name, to be reconciled
to God by repentance and the obedience of faith. 21. Hath made him … who
knew no sin. As a sinless substitute he suffered for our sins, that our
sins might thus be atoned for, the law satisfied, and we be forgiven and
accounted righteous. Since we die with Christ, in him we pay the penalty, and
are justified.
Excerpt from:
The People's New Testament
by Barton
Warren Johnson
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