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Studies in the Book of 2 Corinthians PART THREE: Weeks 14-23 Group Applications Personal Study Week 14 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (ESV)

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Studies in the Book of 2 Corinthians PART THREE: Weeks 14-23 Group Applications Personal Study Week 14 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (ESV) Weak is STRONG Studies in the book of 2 Corinthians PART THREE: Weeks 14-23 Group Applications Personal Study Week 14 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (ESV) or we know that if the tent that is has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So our earthly home is destroyed, we we are always of good courage. We know have a building from God, a house that while we are at home in the body we Fnot made with hands, eternal in are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, courage, and we would rather be away 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be from the body and at home with the Lord. found naked. 4 For while we are still in this 9 So whether we are at home or away, we tent, we groan, being burdened—not that make it our aim to please him. 10 For we we would be unclothed, but that we would must all appear before the judgment seat be further clothed, so that what is mortal of Christ, so that each one may receive may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has what is due for what he has done in the prepared us for this very thing is God, who body, whether good or evil. romantic and glamourizing death, as Context believers sometimes do, Paul is realistic and sober. Just as the process of wasting • Paul does not ignore the difficulty or away is a harsh reality of our existence, pain of human suffering, especially so too is the end of the process, the as one approaches death. He calls our destruction of the ‘earthly tent.’”1 bodies a “tent” and flat out describes it being destroyed. Our mortality includes disease, pain, and deterioration of mind, which bring about a real groaning (vs. 2 1 Paul Barnett, The Message of 2 Corinthians: “we groan” = longing; vs. 4 “we groan” Power in Weakness (The Bible Speaks Today; Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVar- = being burdened). “Far from being sity Press, 1988), 96. Week 14 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 2 • The choice of language in this passage God’s real presence despite not seeing is closely connected to language Jesus Him. used in describing how he would deal with the temple. A building from God, • Verse 5 gives us further indication of not made with hands, and eternal, the sealing nature of the Spirit of God. are all phrases attributed to Jesus in He is our guarantee of a future planned reference to the temple in Jerusalem. and prepared by God. A major work Paul also uses the same word for destroy of the Holy Spirit is to bring assurance (καταλύω) that Jesus used to describe of salvation in the midst of difficulty taking down the temple stone by stone. and doubt. Doubt and hardship are opportunities to receive and revel in the Mark 14:58 (ESV) — 58 “We heard gift of the Holy Spirit. him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will • There is quite a bit of discussion over build another, not made with hands.’” the meaning of verse 10. What is this judgment and how does it function? • Most commentaries make a small Clearly Paul is not turning his back on but important distinction in how Paul the salvation by grace through faith, describes being swallowed up by life. since that would invalidate a majority of He is burdened but does not desire to his teaching in Romans and Galatians. be unclothed. In other words, the desire So what role does this judgement (ββμβ, is not simply to die. He does not wish or “bema”) seat play in the life of a for death but rather to be taken up Christian? Persuaded that this judgment with greater life. Longing for heaven is not related to salvation, we must and glory and perfect union with the summarize the warning to indicate “that Father is not sadistic or suicidal thoughts what believers do in this life has serious wrapped in religion. He is honest about implications. They are accountable to the difficulties of this life and longs to be the Lord for their actions, and will be “further clothed.” rewarded or suffer loss accordingly. It is this awareness which Paul carries • At least two things give Paul “good forward into the next section, where courage.” First, God has prepared us for he speaks of ‘knowing the fear of the this very thing. God’s providence and Lord.’” 2 sovereignty give us hope. Second, the Spirit of God seals us and assures us of 2 Colin G. Kruse, 2 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary (vol. 8; Tyndale New Testament Commentaries; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 117. Week 14 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 3 Personal Study • In order to endure the groaning and burdens of this mortal life, Paul leans on assurance. Read Romans 8, being careful to mark or reflect on any passage that indicates the assurance or hope one has in Christ. • Read 1 John 3:1-4. What connection does John make between our hope for seeing Christ and our present lives? What application does he offer? • Paul has written about the so-called “Bema seat” judgment to Corinth in a previous letter. Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. What imagery is offered here? Will the person with poor works be lost? Group Application • Have you ever slept in a tent? Describe the experience. What did you like/dislike about it? Also, if you can, share a funny story shows a tent won’t last forever. Week 14 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 4 • Paul compares our earthly body to a tent and our resurrection body to an eternal building or heavenly home. Talk about these comparisons. What will be similar and different between our earthly and resurrection bodies? • We are told to be of good courage twice in this passage. What are the truths in this passage that can give us courage? Is there a particular truth that resonates with you to give you courage right now? • What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas? • Paul concludes this section by pointing to the judgment seat of Christ as a motivation to please the Lord. What is an area in your life in which you desire to better please the Lord? How can the judgment motivate you? Week 14 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 5 there is more to come. This is the tension Short Reading that theologians refer to as the already and the not yet. From Systematic Theology by John Frame1 So in his atonement, Jesus destroyed the power of sin, yet sin will cling to us The Already and the Not Yet until his return. He has destroyed Satan in principle, but this victory will not be In all this talk of the return of Christ and consummated until the Lord’s return. Oscar the millennium, we have missed one of the Cullmann compares this to the distinction most fundamental biblical emphases. That between D-Day and V-Day in World War II. is that we ourselves live in the “last days.” On D-Day, allied troops entered France, in Hebrews 1:2 says, “In these last days he principle dooming the Third Reich. But it [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom took many months of bitter fighting before he appointed the heir of all things, through the Nazis surrendered on V-Day, “Victory whom also he created the world.” The “last Day.” The cross was like D-Day, and Jesus’ days” in this passage is the period following return will be like V-Day. We live between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. The term the times, always in the tension of the “last days” is used in similar ways in Acts already and the not yet; and during that 2:17; 2 Timothy 3:1; and 2 Peter 3:3. As the time, there are many battles to be fought. amils, postmils, and preterists emphasize, there is a sense in which the kingdom Postmils, amils, and preterists emphasize of God has come.2 It was established by the already, premils the not yet. A balanced Christ’s atonement, and we have all entered eschatology will recognize the importance it (Col. 1:13). Yet in another sense the of both.3 kingdom remains future, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come” (Matt. Eschatology and the Christian Life 6:10 KJV). So the kingdom is here, but yet to come. The last days are here, but yet to This discussion suggests that biblical come. The fulfillment of history has occurred eschatology has important practical already, in Christ, but is also not yet, for consequences. I confess my disappointment that so much teaching about the last days 1 John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Intro- duction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2013), 1094–1096. 3 John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Intro- 2 Premils sometimes admit that the kingdom has duction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, NJ: come “in one sense.” P&R Publishing, 2013), 1093–1094. Week 14 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 6 is focused on the order of events.
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