2Corinthians:5
Seeker Overlay ON
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:1 @{
If--be dissolved } (\
ean--kataluth
i \).
Third class condition , \
ean \
and first aorist passive subjunctive .
The very word used (\
katalu \)
for striking down a tent . {
The earthly house of our tabernacle } (\
h
epigeios h
m
n oikia tou sk
nous \).
Rather , "
If our earthly (
see on ¯
1Corinthians:15:40 |
for \
epigeios \)
house of the tent (\
sk
nos \,
another form of \
sk
n \,
tent ,
from root \
ska \,
to cover )."
Appositive genitive ,
the house (\
oikia \)
is the tent . {
We have } (\
echomen \).
Present indicative .
We possess the title to it now by faith . "
Faith is the title-deed (\
hupostasis \)
to things hoped for " (
Hebrews:11:7 |). {
A building from God } (\
oikodom
n ek theou \).
This \
oikodom \ (
found in Aristotle ,
Plutarch ,
LXX ,
etc .,
and papyri ,
though condemned by Atticists )
is more substantial than the \
sk
nos \. {
Not made with hands } (\
acheiropoi
ton \).
Found first in strkjv @
Mark:14:58 |
in charge against Jesus before the Sanhedrin (
both the common verbal \
cheiropoi
ton \
and the newly made vernacular \
acheiropoi
ton \,
same verbal with \
a \
privative ).
Elsewhere only here and strkjv @
Colossians:2:11 |.
Spiritual ,
eternal home .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:2 @{
To be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven } (\
to oik
t
rion h
m
n to ex ouranou ependusasthai \).
First aorist middle infinitive of late verb \
ependu \,
double compound (\
ep ,
en \)
to put upon oneself .
Cf . \
ependut
s \
for a fisherman '
s linen blouse or upper garment (
John:21:7 |). \
Oik
t
rion \
is old word used here of the spiritual body as the abode of the spirit .
It is a mixed metaphor (
putting on as garment the dwelling-place ).
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:3 @{
Being clothed } (\
endusamenoi \).
First aorist middle participle ,
having put on the garment . {
Naked } (\
gumnoi \).
That is ,
disembodied spirits , "
like the souls in Sheol ,
without form ,
and void of all power of activity " (
Plummer ).
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:4 @{
Not for that we would be unclothed } (\
eph '
h
i ou thelomen ekdusasthai \).
Rather , "
For that (\
eph '
h
i \)
we do not wish to put off the clothing ,
but to put it on " (\
all '
ependusasthai \).
The transposition of the negative \
ou \
weakens the sense .
Paul does not wish to be a mere disembodied spirit without his spiritual garment . {
That what is mortal may be swallowed up of life } (\
hina katapoth
i to thn
ton hupo t
s z
s \). "
Only what is mortal perishes ;
the personality ,
consisting of soul and body ,
survives ," (
Plummer ).
See on ¯
1:22 |
for "
the earnest of the spirit ."
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:6 @{
At home in the body } (\
end
mountes en t
i s
mati \).
Rare verb \
end
me \
from \
end
mos \ (
one among his own people as opposed to \
ekd
mos \,
one away from home ).
Both \
ekd
me \ (
more common in the old Greek )
and \
end
me \
occur in the papyri with the contrast made by Paul here .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:7 @{
By sight } (\
dia eidous \).
Rather ,
by appearance .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:8 @{
We are of good courage } (\
tharroumen \).
Good word for cheer and same root as \
tharse \ (
Matthew:9:2 ,
22 |).
Cheer up . {
Are willing rather } (\
eudokoumen \).
Rather , "
We are well-pleased ,
we prefer "
if left to ourselves .
Cf .
strkjv @
Phillipians:1:21f |.
Same \
eudoke \
used in strkjv @
Luke:3:22 |. {
To be at home with the Lord } (\
end
m
sai pros ton Kurion \).
First aorist (
ingressive )
active infinitive ,
to attain that goal is bliss for Paul .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:9 @{
We make it our aim } (\
philotimoumetha \).
Old and common verb ,
present middle ,
from \
philotimos \ (\
philos ,
tim \,
fond of honour ),
to act from love of honour ,
to be ambitious in the good sense (
1Thessalonians:4:11 ;
strkjv @
2Corinthians:5:9 ;
strkjv @
Romans:15:20 |).
The Latin _ambitio_
has a bad sense from _ambire_
,
to go both ways to gain one '
s point . {
To be well-pleasing to him } (\
euarestoi aut
i einai \).
Late adjective that shows Paul '
s loyalty to Christ ,
his Captain .
Found in several inscriptions in the _Koin
_
period (
Deissmann ,
_Bible
Studies_
,
p .
214 ;
Moulton and Milligan '
s _Vocabulary_
).
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:10 @{
Before the judgment-seat of Christ } (\
emprosthen tou b
matos tou Christou \).
Old word \
b
ma \,
a step (
from \
bain \),
a platform ,
the seat of the judge (
Matthew:27:19 |).
Christ is Saviour ,
Lord ,
and Judge of us all (\
tous pantas \,
the all ). {
That each may receive } (\
hina komis
tai hekastos \).
Receive as his due , \
komiz \
means ,
old verb .
See on ¯
Matthew:25:27 |. {
Bad } (\
phaulon \).
Old word ,
akin to German _faul_
,
worthless ,
of no account ,
base ,
wicked .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:11 @{
The fear of the Lord } (\
ton phobon tou Kuriou \).
Many today regard this a played-out motive ,
but not so Paul .
He has in mind verse 10 |
with the picture of the judgment seat of Christ . {
We persuade } (\
peithomen \).
Conative present active ,
we try to persuade .
It is always hard work . {
Unto God } (\
the
i \).
Dative case .
God understands whether men do or not . {
That we are made manifest } (\
pephaner
sthai \).
Perfect passive infinitive of \
phanero \
in indirect discourse after \
elpiz \.
Stand manifested ,
state of completion .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:12 @{
As giving you occasion of glorying } (\
aphorm
n didontes humin kauch
matos \).
An old Greek word (\
apo ,
horm \,
onset ,
rush ),
a base of operations ,
material with which to glory ,
as we say "
a tip "
only much more . {
That ye may have wherewith to answer } (\
hina ech
te pros \).
Literally , "
That ye may have something against (
for facing those ,
etc .)."
Paul wishes his champions in Corinth to know the facts . {
In appearance ,
and not in heart } (\
en pros
p
i kai m
en kardi
i \).
He means the Judaizers who were braggarts about their orthodox Judaism .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:13 @{
Whether we are beside ourselves } (\
eite exest
men \).
Second aorist active indicative of \
exist
mi \,
old verb ,
here to stand out of oneself (
intransitive )
from \
ekstasis \,
ecstasy ,
comes as in strkjv @
Mark:5:42 |.
It is literary plural ,
for Paul is referring only to himself .
See on ¯
1:6 |
for \
eite--eite \.
It is a condition of the first class and Paul assumes as true the charge that he was crazy (
if I was crazy )
for the sake of argument .
Festus made it later (
Acts:26:24 |).
He spoke with tongues (
1Corinthians:14:18 |)
and had visions (
2Corinthians:12:1-6 |)
which probably the Judaizers used against him .
A like charge was made against Jesus (
Mark:3:21 |).
People often accuse those whom they dislike with being a bit off .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:14 @{
The love of Christ } (\
h
agap
tou Christou \).
Subjective genitive ,
Christ '
s love for Paul as shown by verse 15 |. {
Constraineth us } (\
sunechei h
mas \).
Old and common verb ,
to hold together ,
to press the ears together (
Acts:7:57 |),
to press on every side (
Luke:8:45 |),
to hold fast (
Luke:22:63 |),
to hold oneself to (
Acts:18:5 |),
to be pressed (
passive ,
strkjv @
Luke:12:50 ;
strkjv @
Phillipians:1:23 |).
Songs:here Paul '
s conception of Christ '
s love for him holds him together to his task whatever men think or say . {
Judging this } (\
krinantas touto \).
Having reached this conclusion ,
ever since his conversion (
Galatians:1:17f .|). {
One died for all } (\
heis huper pant
n apethanen \).
This is the central tenet in Paul '
s theology and Christology . \
Huper \ (
over )
here is used in the sense of substitution as in strkjv @
John:11:50 ;
strkjv @
Galatians:3:13 |,
death in behalf so that the rest will not have to die .
This use of \
huper \
is common in the papyri (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
p .
631 ).
In fact , \
huper \
in this sense is more usual in Greek than \
anti ,
pro \
or any other preposition . {
Therefore all died } (\
ara hoi pantes apethanon \).
Logical conclusion (\
ara \,
corresponding ),
the one died for the all and so the all died when he did ,
all the spiritual death possible for those for whom Christ died .
This is Paul '
s gospel ,
clear-cut ,
our hope today .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:15 @{
Should no longer live unto themselves } (\
hina m
keti heautois z
sin \).
The high doctrine of Christ '
s atoning death carries a correspondingly high obligation on the part of those who live because of him .
Selfishness is ruled out by our duty to live "
unto him who for their sakes died and rose again ."
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:16 @{
Henceforth } (\
apo tou nun \).
From the time that we gained this view of Christ '
s death for us . {
After the flesh } (\
kata sarka \).
According to the flesh ,
the fleshy way of looking at men .
He ,
of course ,
knows men "
in the flesh (\
en t
i sarki \),
but Paul is not speaking of that .
Worldly standards and distinctions of race ,
class ,
cut no figure now with Paul (
Galatians:3:28 |)
as he looks at men from the standpoint of the Cross of Christ . {
Even though we have known Christ after the flesh } (\
ei kai egn
kamen kata sarka Christon \).
Concessive clause (\
ei kai \,
if even or also )
with perfect active indicative .
Paul admits that he had once looked at Christ \
kata sarka \,
but now no longer does it .
Obviously he uses \
kata sarka \
in precisely the same sense that he did in verse 15 |
about men .
He had before his conversion known Christ \
kata sarka \,
according to the standards of the men of his time ,
the Sanhedrin and other Jewish leaders .
He had led the persecution against Jesus till Jesus challenged and stopped him (
Acts:9:4 |).
That event turned Paul clean round and he no longer knows Christ in the old way \
kata sarka \.
Paul may or may not have seen Jesus in the flesh before his death ,
but he says absolutely nothing on that point here .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:17 @{
A new creature } (\
kain
ktisis \).
A fresh start is made (\
kain \). \
Ktisis \
is the old word for the act of creating (
Romans:1:20 |),
but in N .
T .
by metonymy it usually bears the notion of \
ktisma \,
the thing created or creature as here . {
The old things are passed away } (\
ta archaia par
lthen \).
Did pass by ,
he means .
Second aorist active of \
parerchomai \,
to go by .
The ancient (\
archaia \)
way of looking at Christ among other things .
And yet today there are scholars who are trying to revive the old prejudiced view of Jesus Christ as a mere man ,
a prophet ,
to give us "
a reduced Christ ."
That was once Paul '
s view ,
but it passed by forever for him .
It is a false view and leaves us no gospel and no Saviour . {
Behold ,
they are become new } (\
idou ,
gegone kaina \).
Perfect active indicative of \
ginomai \,
have become new (
fresh , \
kaina \)
to stay so .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:18 @{
Who reconciled us to himself through Christ } (\
tou katallaxantos h
mas heaut
i dia Christou \).
Here Paul uses one of his great doctrinal words , \
katallass \,
old word for exchanging coins . \
Diallass \,
to change one '
s mind ,
to reconcile ,
occurs in N .
T .
only in strkjv @
Matthew:5:24 |
though in papyri (
Deissmann ,
_Light
from the Ancient East_
,
p .
187 ),
and common in Attic . \
Katallass \
is old verb ,
but more frequent in later writers .
We find \
sunallass \
in strkjv @
Acts:7:26 |
and \
apokatallass \
in strkjv @
Colossians:1:20f .;
strkjv @
Ephesians:2:16 |
and the substantive \
katallag \
in strkjv @
Romans:5:11 ;
strkjv @
11:15 |
as well as here .
It is hard to discuss this great theme without apparent contradiction .
God '
s love (
John:3:16 |)
provided the means and basis for man '
s reconciliation to God against whom he had sinned .
It is all God '
s plan because of his love ,
but God '
s own sense of justice had to be satisfied (
Romans:3:26 |)
and so God gave his Son as a propitiation for our sins (
Romans:3:25 ;
strkjv @
Colossians:1:20 ;
strkjv @
1John:2:2 ;
strkjv @
4:10 |).
The point made by Paul here is that God needs no reconciliation ,
but is engaged in the great business of reconciling us to himself .
This has to be done on God '
s terms and is made possible through (\
dia \)
Christ . {
And gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation } (\
kai dontos h
min t
n diakonian t
s katallag
s \).
It is a ministry marked by reconciliation ,
that consists in reconciliation .
God has made possible through Christ our reconciliation to him ,
but in each case it has to be made effective by the attitude of each individual .
The task of winning the unreconciled to God is committed to us .
It is a high and holy one ,
but supremely difficult ,
because the offending party (
the guilty )
is the hardest to win over .
We must be loyal to God and yet win sinful men to him .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:19 @{
To wit ,
that } (\
h
s hoti \).
Latin puts it _quoniam
quidem_
.
It is an unclassical idiom ,
but occurs in the papyri and inscriptions (
Moulton ,
_Prol_
.,
p .
212 ;
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
p .
1033 ).
It is in strkjv @
Esther:4:14 |.
See also strkjv @
2Corinthians:11:21 ;
strkjv @
2Thessalonians:2:2 |.
It probably means "
how that ." {
Not reckoning } (\
m
logizomenos \).
What Jesus did (
his death for us )
stands to our credit (
Romans:8:32 |)
if we make our peace with God .
This is our task , "
the word of reconciliation ,"
that we may receive "
the righteousness of God "
and be adopted into the family of God .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:20 @{
We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ } (\
huper Christou oun presbeuomen \).
Old word from \
presbus \,
an old man ,
first to be an old man ,
then to be an ambassador (
here and strkjv @
Ephesians:6:20 |
with \
en halus
i \
in a chain added ),
common in both senses in the Greek . "
The proper term in the Greek East for the Emperor '
s Legate " (
Deissmann ,
_Light
from the Ancient East_
,
p .
374 ),
in inscriptions and papyri .
Songs:Paul has a natural pride in using this dignified term for himself and all ministers .
The ambassador has to be _persona
grata_
with both countries (
the one that he represents and the one to which he goes ).
Paul was Christ '
s _Legate_
to act in his behalf and in his stead . {
As though God were intreating by us } (\
h
s tou theou parakalountos di '
h
m
n \).
Genitive absolute with \
h
s \
used with the participle as often to give the reason (
apparent or real ).
Here God speaks through Christ '
s Legate . {
Be ye reconciled to God } (\
katallag
te t
i the
i \).
Second aorist passive imperative of \
katallass \
and used with the dative case . "
Get reconciled to God ,"
and do it now .
This is the ambassador '
s message as he bears it to men from God .
rwp @
2Corinthians:5:21 @{
Him who knew no sin } (\
ton m
gnonta hamartian \).
Definite claim by Paul that Jesus did not commit sin ,
had no personal acquaintance (\
m
gnonta \,
second aorist active participle of \
gin
sk \)
with it .
Jesus made this claim for himself (
John:8:46 |).
This statement occurs also in strkjv @
1Peter:2:22 ;
strkjv @
Hebrews:4:15 ;
strkjv @
7:26 ;
strkjv @
1John:3:5 |.
Christ was and is "
a moral miracle " (
Bernard )
and so more than mere man . {
He made to be sin } (\
hamartian epoi
sen \).
The words "
to be "
are not in the Greek . "
Sin "
here is the substantive ,
not the verb .
God "
treated as sin "
the one "
who knew no sin ."
But he knew the contradiction of sinners (
Hebrews:12:3 |).
We may not dare to probe too far into the mystery of Christ '
s suffering on the Cross ,
but this fact throws some light on the tragic cry of Jesus just before he died : "
My God ,
My God ,
why didst thou forsake me ?" (
Matthew:27:46 |). {
That we might become } (\
hina h
meis gen
metha \).
Note "
become ."
This is God '
s purpose (\
hina \)
in what he did and in what Christ did .
Thus alone can we obtain God '
s righteousness (
Romans:1:17 |).