Chapter 5

http://www.suscopts.org/diocese/bishop/bible-study/second-epistle-to-the-corinthians/session-05/

Introduction

• St Paul, in 2 Corinthians, is defending his apostleship and explaining the nature of his service.
• In Chapter 4, he told them that in spite of the suffering, false accusations, hardships, etc. he will not lose heart. He will not lose hope. He will continue to be hopeful. Why?
• In Chapter 5, he gives some reasons:
  • Even if they killed me, they will kill the body (earthly house, earthly tent) and I will be raised with the glorious body (house not made with hands). He says he is longing for this - he has a desire to depart and be with Christ. He is confident that we will have this glorious body and go to heaven, and this confidence is given by the Lord who gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.
  • Here, we do not see God by our eyes but by our faith - but when we go there, we will see Him face to face. That's why we walk by faith here because we will stand before the throne of God and give an account of our deeds whether good or bad.
  • The fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, motivated St Paul to preach and to persuade men
  • He is serving God in such a way that he doesn't need to defend himself, but he wants the Corinthians, by seeing the fruit that God is making under his hand, to defend him and respond to those who falsely accuse him
  • He is also motivated by the love of Christ, and because of this love, he is not living for himself but for God
  • He does not judge people according to their appearance because he knows that those who were baptized are born anew
  • He describes the ministry as Ministry of Reconciliation because God reconciled to man through Jesus Christ

Assurance of the Resurrection

¹ For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ³ if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴ For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

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The Judgment Seat of Christ

⁹ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

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Be Reconciled to God

¹² For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

¹⁶ Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

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