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New Bodies
5For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a] 4While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
6So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
We Are God’s Ambassadors
11Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us,[b] so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[c] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[d] 15He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Footnotes
- 5:3 Greek we will not be naked.
- 5:12 Some manuscripts read proud of yourselves.
- 5:14a Or urges us on.
- 5:14b Greek Since one died for all, then all died.
- 5:21 Or to become sin itself.
Awaiting the New Body
5For we know that if the earthly(A) tent(B) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan,(C) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(D) 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan(E) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(F) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.(G)
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7For we live by faith, not by sight.(H) 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.(I) 9So we make it our goal to please him,(J) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us(K) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,(L) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.(M) 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,(N) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,(O) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are “out of our mind,”(P) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.(Q) 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves(R) but for him who died for them(S) and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly(T) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,(U) the new creation(V) has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!(W) 18All this is from God,(X) who reconciled us to himself through Christ(Y) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.(Z) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,(AA) as though God were making his appeal through us.(AB) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.(AC) 21God made him who had no sin(AD) to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(AE)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or Christ, that person is a new creation.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering
Cross references
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 : 1Co 15:47
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 : Isa 38:12; 2Pe 1:13, 14
- 2 Corinthians 5:2 : ver 4; Ro 8:23
- 2 Corinthians 5:2 : ver 4; 1Co 15:53, 54
- 2 Corinthians 5:4 : ver 2; Ro 8:23
- 2 Corinthians 5:4 : ver 2; 1Co 15:53, 54
- 2 Corinthians 5:5 : Ro 8:23; 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13, 14
- 2 Corinthians 5:7 : 1Co 13:12; S 2Co 4:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:8 : S Jn 12:26
- 2 Corinthians 5:9 : Ro 14:18; Eph 5:10; Col 1:10; 1Th 4:1
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 : S Mt 16:27; Ac 10:42; Ro 2:16; 14:10; Eph 6:8
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 : Job 23:15; Heb 10:31; 12:29; Jude 23
- 2 Corinthians 5:11 : 2Co 4:2
- 2 Corinthians 5:12 : S 2Co 3:1
- 2 Corinthians 5:12 : 2Co 1:14
- 2 Corinthians 5:13 : 2Co 11:1, 16, 17; 12:11
- 2 Corinthians 5:14 : Ro 6:6, 7; Gal 2:20; Col 3:3
- 2 Corinthians 5:15 : Ro 14:7-9
- 2 Corinthians 5:15 : Ro 4:25
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 : 2Co 10:4; 11:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 : S Ro 16:3
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 : S Jn 1:13; S Ro 6:4; Gal 6:15
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 : Isa 65:17; Rev 21:4, 5
- 2 Corinthians 5:18 : S Ro 11:36
- 2 Corinthians 5:18 : S Ro 5:10
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 : S Ro 4:8
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 : 2Co 6:1; Eph 6:20
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 : ver 18
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 : Isa 27:5
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 : Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1Pe 2:22, 24; 1Jn 3:5
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 : S Ro 1:17; S 1Co 1:30
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
