Bullet Point Bible - 2 Corinthians 5

Our Heavenly Dwelling Awaits

¹ For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.² For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling,³ if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked.⁴ For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

Paul uses the metaphor of an "earthly house" or "tent" to describe our current physical bodies, emphasizing their temporary nature (2 Cor 5:1).
This contrasts with the "building from God," a permanent, eternal "house" in heaven, referring to the resurrection body (2 Cor 5:1).
The "groaning" reflects the believer's deep longing for liberation from the limitations and suffering of this present life and the desire for the future glorified state (2 Cor 5:2; cf. Romans 8:23).
"To put on our heavenly dwelling" signifies receiving the resurrection body (2 Cor 5:2).
The fear of being found "naked" (2 Cor 5:3) likely refers to a disembodied state between death and resurrection, which Paul views as less desirable than being "clothed" with the resurrection body.
Paul clarifies the desire is not for death itself ("unclothed") but for the resurrection life ("clothed"), where mortality is overcome by eternal life (2 Cor 5:4).
God himself prepares believers for this future glory (2 Cor 5:5).
The Holy Spirit serves as a "down payment" or "guarantee" (Greek: *arrabōn*), assuring believers of their future inheritance and resurrection (2 Cor 5:5; cf. Eph 1:14).
This passage provides profound theological hope regarding the believer's future after death and the nature of the resurrection body.

Walking by Faith Toward Judgment

⁶ Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord-⁷ for we live by faith, not by sight.⁸ Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.⁹ So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

Confidence (*tharrountes*) is a key theme, rooted in the hope of the resurrection body and the Spirit's guarantee (2 Cor 5:6, 8).
Paul acknowledges a tension: being "at home in the body" means being "away from the Lord" in terms of physical presence (2 Cor 5:6).
The Christian life is characterized by "living by faith, not by sight," trusting in unseen spiritual realities rather than relying solely on physical circumstances or appearances (2 Cor 5:7).
Paul expresses a personal preference ("prefer rather") to depart from this earthly life ("be away from the body") to be in the Lord's immediate presence ("at home with the Lord") (2 Cor 5:8).
The ultimate ambition (*philotimoumetha* - strive eagerly) for believers, whether living or dead, should be to please the Lord (2 Cor 5:9).
All believers ("we must all") will face evaluation at the "judgment seat of Christ" (Greek: *bēma*) (2 Cor 5:10).
This judgment is not about determining salvation (which is by grace through faith) but about evaluating the believer's works and faithfulness during their earthly life for the purpose of rewards or loss of rewards.
The *bēma* was known in Greco-Roman culture as a platform for public announcements and judgments, adding context to the image.
Accountability before Christ motivates believers to live lives that are pleasing to Him (2 Cor 5:9-10).

Motivated by Christ's Love and God's Judgment

¹¹ Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.¹² We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart.¹³ For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died.¹⁵ And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.

The "fear of the Lord" (2 Cor 5:11) refers to reverential awe and respect for God, particularly in light of the coming judgment, motivating Paul's ministry.
This motivates Paul and his team to "persuade people" – likely referring both to winning unbelievers and convincing the Corinthians of their sincerity (2 Cor 5:11).
Paul contrasts his team's transparency before God and (hopefully) the Corinthians with opponents who focus on "outward appearance" (status, rhetoric) rather than "inward reality" (character, sincerity) (2 Cor 5:11-12).
Paul defends his intense passion ("out of our mind") as being directed toward God, while his reasoned arguments ("in our right mind") are for the benefit of the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:13). This addresses potential criticisms of his emotional intensity.
The supreme motivation for Paul's ministry is the "love of Christ" which "compels" or controls him (Greek: *synechei*) (2 Cor 5:14).
The theological conclusion driving this compulsion: Christ's death was substitutionary ("one died for all"), implying a representative union where believers are considered to have died with Him to their old life (2 Cor 5:14; cf. Rom 6:1-11).
The purpose of Christ's death and resurrection is transformative: believers should no longer live self-centered lives but live entirely for Christ (2 Cor 5:15).
This section powerfully links eschatological awareness (judgment) and Christology (Christ's love and death) to the practice and motivation of ministry.

The New Creation in Christ

¹⁶ So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.¹⁷ So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away -look, what is new has come!

Because of Christ's death and resurrection, believers should adopt a new perspective, no longer evaluating people based on worldly standards ("outward human point of view" or "according to the flesh") (2 Cor 5:16).
This includes their view of Christ; even if some knew him during his earthly ministry, the primary understanding now is of the resurrected and glorified Lord (2 Cor 5:16).
Being "in Christ" signifies a profound union with him through faith, resulting in a radical transformation.
Anyone united with Christ is a "new creation" (Greek: *kainē ktisis*) (2 Cor 5:17). This is a central theological concept signifying a complete spiritual renewal and reorientation.
The language echoes creation themes (Genesis 1) and points to the beginning of God's new creative work in believers, which anticipates the final renewal of all things.
"The old has gone" refers to the former life dominated by sin, self-centeredness, and worldly perspectives.
"The new is here!" emphasizes the present reality of this transformation, initiated by God through Christ.
This transformation provides the foundation for the ministry of reconciliation described next.

The Ministry and Message of Reconciliation

¹⁸ And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.¹⁹ In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people's trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.²⁰ Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God!"²¹ God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

Reconciliation (*katallagē*) is the restoration of a broken relationship, specifically between humanity and God. Paul emphasizes that God is the initiator of this reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).
God accomplished reconciliation "through Christ," highlighting Christ's essential role in bridging the gap caused by sin (2 Cor 5:18).
God entrusts believers with the "ministry of reconciliation," the task of proclaiming this message to others (2 Cor 5:18).
The core of the message: God, in Christ, was acting to reconcile the entire world to Himself, demonstrated by His choosing "not counting people's trespasses against them" (2 Cor 5:19).
Believers act as "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Cor 5:20). An ambassador represents their sovereign and speaks with their authority. This highlights the dignity and responsibility of Christians.
The appeal "Be reconciled to God" is made "on Christ's behalf," as if God Himself were pleading through the believers (2 Cor 5:20). This appeal is directed both to unbelievers and potentially to the Corinthians to fully embrace the reality of their reconciliation.
Verse 21 is a profound summary of the atonement, often called "the great exchange."
Christ, who was perfectly sinless ("knew no sin"), was treated as sin ("made... to be sin") on the cross, bearing its penalty in our place (2 Cor 5:21).
The purpose of this substitution was so that believers ("in him") might receive God's righteousness ("become the righteousness of God") – having right standing before God based on Christ's work, not their own merit (2 Cor 5:21). This is the doctrine of imputed righteousness.
This section provides a foundational understanding of the Gospel message and the believer's role in sharing it.

The Bullet Point Bible

2 Corinthians 5