2 Corinthians 5
New Living Translation
New Bodies
5 For 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. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a] 4 While 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.5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
6 So 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. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For 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.
PAUL HERE LOOKS AT THE BODY WE PRESENTLY HAVE, AND THE BODY WE SHALL YET HAVE, WHEN WITH THE LORD. HE TAUGHT IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15 ABOUT THE NEW BODY WE ARE TOP HAVE TO ENTER GOD'S KINGDOM. HE TAUGHT FLESH AND BLOOD CAN NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. HE TALKS HERE ABOUT WANTING TO BE OUT OF THIS PRESENT BODY, AND DESIRING TO HAVE THE NEW BODY.
NOTICE THE WORD "HEAVEN" IS NOT USED IN THESE VERSES. HE DOES NOT SAY, "WE DESIRE TO GO TO HEAVEN AND BE WITH CHRIST."
THE TIME TO HAVE OUR NEW BODY IS NOT MENTIONED HERE. HE DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING LIKE, "WE DESIRE TO HAVE OUR NEW BODY WHEN WE DIE, AND GO TO HEAVEN TO BE WITH CHRIST." THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE READ INTO THESE VERSES, BUT PAUL DOES NOT SAY WE GET OUR NEW BODY UPON OUR DEATH.
IF IT WAS A COMMON BELIEF AND TEACHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, THAT WE GET OUR IMMORTAL BODY AT DEATH. IF IT WAS A COMMON TEACHING THAT WE GO TO HEAVEN WITH OUR NEW BODY, AT DEATH. THEN PAUL COULD HAVE EASILY SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "WE LONG TO HAVE OUR NEW BODY AT DEATH, AND TO GO TO HEAVEN TO BE WITH CHRIST."
SUCH WORDS ARE NOT THERE. IF IT WAS A COMMON BELIEF IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, THAT THE CHILDREN OF GOD, GET THEIR NEW BODY AT DEATH, AND GO TO HEAVEN TO BE WITH CHRIST. THEN SUCH TEACHING WOULD BE ALL OVER THE NEW TESTAMENT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF CHRISTIANS TODAY TALK TO EACH OTHER WITH ALL KINDS OF PHRASES LIKE "WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN," - "HE'S NOW IN HEAVEN" - "SHE'S NO LONGER SUFFERING IN PAIN, BUT FREE FROM EARTHLY PAIN, AND WITH THE SAINTS AND CHRIST IN HEAVEN" - "WE'LL SHALL SEE HIM/HER AGAIN WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN."
NO SUCH PHRASES OR SENTENCES CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
THE CHRISTIANS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WERE NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT GOING TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIED, OR ABOUT RECEIVING THEIR NEW BODY ON DEATH, AND BEING WITH JESUS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
PAUL CONTRASTED THE TWO BODIES— THE PRESENT ONE WITH THE NEW ONE— BUT HE DID NOT SAY WHEN WE GET OUR NEW BODY.
AND THE TRUTH ABOUT DEATH AS TOLD IN MANY VERSES IN THE BIBLE, AND JESUS HIMSELF IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, SHOW THAT DEATH IS A SLEEP WITH NO RECOGNITION OF TIME. SO INDEED WHEN WE DIE THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF TIME UNTILL WE ARE AWAKE IN THE RESURRECTION TO GLORY AND HAVING OUR NEW BODY. THE NEW TESTAMENT APOSTLES PREACH THE RESURRECTION AS THE HOPE OF ETERNAL IMMORTAL LIFE. THESSE VERSES CAN NOT CONTRADICT THE EASY TO UNDERSTAND VERSES IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE THAT SHOW DEATH IS A SLEEP UNTIL THE RESURRECTION.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD SAINTS [THE INSTANT CHARGE FROM MORTAL TO IMMORTAL OF LIVING SAINTS] WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE COMING OF CHRIST, AT THE LAST 7TH TRUMPET SOUND. ALL THIS I HAVE EXPOUNDED IN DETAIL IN MANY OTHER STUDIES.
THESE VERSES HERE IN 2 CORINTHIANS 5 DO NOT CONTRADICT ALL THE MANY VERSES ON DEATH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BIBLE. THAT SHOW DEATH IS A SLEEP, WITH NO THOUGHTS, NO WALKING AROUND, NO TALKING, NO SEEING ANYTHING, NO HEARING ANYTHING.
JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AGREED THAT DEATH WAS A SLEEP. HE SAID SO. DO YOU BELIEVE HIM? IT APPEARS 100s OF MILLIONS DO NOT? BUT 100s OF MILLIONS DO NOT READ THE GOSPELS TO SEE WHAT JESUS TAUGHT. 100s OF MILLIONS ARE BIBLE DUNCES.
JESUS TAUGHT THAT IN THE END TIME DECEPTION WOULD BE SO GREAT THAT IF IT WAS POSSIBLE EVEN THE VERY ELECY WOULD BE DECEIVED.
BUT THEY CAN NOT BE DECEIVED BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE TRUTH AND SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE AS A WAY OF LIFE.
Keith Hunt
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