2 Corinthians 5

2 Corinthians 5:2

For while we are in this inferior state of bodies, we are for ever unsatisfied and impatient, desiring to have those spiritual bodies, 1 Cor. xv. 44, that purer state of bliss and immortality, as an upper garment to adorn and hide the blemishes and imperfections, and keep off the cold and pressures that this body of ours is subject to.

2 Corinthians 5:3

This I say upon supposition that we should never die, that we were in the number of those mentioned 1 Cor. xv. 53. and 1 Thess. iv. 15. 17, that are found alive at the last trump, at the day of doom, as some shall certainly be, and yet even those very heartily glad to be changed, to have these natural bodies spiritualized.

2 Corinthians 5:4

For while we are in these bodies of clay, we are subject to weights and pressures, and those give us a great impatience and weariness; and this hath a very observable meaning in it; for it is certain we do not desire to put off these bodies, to part with them finally, how weary soever we are: this therefore is the signification of it, that there is another sort of bodies, and another sort of life, infinitely more desirable than these which we now enjoy, an eternal, immutable life of these our bodies, instead of that mortal (subject to afflictions, and death itself) which we now live, and that we are naturally a desiring, a panting, a groaning after.

2 Corinthians 5:5

And the same God that hath created and framed us after this manner, with bodies subject to such pressures that we perpetually desire to change them for impassible, hath by Christ promised us that he will make this provision for us, raise us to immortal lives; and as a pledge and pawn to assure us that he will perform this promise, he hath by the preaching of the gospel sent to cleanse and purify us here in some measure, which is a kind of spiritualizing of our bodies, and a pawn and earnest of our future immortality, to which that Spirit shall raise us which raised Christ from the dead.

2 Corinthians 5:6

By these considerations therefore being enabled to look cheerfully on death, as that which only brings

2 Corinthians 5:7

(And which gives us that really to be enjoyed, which we have here in this life only by faith;)

2 Corinthians 5:8

We make choice rather, and are infinitely better pleased, to leave this body behind us here, to go out, to die, that by this means we may come to our home, our bliss in heaven: and so the fear or expectation of death is far from being painful to us.

2 Corinthians 5:9

All our ambition and design being but this, that whether we continue in this earthy body of ours or go out of it, whether living or dying, we may be acceptable to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10

For there will certainly come a day, when every person that ever lived shall be judged by God, set as it were in an eminent conspicuous place, as men that are impleaded are wont to be, and every action of his life taken into consideration, that accordingly every man may be punished or rewarded, body and soul together, according to his actions, of what sort soever they be, whether good or bad, which in his lifetime he hath committed in his body and soul together.

[a] receive the things done in his body] Κομίζεσθαι signifies to receive by way of reward a crown or prize, to carry it away, as ἀρπάξειν and λαμβάνειν, to snatch and take off the crown standing over the goal. Then τὰ διὰ σώματος, the things by the body, must be relative, and answerable to πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν that follows, τὰ without mentioning what, only πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, to what he hath done, noting this agreement and proportion betwixt that which he receives and what he hath done, which is the clear sense of those other places wherein God is said to render to every man according to his works. Some MSS. and printed copies, the Complutense edition, read, instead of τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος, with the change of one letter, τὰ ἴδια τοῦ σώματος, the proper or peculiar things of his body, and that will be very agreeable also, Every man shall receive that which is proper to him; either as the body is the shop of action, wherein and whereby, as by the instrument, every thing is done, or as τὸ σῶμα signifies himself, by an Hebraism formerly mentioned, according to, or by way of, retribution to what he hath done, &c.

[c] are ambassadors] The Hebrew שליחין, apostles, signifies legates, nuncios also, so as in the ancient formulæ missi signifies ambassadors; see Marculphi form., and Bignonius’s notes on lib. 1. c. 40. And so here πρεσβεύομεν is the apostolical office, and that from God to men, offering pardon on his part, and requiring on their part reforma-

2 Corinthians 5:11

Considering therefore the dreadfulness of this appearance of God, as on one side we labour to persuade men to embrace the truth, and live as those that are thus to be judged, so we desire to approve ourselves to God, as our Judge also, who, I am confident, doth approve of our sincerity herein; and I hope you are as well satisfied also of our uprightness toward you.

[b] persuade men] What πείθειν, to persuade, and peculiarly πείθειν ἀνθρώπους, to persuade men, signifies in these books, will be set down at large, note on Gal. i. 6, (see also note [e] on 1 John iii.) viz. to pacify, to propitiate, to gain in upon men, and obtain their approbation either of the cause they plead, or of themselves, whom they desire to approve to them. And though it be a very obvious and commodious sense of these words, knowing the terrors of the Lord we persuade men, that the consideration of the judgment to come is a very proper, forcible suasory to amendment of life, &c., yet the circumstances of the context rather incline it to the other notion of πείθειν, knowing the judgment to come to be so exact that it descends to every action that is done, whether good or bad, we apostles, who have a weighty task of duty lying on us to win souls to Christ, are obliged to pursue this work, to gain in upon men as much as we can, to approve ourselves to them in all things, that they may not be scandalized by any thing done by us, but cheerfully led on with a good opinion of our preaching and our persons, this being very useful toward the apostolical design of working good upon men. Agreeably to which it follows in this same verse, we are made manifest to God, and I hope also to be manifested in or to your consciences; where, to be manifested to their or in their consciences is all one with this notion of persuading them, that is, approving himself to them. And to this matter that which follows, ver. 12, pertains also, and therefore Theophylact interprets πείθομεν ἀνθρώπους, “we persuade men,” by πάντα πράττομεν ὥστε μὴ σκανδαλίσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, “we do all things that we may not scandalize men;” and again by σκάνδαλα θεραπεύομεν, “we cure or provide against scandals,” such as may hinder men in their proficiency in the gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:12

What I say, is not as if I wanted again commending to you, but that I may arm you against those false apostles that come among you and glory much of outward things, but know in their consciences that they have little cause to do so, against whom you may fortify yourselves, and make answer to them by glorying of my patience and perseverance, and performances in the gospel; and to this end only it is that I say this unto you.

2 Corinthians 5:13

And what we do herein is meant for good; my speaking thus largely of myself is for the glory of God, whose grace it is that enables me to do any

2 Corinthians 5:16

Wherefore now we esteem or value no man according to the outer advantages of this world, wisdom, riches, learning, &c., which are wont to set men out in the eyes of the world; and although it were true that we had familiarly conversed with Christ here, as some among you say they have, (they that say, I am of Christ, 1 Cor. i. 12,) and prefer themselves before others for that, and expect their doctrine should be received before the doctrine of others, yet now we know that he is gone from this earth, and no man can now pretend to know Christ’s will (otherwise than as it was revealed at his being here) above, or any more than another, upon this bare score, because he once conversed familiarly with Christ here: all that now we have to do with Christ is, to look on him, not under any such notion as a Christ talking familiarly with us on earth, but as an heavenly King, offering and designing us a spiritual kingdom upon our obedience and fidelity, not any temporal advantage, or matter of boasting, upon our acquaintance with him here.

2 Corinthians 5:17

If any man profess to have any peculiar claim to Christ, this must be the way of judging of the sincerity of his pretensions—if he think himself obliged to live a new life. The state of the gospel is a change of every thing from what it was before; more grace, promise of pardon on repentance, and sincerity for the future; more explicit promises of heaven, and