2 Corinthains 5 – Shortcode

Cost and reward of the good news (continued)

(Parallel teachings: Romans 8:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54)
(Thematic parallels: Philippians 1:21-24; John 14:2-3)

• 1 For we *know that if our earthly house (the tent of our body^fn“tent of our body” is one word in Greek. It literally means “tent”, but figuratively means the body in which our spirit dwells.) is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house for the ages^fn“ages” this adjective is typically translated “eternal” here. The noun form refers to a whole time period, such as a person’s lifetime, (e.g., John 8:35) an age/epoch (e.g., 1 Cor 8:13), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context usually dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9). Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “ages” was chosen to communicate both senses. made without hands in the heavens.
• 2 For we also groan internally in this tent, longing to clothe ourselves with our dwelling from heaven.
• 3 And indeed, if we clothe ourselves we won’t be found naked.
• 4 For we also groan internally as the men who are in the tent, being burdened since we don’t want to unclothe ourselves, but to clothe ourselves so that the mortal might be swallowed up by life.^fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 25:8
• 5 But the One who prepared us for this same thing is God, who [also] gave us the down payment^fn“down payment” is literal.  The Greek word here is imported from Hebrew and refers to “earnest money” given as a surety that the rest of the payment will be given. of the Spirit.
• 6 Therefore, we’re always boldly confident and *knowing that while at home in the body, we’re away from our home with the Lord.
• 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
• 8 Yet we’re boldly confident, and think it better to be away from our home in the body and to be at home with the Lord.
• 9 Therefore, we also earnestly strive to be pleasing to Him, whether at home or away from home.
• 10 For all of us must be revealed before the judgement seat of the Anointed so that each might receive back the things done through the body, whether good or evil, to each according to what he did,
• 11 Therefore, *knowing the reverent fear^fn“reverent fear” is one word in Greek.  Its primary meaning is “fear”, but it can also mean “awe” or “reverence” depending on the context.  (The Hebrew word for “fear” has the same range of meaning)  Since both fear and reverence are appropriate toward God, both definitions were included.  Further, the word can mean both, and both were likely intended. of the Lord, we convince men, but we are *revealed to God, and I also hope to be *revealed in your consciences too.

Jesus’s death and reconciliation

(Parallel teachings: Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:13-18)
(Thematic parallels: Colossians 1:19-22)

• 12 [For] we aren’t commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast concerning us, so that you might have an answer to the men boasting in appearance and not in the heart.
• 13 For if we were beside ourselves, it’s for God; if we’re of sound mind, it’s for you.
• 14 For the ^love of the Anointed compels us, having judged this: that One^fn“that One died” many later manuscripts read “that [if] One died” died for the sake of all, therefore all died.
• 15 And He died for the sake of all, so that the men living might no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died and was raised for their sake.
• 16 So then, we *regard no one in accordance with the flesh from now on.  Even if we have known the Anointed in accordance with the flesh, yet now we don’t know Him that way anymore.
• 17 Therefore, if anyone is in the Anointed, he is a new creation. The original things passed away, behold, [the new things have come].^fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 43:18-19, and possibly Isaiah 65:17; 66:22 “the new things have come” many later manuscripts read “all things have become new”
• 18 And all things are from God, the One who reconciled us to Himself through [Jesus] the Anointed and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
• 19 that is, God was in^fn“God was in the Anointed reconciling” the construction in Greek is slightly ambiguous, centering on what “in” means. The two main understandings are: (1) that God was reconciling the world in or by means of the Anointed, or (2) that God (the Father) was in the Anointed while God was reconciling the world (likely emphasizing the unity of the Father with the Anointed). Modern scholarship tilts toward the first option because of the parallelism with “through the Anointed” in the previous verse. The second option follows the natural pause in the Greek word order and keeps “in the Anointed” as Paul’s typical “union” language (God’s presence in the Anointed). Both options existed in the early church; some early reformers (e.g., Luther, Calvin) preferred option #2. The current translation was chosen because it follows the Greek word order and preserves both options. the Anointed reconciling the world to Himself, not taking their missteps^fn“missteps” the Greek word used here doesn’t quite mean “sin”. It’s the word “παράπτωμα” (paraptóma) and is also used in Ephesians 2:1 in the phrase: “dead in your ‘paraptóma’ and sins”. It carries the connotation of a “slip-up” or a “false step” with the implication – but not certainty – that it was unintentional. into account against them, and having put the message of reconciliation in us.
• 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for the Anointed, as if God is calling through us, we plead for the Anointed: “Be reconciled to God”.
• 21 [For] He made the One who didn’t know sin into a sin purification offering^fn“into a sin purification offering” This phrase is typically translated “to be sin” or “into sin”. There are three major interpretations of this phrase: (1) It refers to Jesus taking all of our sins into Himself on the cross so He could be punished vicariously in our place as our substitute. (Compare with Hebrews 9:14) (2) This refers to the incarnation, since Jesus was sent “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3; this interpretation was especially popular among the early church fathers.) (3) This refers to the Levitical sacrificial system, to the Hebrew word typically translated “sin offering” in a sacrificial context. This is supported by respected lexicons like BDAG and Mounce, and Jesus is called this elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. Romans 8:3). The typical translation “sin offering” is possible, but has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). The “sin offering” was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation. for our sake, so that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.