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If you prefer reading, continue below for a full breakdown of 2 Corinthians Chapter 5.
Introduction: Paul’s Motivation and Ministry
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 5, Paul continues to defend his apostleship by describing what motivates his ministry. Previously, in Chapter 4, he explained that although he suffered great affliction, his suffering was necessary so that the Gospel message could produce life in those who heard it. Moreover, he knew that his troubles were light and momentary, nothing compared to the eternal weight of glory he would experience in Heaven. In Chapter 5, Paul deepens this contrast between the earthly and the heavenly by focusing on our hope for an eternal home, a hope that shines brightly even while suffering, and the motivating power of love and the fear of the Lord that compels us to minister this hope to a lost and dark world.
A Glimpse of Our Eternal Home in 2 Corinthians Chapter 5
Paul faced intense physical suffering, including beatings, stonings, and a shipwreck. His earthly body, like ours, was fragile and perishable. We age, fall ill, and endure pain. However, God’s promise of an eternal house in heaven made not with human hands but with divine ones overshadows these momentary afflictions (1 Cor. 15:42-43 NLT, 2 Cor. 5:1). This “eternal house in heaven” is a perfect, glorified body that believers will receive in Heaven, free from the limitations and suffering of our earthly bodies. We eagerly anticipate our heavenly bodies and groan, longing to be clothed with eternity.
In Romans 8:22, Paul compares this groaning with the pains of childbirth. Just as a mother’s pain during labor leads to new life, our earthly afflictions lead to our future heavenly bodies. Through the confident assurance of the Holy Spirit, God’s gift to us, and a “pledge of what is to come,” we can maintain this eternal perspective (2 Cor. 5:5). The presence of the Holy Spirit in our earthly bodies motivates us to walk by faith and not by sight and keep our eyes fixed on what waits for us above – our heavenly home.
Walking By Faith: The Power Behind Our Actions in 2 Corinthians Chapter 5
Paul explains that whether he dies and lives with the Lord or stays here on earth a little longer, his aim remains the same – to please the Lord. Specifically, he is motivated by the judgment seat of Christ, a time in the future when all believers will stand before Christ and give an account of their deeds here on earth, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10). To be clear, this judgment does not punish believers for sin – Jesus already took our punishment on the Cross (Rom. 8:1). Instead, it rewards faithfulness. Our actions in this body have eternal consequences!
Fear of the Lord: Paul’s Unyielding Mission
This impending judgment of Paul’s deeds motivated him to persuade men to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:11) no matter the personal cost. Indeed, there was a cost. Paul encountered opposition in Corinth every step of the way.
Throughout this letter, Paul makes it clear that some Corinthians thought he was bragging (2 Cor. 3:1, 5:12), some thought there was no glory in his suffering (2 Cor. 4:7-12), and some even thought he was crazy (2 Cor. 5:13). But for Paul, peoples’ opinions of him don’t matter because he knows what he is, which is evident to God.” (v. 11). In other words, Paul didn’t care what others thought about him because his validation came from God, not the world.
Additionally, unlike some Corinthians, who “take pride in appearances rather than in the heart,” Paul judges people from a spiritual point of view rather than a worldly one. He sees people through Christ as a new creation: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Compelled by Love: A Heart for Reconciliation
Not only is Paul motivated to persuade men to be reconciled to God by the fear of the Lord, but he is also compelled by Christ’s transformative love. Paul vividly captures this love in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
The Amplified translates it this way:
For the love of Christ controls and compels us, because we have concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all have died.
When Paul considered how much Jesus loved Him, the chief of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), he couldn’t help but display this love to others. Christ’s love controlled him. It compelled him to forget about his troubles, pain, and rejection and finish the race set before Him so that he would receive a crown that would endure forever (1 Cor. 9:25).
Charles Spurgeon, often called the “Prince of Preachers,” described the love of Christ as a love that “restrains true Believers from self-seeking and forbids them to pursue any objective but the highest.” He also compares a believer’s reaction to this supernatural love to a ship that answers to her helm or a horse who obeys the reign (Sermon 1411). Paul couldn’t help but preach Christ crucified!
Ambassadors of Christ: Our Ministry of Reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5
Directly related to Christ’s work on the Cross, God gave Paul and all believers a “ministry of reconciliation.” Simply put, God is making His appeal to sinners, through us as Christ’s ambassadors, to be reconciled to Him through His Son, Jesus. Through this ministry, we are to tell people about Jesus and how He made a way for us to God through His saving work on the cross. Paul describes the reconciliation this way:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Final Thoughts: Living as New Creations
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds us to live with our eyes fixed on what truly matters—our eternal home and the love of Christ. As believers, we’re not just living for today; we’re living with the promise of a glorious future, one where our earthly troubles are light and momentary, swallowed up by eternal joy in the presence of God.
With this hope, we are called to walk by faith, confident that what we do here has eternal consequences. Paul’s example challenges us to be bold in our witness, unshaken by the opinion of others, and motivated by a deep abiding love for Christ. As ambassadors for Him, we carry the message of reconciliation – a message the world desperately needs.
Let’s let some of Paul’s passion on purpose wear off on us. May we live as new creations, allowing the love of Christ to guide our every step and every word as we share our hope with those around us!
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I am a truth seeker by nature. My passion is studying God's Word and sharing His Truth with others.
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