Christ in All of Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

2 Corinthians 5:1-5
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Paul refers to the present, mortal body as a tent, whereas he speaks of the future resurrected body as a house (v. 1). Although we are presently clothed in our mortal flesh, we will one day be further clothed with a glorified body that will swallow up our mortality (v. 4). Gospel-believing Christians can experience the reality of this resurrection hope even now through the indwelling of the Spirit, who is “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (Eph. 1:14).

The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is inextricably tied to the resurrection of Christ (2 Cor. 4:14), which ensures that death itself has been nullified. It is a gospel promise. The Christian does not need to fear death but can confidently know that it has been defeated (1 Cor. 15:55).

This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.

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