2 Corinthians 5:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But since he also said that through afflictions our inward man becomes better, “though our outward man is decaying, the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16), he adds still more. To show again how profitable it is to endure scourging and persecutions, he says that when sufferings reach their final limit, innumerable blessings spring up for those who endure them. When you hear that your outward man decays, he does not want you to grieve. He says that when this happens fully, then above all you will rejoice and pass to a better portion. Thus one who now decays in part should not only refrain from grief, but should even desire this decay in its full measure. For it leads you most of all to incorruption. Therefore the Apostle says: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands. Eternal in the heavens.” Since the Apostle again explains the doctrine of the resurrection, in which they were especially lame, he joins to it the judgment of his hearers themselves as a foundation. Thus he establishes this doctrine, though not directly as before. He does so as though led to this discussion by other reflections, because they had already been instructed in this doctrine. “For we know,” he says, “that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Some understand the earthly tent as this world. I think, however, that the Apostle is rather hinting here at our body. See how, by the very names, he shows the superiority of the future over the present. Having said “earthly house,” he set the heavenly against it. Having said “tent of the body,” he indicated how easily it is destroyed and how short-lived it is, setting against it an eternal habitation. The word “tent” often signifies brevity. For this reason the Lord also said: “In My Father’s house are many mansions” (Jn 14:2). If Holy Scripture sometimes calls the resting places of the saints tents, it does not do so simply, but with the addition of another word. Thus the Lord did not say, “that they may receive you into their tents,” but “into everlasting habitations” (Lk 16:9). The Apostle also called our future habitation “not made with hands,” as though pointing to a habitation made with hands. What then? Is our body made with hands? By no means. He is pointing either to the houses here that are made with hands, or else he called the future body a habitation not made with hands. He did this not by way of contrast, but to exalt its dignity further and to increase its glory.

To magnify the praise of the future glory of our body, he added: “not made with hands.” He did not say this in contrast to the present body, for it too is not made with hands. Some understand the house made with hands as the life we live on earth, and the tent as the body itself. Then the passage has this meaning: if the earthly life of our body is dissolved, a life that may be called made with hands, as though composed by hands, we shall have another life in the heavens. For bread, wine, and the like, from which our life is constituted, are made by hands. That other life is indestructible and not made with hands, that is, it does not need the cooperation of our hands.

For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor 5:1-4). Therefore, though we are weighed down by the corruptible body, we know that the cause of the burden is not the nature or substance of the body, but its corruption. Thus we do not desire to be unclothed of the body, but to be clothed with its immortality. For it will exist then also. Yet since it will not be corruptible, it will not weigh us down.

If the bodily habitation is destroyed, they do not fear it, because they have the heavenly spiritual habitation and that incorruptible glory. On the day of resurrection this glory will build up and glorify the habitation of the body also. As the Apostle says: “He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit dwelling in us.” And again: “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor 4:11). And, as it is said, “that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor 5:4, 15, 16).

We also received the pledges of the Holy Spirit for our entrance into it. These pledges appear as the indelible and unquenchable longing to be freed from this corruptible life. They move us to pass worthily into that life where there will no longer be corruption and death. There pure, most radiant, heavenly life reigns. Outside Christianity there is also a sorrow that comes from dissatisfaction with this earthly and temporary life. Yet there it remains extremely undefined. In Christians it receives a precise meaning and a definite direction, from corruptible life toward the eternal life of the glorious age to come. Therefore all Christians groan equally, seeking to put off the sinful properties of this life and to be clothed in the holy qualities of the life to come. They do so lest they appear there unprepared, passionate, and sinful. They must be made alive by grace and worthy to be clothed in a new, incorruptible body. “The labors of self-denial give boldness to desire that life,” says Bishop Theophan. “The witness of conscience supports this boldness with the assurance that they will meet God’s mercy there. This desire grows into longing with groaning because of the felt and continually felt burden of the body, especially because the enemy often uses it for deception and for drawing one into what is improper.” Concerning our future change of garment, Chrysostom says: “Though we put off the body. We shall not appear there without a body, but with this same body, which will then become incorruptible.” Blessed Theodoret, explaining the words “we shall not be found naked,” says: “Though every man will be clothed with the garment of incorruption, not all will become partakers of divine glory. Therefore the Apostle calls those naked who are deprived of divine glory. He counts himself, the Corinthians, and all people among them, teaching modesty by this.”

The pure in heart possess such knowledge, those in whom the grace of the Spirit is active.

"If our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved." He does not say "if" in the sense of "in case it is dissolved." He means "when it is dissolved." He expresses that this is a desired and certain moment of liberation from this earthly burden, which weighs us down and binds us to the earth.

"The earthly house of the body," οικια του σκηνους, means our earthly tent-dwelling, or tentlike dwelling. "The Apostle speaks thus of our body. By calling it a tent, he indicated how easily it is destroyed and how brief the present life is" (Chrysostom).

This body, or a body of this kind, is the soul's house. Yet it is only an earthly and temporary house, set up for a time, like a tabernacle or tent. Its very appearance shows that it stands here now, but in a few days, or even hours, it will not be here.

The body is a transient dwelling. When it is dissolved, "we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." "A building from God," οικοδομην εκ θεου, means a structure ordered by God, a house built by God.

The Apostle means not eternal mansions, but our future body. Immediately afterward he calls it a house not made with hands. Perhaps the comparison with a tent prompted him to call it not made with hands.

His thought is this. The present body is formed by the natural way of birth. Because of this, it is a burdensome dwelling in many respects. By its very burden it awakens the desire to be freed from it and to receive a new one.

The future body will be a dwelling fashioned by the creative power of God. Therefore it will be free from everything that makes the present body so heavy. Consequently, that house, the future body, will be eternal.

It will not be composed of coarse elements, whose very manner of union foretells destruction and dissolution. It will be composed of incorrupt elements, or of a single heavenly element. With such a body one can no longer live on earth.

Its fitting place is heaven, or else the earth must be transformed into heaven. By the words "in the heavens," the Apostle indicated where our habitation with the future body will be. Yet the body itself will be received on earth.

For it is the risen body, and the resurrection will take place on earth. Elsewhere the Apostle says that those worthy to dwell with the Lord after the resurrection will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

They will not return from there to the earth, but will always abide with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17).

The Apostle says that when the earthly house of the body is dissolved, we have in the heavens a God-built, eternal house. It sounds as though we have it immediately after putting off this corruptible body through death.

Yet, according to God's ordering, an interval has been placed between the one and the other. This interval may end at any moment, but it still continues, and no one can assign its appointed limit.

The Lord waits until all who can be saved come to know Him and enter His flock. Why, then, did the Apostle speak this way?

To avoid drawing side conclusions from his words, conclusions that do not stand, we must keep in mind what was before the Apostle's attention. There were only two moments.

The first was life in this body, heavy and burdensome. The second was life in the future, most glorious body, bright, heavenly, and desired, which will certainly be received. He wished only to say this.

We shall cast off this temporary body and receive that eternal and heavenly one. What will take place between these moments he does not touch. It did not enter into his reasoning in the present case.