2 Corinthians 5:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Do you see how, passing over the unpleasant names of death and end, he replaced them with the most desirable name, “dwelling with God”? Conversely, he left aside the name that seems pleasant, namely life, and used an unpleasant one. He called the life here “being away from the Lord.” He did this so that no one would take delight in the present life, but rather feel burdened by it. He also did it so that no one approaching death would grieve, but would rejoice, because he passes to better blessings. Yet when someone hears that we, while in this body, “are away from the Lord,” he might say, “What are you saying? Are we, while living here, truly far from Him?” He removed this objection by saying: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Here also we have knowledge of Him, but it is not so clear. It is exactly “as through a dim glass, in a riddle,” as he says elsewhere (1 Cor 13:12). “We are of good courage and we desire.” See how far he brought the discourse. He brought it to the strongest desire for death. For him, the word “we are well pleased” means the same as “we strongly desire.” What do we desire? “To be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Thus he always acts in this way, as I have noted before. He turns the words of his opponents in the opposite direction.

It will be according to each one’s deeds, and there will follow a spiritual-bodily recompense corresponding to our earthly bodily-spiritual activity. In explanation of these verses, Bishop Theophan says: “We feel that the body walls us off from God. Yet we must remain in the body until the time appointed by the Lord, so that we may be strengthened in this life and grow for the other. Before the Lord, we must show our faithfulness while He remains hidden. Life in the body, even with a strong awareness of its inconveniences, has its enticements, which attract us to it. One cannot come into complete estrangement from it without a severe breaking of oneself. Such a breaking cannot occur without bold resolve. Therefore the Apostle said: ‘We are bold and well pleased,’ that is, we boldly and courageously long for this.” “Therefore,” says Chrysostom, “do not think that removal from the body alone is enough for eternal life. Virtue is needed everywhere. Thus, when discussing the resurrection of bodies, he did not allow anyone to rest on mere knowledge of it, but said, ‘if indeed, being clothed, we shall not be found naked.’ Likewise, when speaking of removal from the body. Lest you think this alone is sufficient for salvation, he added that one must also become well pleasing to God.” “Having stirred the zeal of the Corinthians by many kinds of blessings, the Apostle did not forget to move them also by fear of threatened evils. For our blessedness consists both in acquiring good things and in escaping evils. That is, it consists in acquiring the kingdom of heaven and escaping Gehenna. Yet fear of torments acts more powerfully upon us. For some might perhaps agree to be punished by exclusion from the inheritance of eternal blessings. But scarcely anyone would agree to endure torments.”

The words "for we walk by faith, not by sight" form an inserted statement. They explain by experience that the body truly sets us at a distance from the Lord.

Theodoret expresses the general meaning of these texts thus: "The Apostle does not say that we are alienated from the Lord, or strangers to the Lord, while still joined to this mortal body.

"Rather, he says that now we do not see Him with bodily eyes, but then we shall both see Him and be with Him. For now, he says, we do not see the very things awaited, but behold them only by faith.

"For this very reason we desire to depart from the body and enter in to the Lord." When the Apostle says, "we boldly know that, while living in the body, we are away from the Lord," he indicates that such knowledge requires a bold mind.

Likewise, by the words "we boldly consent to depart from the body and enter in to the Lord," he indicates that such willing desire requires a courageous spirit.

Indeed, to those who endured persecutions, afflictions, and continual dangers of death for the Lord's sake, outsiders could say: what are you doing? You suffer, yet you do not see Him for Whom you suffer.

Similar thoughts could also come to those who suffered. To such thoughts within, and to such words from others, a bold mind, winged by faith, could answer courageously.

Yes, we do not see Him. Nevertheless He is, and He is near. We do not see Him, but we perceive Him. The reason we do not see Him is this body of ours.

"While living in the body, we are away from the Lord." "Living," ενδημουντς, means sojourning as in a foreign land. "We are strangers and pilgrims in it" (Oecumenius).

"He did not say 'being,' οντες, in the body, but ενδημουντες, because we are in it like travelers in an inn" (Chrysostom). In the body we sojourn as in a foreign land.

Our fatherland and our home are there where the Lord is, or with the Lord. Thus, by sojourning in the body, we have naturally been separated from our native shelter and from the Father Himself, the Lord.

"The body has become a wall between us and the Lord" (Oecumenius). What then? Should we not break down this wall violently and by our own will? No.

It pleased the Lord Himself to establish this order, so that first we should live by faith. Then, having proved faithful to the Lord in all things by faith, we may enter the order of life where we shall walk before the Lord by sight.

There we shall abide with Him face to face. The present is such a period that we walk by faith, not by sight. It is not as though, having first been before the Lord, we then passed into the body as into a foreign house.

No. We are born by a way known to God alone. Then, already existing in the body, we become kin to the Lord through rebirth in the font of baptism, according to His image.

Having become so closely joined to Him, we feel that the body shuts us off from Him. Yet we must remain in the body until the time appointed by the Lord.

This is so that we may grow strong in this new life, mature for the other, and show our faithfulness before the Lord while He remains hidden from us.

Now by faith we know Him. By faith we draw near to Him and are guided to abide in spiritual and mystical communion with Him. Having borne ourselves as we ought during this period of trial and education under faith's guardianship, we shall enter another.

In that other period we shall abide with the Lord face to face. Nevertheless, we cannot be indifferent to that blessed moment when we go out of the body and stand before the Lord.

That moment is most desirable. Therefore, "knowing what entering in to the Lord brings, we boldly consent to depart from the body, or we desire this with all our soul" (Oecumenius).

"We are confident, I say, and are well pleased rather to depart from the body and to enter in to the Lord." He says "we boldly consent," because this kind of willing, eager, and joyful desire requires a courageous spirit.

Life in the body has its attractions, even when one is keenly aware of its inconveniences. To become completely alienated from it is impossible without a sharp breaking of oneself.

Such a breaking cannot take place without bold resolve. To keep oneself constantly in this disposition afterward also shows a soul inspired by courage. Therefore the Apostle said, "we are confident and well pleased."

That is, we desire this boldly and courageously. Reading the history of the martyrs, we cannot fail to see their confirmation of Saint Paul's words. They desired to depart to the Lord, and they desired it with irresistible striving and courage.

Chrysostom says on these words: "Do you see how the Apostle, passing over the unpleasant names of death and end, replaced them with the most desirable name, dwelling with the Lord?

"Conversely, passing over names of life that seem pleasant, he used an unpleasant one, calling the present life separation from the Lord. He did this so that no one should delight in the present, but rather be burdened by it.

"He also did it so that no one, drawing near to death, should grieve, but rather rejoice, because he passes over to the enjoyment of better things."