Paul
Paul on the Eternal Home and the Ministry of Reconciliation
Paul describes the longing for the heavenly dwelling and life by faith, not by sight. He points forward to the judgment seat of Christ and explains that whoever is in Christ is a new creation. God has reconciled the world to himself through Christ and entrusted believers with the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthiens 5,1-21
1For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by human hands, eternal in the heavens.
Οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ ἐπίγειος ἡμῶν οἰκία τοῦ σκήνους καταλυθῇ, οἰκοδομὴν ἐκ θεοῦ ἔχομεν οἰκίαν ἀχειροποίητον αἰώνιον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
2Indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
καὶ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ στενάζομεν, τὸ οἰκητήριον ἡμῶν τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπενδύσασθαι ἐπιποθοῦντες,
3since once we are clothed with it we will not be found naked.
⸂εἴ γε⸃ καὶ ⸀ἐνδυσάμενοι οὐ γυμνοὶ εὑρεθησόμεθα.
4For while we are in this tent we groan under its burden, not because we want to be unclothed but because we want to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
καὶ γὰρ οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῷ σκήνει στενάζομεν βαρούμενοι ἐφʼ ᾧ οὐ θέλομεν ἐκδύσασθαι ἀλλʼ ἐπενδύσασθαι, ἵνα καταποθῇ τὸ θνητὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς.
5And the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a down payment.
[Footnote: The Greek word means a deposit or first installment that guarantees the full payment to come.]
ὁ δὲ κατεργασάμενος ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο θεός, ⸀ὁ δοὺς ἡμῖν τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος.
6So we are always confident, and we know this: while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord—
Θαρροῦντες οὖν πάντοτε καὶ εἰδότες ὅτι ἐνδημοῦντες ἐν τῷ σώματι ἐκδημοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου,
7for we walk by faith, not by sight.
διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους—
8Yes, we are confident, and we would much rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
θαρροῦμεν δὲ καὶ εὐδοκοῦμεν μᾶλλον ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον·
9And so we make it our aim, whether at home or away, to be pleasing to him.
διὸ καὶ φιλοτιμούμεθα, εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες, εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι.
10For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.
τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡμᾶς φανερωθῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε ⸀φαῦλον.
11So, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is plain to your consciences as well.
Εἰδότες οὖν τὸν φόβον τοῦ κυρίου ἀνθρώπους πείθομεν, θεῷ δὲ πεφανερώμεθα· ἐλπίζω δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς συνειδήσεσιν ὑμῶν πεφανερῶσθαι.
12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you reason to boast about us, so that you may have an answer for those who boast about outward appearances rather than the heart.
⸀οὐ πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνομεν ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ ἀφορμὴν διδόντες ὑμῖν καυχήματος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἔχητε πρὸς τοὺς ἐν προσώπῳ καυχωμένους καὶ ⸂μὴ ἐν⸃ καρδίᾳ.
13For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our right minds, it is for you.
εἴτε γὰρ ἐξέστημεν, θεῷ· εἴτε σωφρονοῦμεν, ὑμῖν.
14For the love of Christ compels us, since we are convinced that one died for all; therefore all died.
ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς, κρίναντας τοῦτο ⸀ὅτι εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν· ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον·
15And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.
καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι.
16So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view. Even though we once regarded Christ that way, we do so no longer.
Ὥστε ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐδένα οἴδαμεν κατὰ σάρκα· ⸀εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν.
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old has passed away; look, the new has come.
ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν ⸀καινά·
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ καταλλάξαντος ἡμᾶς ἑαυτῷ ⸀διὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ δόντος ἡμῖν τὴν διακονίαν τῆς καταλλαγῆς,
19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.
ὡς ὅτι θεὸς ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσων ἑαυτῷ, μὴ λογιζόμενος αὐτοῖς τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, καὶ θέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον τῆς καταλλαγῆς.
20So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God.
ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος διʼ ἡμῶν· δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ θεῷ.
21God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
⸀τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.