2 Corinthians 5:4
Verse
Context
Our Eternal Dwelling
3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.4So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.5And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.
Sermons
Leonard Ravenhill
Ian Paisley
Thomas Reade
Larry R. Sinclair
Jessie Penn-Lewis
John Nelson Darby
Joshua DanielSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
For we that are in this tabernacle - We who are in this state of trial and difficulty do groan, being burdened; as if he had said: The whole of human life is a state of suffering, and especially our lot; who are troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, bearing about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus, and being always delivered unto death on the account of Jesus, Co2 4:8-11. These were sufficient burdens, and sufficient causes of groaning. Not for that we would be unclothed - We do not desire death, nor to die, even with the full prospect of eternal glory before our eyes, an hour before that time which God in his wisdom has assigned. But clothed upon - To have the fullest preparation for eternal glory. We wish not to die, whatever tribulation we may be called to pass through, till the whole will of God is accomplished in us and by us. That mortality might be swallowed up of life - Being fully prepared for the eternal state we shall scarcely be said to die, all that is mortal being absorbed and annihilated by immortality and glory. See the notes on Co1 15:51-56 (note). From the use of these expressions among the Jews, this seems to be the general meaning of the apostle.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For--resuming Co2 5:2. being burdened: not for that--rather, "in that we desire not to have ourselves unclothed (of our present body), but clothed upon (with our heavenly body). that mortality, &c.--rather, "that what is mortal (our mortal part) may be swallowed up of (absorbed and transformed into) life." Believers shrink from, not the consequences, but the mere act of dying; especially as believing in the possibility of their being found alive at the Lord's coming (Th1 4:15), and so of having their mortal body absorbed into the immortal without death. Faith does not divest us of all natural feeling, but subordinates it to higher feeling. Scripture gives no sanction to the contempt for the body expressed by philosophers.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan,.... There are some of the saints who are not in the tabernacle, the body. They were in it, but now are not; their bodies are in the grave, the house appointed for all living; and their souls are in the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, in everlasting habitations, in the mansions prepared in Christ's Father's house; and they have done groaning, being delivered from every oppressor, sin, Satan, and the world; are at rest from all their labours, and ate free from every burden; only the saints who are in the tabernacle of the body, in an unsettled state, groan, being in the midst of tribulation, and not yet in the enjoyment of that happiness they are wishing for. The reason of their groaning is, because they are burdened with the body itself, which is a clog and incumbrance to the soul in its spiritual exercises; and oftentimes by reason of its disorders and diseases a man becomes a burden to himself; but what the saints are mostly burdened with in this life, and which makes them groan the most, is the body of sin and death they carry about with them; the filth of it is nauseous, grievous, and intolerable; the guilt of it oftentimes lies very heavy on the conscience; the weight of it presses hard, and is a great hinderance to them in running their Christian race; nor have they any relief under this burden, but by looking to a sin bearing and sin atoning Saviour, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. They are also frequently burdened with Satan's temptations, with blasphemous thoughts, solicitations to sin, the fears of death, the pangs of it, and what will follow upon it; though God is faithful, who will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able to bear; however, these temptations are great burdens, and occasion many a groan: to which may be added the various afflictions of life, which though comparatively "light", are in themselves heavy, grievous burdens, and hard to be bore; the nature, number, and continuance of them often make them so; and especially they are such, when God is pleased to hide his face, and withhold the discoveries of his love and mercy. The apostle goes on to explain what he means by desiring to be clothed, not for that we would be unclothed; that is, of our bodies; and this he says, not through any love and liking he had to this animal life, or to the sensual methods of living here, which make natural men in love with life, and desirous of always living here; but from a principle of nature, which recoils at death, does not like a dissolution, chooses any other way of removing out of this world than by death; a translation of soul and body together to heaven, like that of Enoch and Elijah's, is more eligible even to a good man; or such a change as will be upon the living saints at the coming of Christ, which the apostle seems to have in view, who will be not unclothed of their bodies, as men are at death, but clothed upon; as is here desired, with incorruption and immortality: that mortality might be swallowed up of life; not that the mortal body, or the substance of the body, which is mortal, might be consumed and destroyed, but that mortality, that quality to which it is subject by sin, might be no more: and he does not say, that "death may be swallowed up of life", which will be done in the resurrection morn; but mortality, which being swallowed up by a translation, or such a change as will be at the last day, will prevent death: and the phrase, swallowed up, denotes the suddenness of the change, in an instant, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and that without any pain, or such agonies as usually attend death; and also the utter, final, and total abolition of mortality; so that there will never be more any appearance of it; his desire is, that it may be swallowed up "of the life", which is properly and emphatically life, as this life is not; and means the glorious, immortal, and everlasting life, which saints enter into as soon as they are rid of their mortal bodies, and the mortality of them.
2 Corinthians 5:4
Our Eternal Dwelling
3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.4So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.5And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Perils of Paul
By Leonard Ravenhill1.9K1:24:54PerilsMAT 26:39JHN 16:12ACT 4:122CO 5:12CO 5:42CO 5:62CO 11:23PHP 1:27In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the dedication and discipline of a young Chinese girl who practices diving for hours every day for five years. He uses this example to challenge the audience to examine their own commitment to spiritual growth and transformation. The speaker also highlights the need for a revival in the world, emphasizing that without a divine intervention, society is at risk of decline. He criticizes the reliance on entertainment as a substitute for true joy and emphasizes the importance of using one's resources wisely and being accountable for one's actions.
The Musts of Christ the Shepherd
By Ian Paisley57335:29JHN 10:16JHN 10:27ACT 1:82CO 5:12CO 5:41JN 1:7REV 12:11In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of hard work and sweat in serving God and spreading the word of Christ. He contrasts the passion and enthusiasm of football fans with the lack of effort in sharing the gospel. The preacher also discusses the need for believers to groan and be burdened for the fallen ones, and to lead a life covered by the blood of Jesus. He concludes by highlighting the seven days mentioned in the chapter, which include suffering, clothing oneself with God's righteousness, and the need to avoid being tied down to worldly things.
The Burden of Sin Deplored
By Thomas Reade0EXO 14:15MAT 22:371CO 13:42CO 5:4PHP 3:12JAS 4:71PE 5:2REV 2:10REV 3:21Thomas Reade preaches about the burden of sin, highlighting how both the worldly-minded and the formalist can be insensible to the evil of sin, despite outward expressions of repentance. He emphasizes the importance of true repentance, groaning under the weight of sin, and the need for genuine love for God and others. Reade also addresses the dangers of self-righteousness, idolatry, and the misuse of ecclesiastical authority, contrasting it with the true authority of Christ. He urges believers to strive for holiness, to love God wholeheartedly, and to press on towards perfection in Christ, relying on His grace and mercy.
Re-Examining Revival in the Church
By Larry R. Sinclair0JOB 1:8ISA 25:8MAT 23:241CO 15:542CO 5:4EPH 6:10HEB 11:291PE 5:8REV 12:16The preacher discusses the Greek word 'katapino,' which means to swallow up completely or cause sudden destruction. He emphasizes how our enemy seeks to bring spiritual ruin, weaken our faith, and replace it with fear. By relying on God's strength, believers can resist the enemy and claim victory through faith, obedience, and prayer. The sermon warns about Satan's tactics to devour believers and highlights the importance of being alert, submitting to one another, humbling ourselves, casting our cares on the Lord, and being watchful to resist the enemy's attacks.
The Spiritual Christian
By Jessie Penn-Lewis0Discernment in the SpiritSpiritual MaturityROM 6:13ROM 8:111CO 2:151CO 9:272CO 5:4GAL 5:22EPH 4:131TH 5:23HEB 6:11JN 4:18Jessie Penn-Lewis emphasizes the significance of being a 'spiritual' Christian, highlighting the tripartite nature of man as spirit, soul, and body. She explains that true spirituality involves the spirit being governed by the Holy Spirit, leading to a life that is sanctified wholly and preserved blameless. The sermon discusses the transition from a soulish to a spiritual existence, where the believer's spirit is united with Christ, allowing for the manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit in their life. Penn-Lewis warns of the dangers that spiritual believers face, including the subtle influences of evil spirits and the need for discernment in their spiritual walk. Ultimately, she calls for believers to understand their identity in Christ and to live in the fullness of the Spirit, pressing on towards maturity in faith.
The Power of Life in Christ Risen 2 Corinthians 5
By John Nelson Darby0Life After DeathHope in ChristISA 53:5JHN 11:25ROM 8:292CO 5:42CO 5:8PHP 1:21HEB 2:141PE 3:181JN 3:2REV 21:4John Nelson Darby emphasizes that the believer's hope is not in death but in the life that comes through Christ's resurrection. He explains that while death is a reality that breaks all ties of nature, it ultimately leads to the possession of eternal life and the joy of being conformed to Christ's image. Darby reassures believers that they are free from the condemnation of sin and that death, while a terrifying prospect, is transformed into a gateway to glory through Christ's sacrifice. He encourages Christians to find their home in God's love and to rejoice in the hope of eternal life, which is a present reality rather than a distant hope. The sermon concludes with the affirmation that death is a gain for believers, as it leads to being with Christ.
Eternal Inheritance
By Joshua Daniel0PSA 31:8PSA 34:1PSA 107:20PSA 119:9ROM 8:232CO 5:12CO 5:4EPH 1:141TH 5:19Joshua Daniel preaches on the eternal inheritance promised to believers in 2 Corinthians 5:1, emphasizing the confidence and assurance we have in God's heavenly dwelling. He challenges listeners to pray for healing and to guard against the worldly influences that can taint our lives and the lives of our children. Daniel encourages believers to groan for heaven, recognizing the impermanence of this world and the need for sanctification in our lives. He urges the congregation to embrace the freedom and opportunities God provides, to seek holiness, and to eagerly anticipate the fullness of eternity with Jesus.
Praying With Desire
By T.M. Anderson0PSA 42:1PSA 63:8MRK 11:242CO 5:4HEB 11:10T.M. Anderson preaches on the power of faith in prayer, emphasizing Jesus' promise that whatever is desired in prayer, when believed, will be received. He clarifies that faith is essential in receiving answers to prayer, cautioning against the misconception of claiming to have received before actually receiving. Anderson highlights the importance of aligning our desires with God's plan of redemption, ensuring that our requests are in line with Christ's purpose of saving us from sin and suffering.
Light Affliction and Eternal Glory
By J.C. Philpot0PSA 119:67JHN 17:24ROM 8:182CO 4:172CO 5:4J.C. Philpot preaches about the sanctifying power of affliction, highlighting how it works to produce a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for believers. He emphasizes the temporary nature of earthly afflictions compared to the eternal glory that awaits those who endure with faith. Philpot encourages believers to shift their focus from the temporal things seen in this world to the eternal things unseen, such as the glory of God and the promise of heaven, as sanctified affliction purifies their eyes and hearts to prioritize spiritual realities over earthly distractions.
Hebrews 11:13-16
By St. John Chrysostom0PSA 39:12MAT 7:222CO 5:4GAL 6:14HEB 11:13John Chrysostom preaches about the virtue of being strangers and sojourners on earth, emphasizing the importance of living a life detached from worldly desires and focused on heavenly aspirations. He contrasts the righteous, who seek a heavenly country and are not ashamed to be called God's own, with the wicked who are consumed by earthly pleasures and face the consequences of their actions. Chrysostom urges the congregation to live virtuously, cultivate good habits, and strive for purity of heart and life, highlighting that God values an excellent course of life above miracles and signs.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
For we that are in this tabernacle - We who are in this state of trial and difficulty do groan, being burdened; as if he had said: The whole of human life is a state of suffering, and especially our lot; who are troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, bearing about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus, and being always delivered unto death on the account of Jesus, Co2 4:8-11. These were sufficient burdens, and sufficient causes of groaning. Not for that we would be unclothed - We do not desire death, nor to die, even with the full prospect of eternal glory before our eyes, an hour before that time which God in his wisdom has assigned. But clothed upon - To have the fullest preparation for eternal glory. We wish not to die, whatever tribulation we may be called to pass through, till the whole will of God is accomplished in us and by us. That mortality might be swallowed up of life - Being fully prepared for the eternal state we shall scarcely be said to die, all that is mortal being absorbed and annihilated by immortality and glory. See the notes on Co1 15:51-56 (note). From the use of these expressions among the Jews, this seems to be the general meaning of the apostle.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For--resuming Co2 5:2. being burdened: not for that--rather, "in that we desire not to have ourselves unclothed (of our present body), but clothed upon (with our heavenly body). that mortality, &c.--rather, "that what is mortal (our mortal part) may be swallowed up of (absorbed and transformed into) life." Believers shrink from, not the consequences, but the mere act of dying; especially as believing in the possibility of their being found alive at the Lord's coming (Th1 4:15), and so of having their mortal body absorbed into the immortal without death. Faith does not divest us of all natural feeling, but subordinates it to higher feeling. Scripture gives no sanction to the contempt for the body expressed by philosophers.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan,.... There are some of the saints who are not in the tabernacle, the body. They were in it, but now are not; their bodies are in the grave, the house appointed for all living; and their souls are in the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, in everlasting habitations, in the mansions prepared in Christ's Father's house; and they have done groaning, being delivered from every oppressor, sin, Satan, and the world; are at rest from all their labours, and ate free from every burden; only the saints who are in the tabernacle of the body, in an unsettled state, groan, being in the midst of tribulation, and not yet in the enjoyment of that happiness they are wishing for. The reason of their groaning is, because they are burdened with the body itself, which is a clog and incumbrance to the soul in its spiritual exercises; and oftentimes by reason of its disorders and diseases a man becomes a burden to himself; but what the saints are mostly burdened with in this life, and which makes them groan the most, is the body of sin and death they carry about with them; the filth of it is nauseous, grievous, and intolerable; the guilt of it oftentimes lies very heavy on the conscience; the weight of it presses hard, and is a great hinderance to them in running their Christian race; nor have they any relief under this burden, but by looking to a sin bearing and sin atoning Saviour, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. They are also frequently burdened with Satan's temptations, with blasphemous thoughts, solicitations to sin, the fears of death, the pangs of it, and what will follow upon it; though God is faithful, who will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able to bear; however, these temptations are great burdens, and occasion many a groan: to which may be added the various afflictions of life, which though comparatively "light", are in themselves heavy, grievous burdens, and hard to be bore; the nature, number, and continuance of them often make them so; and especially they are such, when God is pleased to hide his face, and withhold the discoveries of his love and mercy. The apostle goes on to explain what he means by desiring to be clothed, not for that we would be unclothed; that is, of our bodies; and this he says, not through any love and liking he had to this animal life, or to the sensual methods of living here, which make natural men in love with life, and desirous of always living here; but from a principle of nature, which recoils at death, does not like a dissolution, chooses any other way of removing out of this world than by death; a translation of soul and body together to heaven, like that of Enoch and Elijah's, is more eligible even to a good man; or such a change as will be upon the living saints at the coming of Christ, which the apostle seems to have in view, who will be not unclothed of their bodies, as men are at death, but clothed upon; as is here desired, with incorruption and immortality: that mortality might be swallowed up of life; not that the mortal body, or the substance of the body, which is mortal, might be consumed and destroyed, but that mortality, that quality to which it is subject by sin, might be no more: and he does not say, that "death may be swallowed up of life", which will be done in the resurrection morn; but mortality, which being swallowed up by a translation, or such a change as will be at the last day, will prevent death: and the phrase, swallowed up, denotes the suddenness of the change, in an instant, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and that without any pain, or such agonies as usually attend death; and also the utter, final, and total abolition of mortality; so that there will never be more any appearance of it; his desire is, that it may be swallowed up "of the life", which is properly and emphatically life, as this life is not; and means the glorious, immortal, and everlasting life, which saints enter into as soon as they are rid of their mortal bodies, and the mortality of them.