things, to afford them a solid ground of boasting in him as an apostle, and to enable them to answer those who boasted in the false teacher, on account of external and not on account of real qualities, ver. 12.-Farther, because the faction represented the apostle as a madman, for preaching the gospel at the hazard of his life, without reaping any worldly advantage from it, he assured the Corinthians, that whether in so doing he acted, in the opinion of the faction, as a madman, it was for the glory of God, or whether he acted, in the opinion of the sincere part of the church, as one in his right mind, by shunning persecution, it was for the sake of his disciples, that he might be continued the longer with them, ver. 13.-and in either case, he was moved by a strong sense of the love of Christ in dying for all, ver. 14, 15.-Therefore as an apostle of Christ, he knew no distinction between Jew and Gentile; nor in preaching the gospel did he make any distinction between them, but offered the same terms of salvation to all, ver. 16.—Declaring that if any man believeth OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. V. 1 For we GREEK TEXT. 1 Οιδαμεν γαρ, ότι, εαν know, that if our earthly ή επίγειος ήμων οικια του house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eter. σκηνους καταλυπῃ, οικοδομην εκ Θεον εχομεν, οικιαν αχει ροποιητον, αιώνιον, εν τοις ουρανοις. Ver. 1.-1. Our earthly bouse which is a tent. I agree with Estius, in thinking that the words oxia T8 σunvas, are not to be taken in regimen, but in apposition. See Ess. iv. 18. and that they should be translated, House which is a tent; just as ver. 5. who bath given us the earnest of the Spirit, means given us the earnest, which is the Spirit. For the apostles had nothing given to them as an earnest of the Spirit. The Spirit himself was the earnest spoken of.-Our translators have rendered this passage in the following manner: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved; by this tabernacle meaning our body. But the impropriety of that interpretation will appear from the following considerations.-1. Our earthly house of this tabernacle, being opposed to the building from God, which, according to the common translation, we are to receive when our earthly house is destroyed, if our earthly house be our present mortal body, the building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, spoken of, ver. 1. must, by necessary consequence, be our resurrection body, and we must receive it when our mortal body is dissolved; which is not true. Keither is that true, which is affirmed in this verse, that our resurrection body is in in Christ, whether he be a Jew or a Gentile, he is a new creature, ver. 17.—created by God, who hath reconciled him to himself through Jesus Christ, and who hath given to the apostles the ministry of the reconciliation, ver. 18.-which consists in publishing, that God is by Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting to them their trespasses, ver. 19.-The apostles, therefore, in Christ's stead, earnestly besought men to be reconciled to God, ver. 20.-and to persuade them to be reconciled, they represented to them, that him who knew no sin, God hath made a sin offering for us, that we might become righteous in the sight of God, through him, ver. 21.-Now, of all the arguments which the ministers of the gospel can propose, to persuade sinners to be reconciled to God, this instance of God's love to them is by far the greatest and most affecting; and therefore ought to be much insisted on by them in their discourses to the people. NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. V. 1 For we know, that, (ev, 124.) when our earthly house, which is a tent,1 is destroyed, we have (oxodony) a building from God,2(oxiav) an house not made with hands,3eternal, in the heavens. COMMENTARY. CHAP. V. 1 We do not pursue seen things, nor flag in our work, Because we know, that when our earthly house which is only a tent, a temporary habitation, is destroyed, we shall have a building from God, an house not made, like our present houses, with the hands of men : nor of a temporary duration, but eternal, and in the heavens, or heavenly country. heaven.-2. If the building of God, which we are to receive, when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, be our resurrection body, what is said, ver. 2. is not true; namely, that it is, a house from heaven. For the glorified body of the righteous who are dead, is not to come from heaven, but from the grave. So we are told, 1 Cor. xv. 42. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, &c. And with respect to those who are alive at the coming of Christ, they are not to receive their glorious bodies from heaven; but their mortal bodies, in which they are found alive, are to be changed into immortal ones, in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Cor. xv. 52.—3. The common translation of ver. 3. If so be, that being clothed, we shall not be found naked, implies, that if we are not clothed at the resurrection, with a heavenly body, we shall be found naked or destitute of a body altogether. Nevertheless, according to the translation of ver. 2. the righteous are not to lose their mortal body, but only to have it clothed upon with one that is immortal.4. By interpreting this passage, of the earthly and heavenly body of the saints, such a jarring of metaphors is introduced in verses 2, and 3. as is perfectly absurd. For what idea can any one form of a tabernacle which is clothed upon with a house, and which if it is not so clothed, the person who inhabits it will be found naked. For these reasons, I think the passage under consideration should be translated in apposition as above, and that its meaning is this: We know that when our earthly house, our house on earth, which, however magnificent and beautiful, is but a tent, compared with the building which the saints are to have from God. When this house is destroyed, together with the earth on which it is built, we have a building from God, &c. According to this interpretation, the sentiment expressed by the apostle is peculiarly proper; because houses with their furniture and other appendages, make a principal part of the things that are seen, at which the men of this world look with the greatest ardency of desire; but which in the preceding chapter the apostle declared, he and his brethren did not in the least regard; well knowing that they are of a perishing nature, and that after the destruction of the earth, with the habitations erected thereon, they are to have a far better building from God, which is to be eternal. However, as the Greek writers call the body a tent, on account of its being the habitation of the soul, the word ons may be taken in that sense, without making any difference in the meaning of the passage. For the translation may run thus: We know that when the earthly house of the body, that is, which belongs to the body, is destroyed, we have, &c. But I prefer the literal translation of the word σxnves, for a reason to be mentioned in the next note. : 2. We have a building from God. This building is the city, which Abraham and his sons, who were heirs with him of the promised country, looked for while they lived in tents and of which city the builder and maker is God, Heb. xi. 10. To this city, St. Paul and the other inspired writers, have given the name of Jerusalem, new Ferusalem, The city of the living God; Because as in the earthly Canaan, which was the type of the heavenly country, Jerusalem was the place where the Deity resided by the visible symbol of his presence, and to which the tribes went up to pay their homage to God; so we may suppose, that in the heavenly country, there will be a particular place, where the Deity will manifest his presence, and receive the worship of the church of the first-born. See Heb. xii. 22. notes 1, 2. 2 (Kai yag, 98.) But yet, in this TENT (from ver. 1.) we groan, earnestly desiring to go permanently into our habitation which is (eg gary, 155.) heavenly.2 3 (El ye xas) And surely, if we go in, we shall not be found destitute.1 2 But though we are sure of a building from God, yet while in this tent, this earthly house, we groan, as earnestly desiring to go permanently into our habitation, which is the heavenly country promised to Abraham, and to his spiritual seed. 3 And surely if we go into it, we shall not be destitute of an habitation when this earth is destroyed, as the wicked undoubtedly shall be. 3. An house not made with hands. By this expression, the Hebrews denoted the excellence of a thing; as by the contrary expression, made with bands, they signified a thing mean and contemptible, Heb. ix. 11. The house not made with hands, is one of those, μovai, mansions, of which Christ tells us, there are many in his Father's house of the universe, John xiv. 2. Ver. 2.-1. To go permanently in. So I translate the word dvouodai. For Juve, or due, of which it is compounded, properly signifies I go, I enter. See Scap. Diction. and Iliad г. Suvas domov aid $100. Wherefore, the compound word dvoua, in the middle voice, signifies I go into a house or place. 2 Tim. iii. 6. evduvortes us ras oixias, Who go into bouses. And as the preposition, sometimes increases the signification of the word with which it is compounded, the word erduoua, may mean, I go into a place, so as to abide; in this sense it is used here with great propriety, to shew that the apostle is speaking, not of the habitation of the righteous between death and the resurrection, but of their habitation after the resurrection, where they are to remain for ever. In a metaphorical sense, the Greek words above mentioned, signify to clothe, and to be clothed. But they cannot have these meanings in this passage, because to speak of our being clothed upon with an house, is, I think, an absurdity. There is indeed a similar expression, 1 Cor. xv. 53. For this mortal must, evd voaodas apdapolav, put on immortality. But it does not imply that the mortal body of the righteous is to be covered with, or any how united to one that is immortal. For in that case, Flesh and blood would inherit the kingdom of God, contrary to the apostle's solemn declaration, 1 Cor. xv. 50. The meaning therefore is, that our mortal body is to be changed into one that is immortal. 2. Which is heavenly. So gave is translated, Luke xi. 13. O warng gavs, Your heavenly Father. The phrase denotes that which is most excellent, in which sense, New Jerusalem is said, Rev. xxi. 2. to come down from God, ex T xgars, out of heaven. Ver. 3.-1. We shall not be found destitute. So I translate the word yuuvos, because it was used by the Greeks to denote one who was destitute of something which he ought to have had. Hence it was applied to one who wanted his upper garment, (John xxi. 7.) his armour, and even his habitation. The Latin word nudus, answering to the Greek yuuvas, was used in the same 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened : not for that we should be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath 4 Και yap οι οντες εν τῷ σκηνει ςεναζομεν βαρουμενοι· εφ' ώ ου θελομεν εκδύσασθαι, αλλ' επενδυσασθαι, ἵνα και τάποδη το θνητον ύπο της. ζωης. 5 Ὁ δε κατεργασάμενος wrought us for the self- ήμας εις αυτο τούτο, Θεος, ὁ same thing, is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are al και δους ἡμιν τον αρραβωνα του πνευματος. 6 Θαρρούντες ουν παντοτε, ways confident, knowing και ειδότες, ότι ενδημούντες εν that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord : 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accept ed of him. 10 For we must alt ap τῷ σώματι, εκδημουμεν απο του Κυρίου 7 Δια πίςεως γαρ περιπατούμεν, ου δια ειδους 8 Θαρρούμεν δε, και ενδοκουμεν μαλλον εκδημήσαι εκ του σώματος, και ενδημήσαι προς τον Κυριον. 9 Διο και φιλοτιμούμεθα, είτε ενδημούντες, είτε εκδη μουντες, ευαρέζοι αυτῷ είναι. το Τους γαρ παντας ἡμας pear before the judgment- φανερωθήναι δει εμπροσθεν του βήματος του Χριςου, ἵνα seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things sense. Thus Virgil, Geor. i. line 299. Nudus ara : sere nudus : and Horace, lib. ii. Sat. iii. line 184. Nudus agris, nudus nummis, insane, paternis 2-In this expression, the apostle insinuates, that the wicked shall be found destitute of an habitation when their earthly house is destroyed: and that to them, whose whole joy was in their earthly possessions, this will be a terrible calamity. See ver. 1. note 2. Ver. 8.-1. To be at home with the Lord. From this, and some other passages, it appears that the apostle believed his soul was not to sleep after death, but was to pass immediately into a state of felicity with Christ in paradise. See chap. xii. 4. note 1. |