Our Earthly House Dissolved 2 Corinthians 5:1

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen”, and he added, “for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. In chapter five and verse one of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members what would happen, “if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved”, where we read:

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,

we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The verse begins, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,...” Paul began with the word, “for” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “we know” which means “Paul, his companions and the church members perceive, notice, discern and discover” “that if our earthly house” or “since and because the inhabited dwelling which exists on the earth and is terrestrial” “of this tabernacle” or “pertaining to this tent” “were dissolved” which means “was disunited, destroyed, rendered vain, deprived of success, brought to naught and demolished”. Paul presented what would happen if he and his companions “earthly bodies or tents” were to be “destroyed and brought to nothing”.

The verse continues, “we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Paul added the word, “we have a building” which means “Paul, his companions and the church members had an edifice or structure” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “an house” or “an inhabited dwelling” “not made with hands” or “unmanufactured and in-artificial”, “eternal” which means “without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be ” “in the heavens” or “in the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God and other heavenly beings dwell”. Paul knew if the “earthly body” was destroyed, there was a promise to have a “heavenly body” that is “everlasting” and “in heaven”.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see his promise of an “eternal” dwelling for our souls. Though out bodies will surely die, because of Jesus we shall obtain “eternal life” in a new, “heavenly” body. When a person “believes in” Jesus, they “shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16), and that life shall be lived in a totally new “heavenly” body. All who are wise shall take heed to these words and receive the promise of not only Paul, but also our Lord Jesus who promised these things are true.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.