'We are confident, I say,
and willing rather
to be absent from the body,
and to be present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labour,
that, whether present or absent,
we may be accepted of Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad.'
(2 Corinthians 5:8-10)
Hello there,
@Phoneman777,
If you look at Paul's argument in the verses preceding the above, in 2 Corinthians 5, that you refer to in your entry #25. You will see that Paul's desire was not to be '
unclothed' as in death: but to be
'clothed upon' with life, resurrection life; but that requires resurrection, and the appearing of our God and Saviour. Paul could only be
'present with the Lord', if '
clothed upon' by life, by resurrection life: for this mortal must put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53). This requires resurrection from the dead, at the appearing of our Great God and Saviour: which is now on a future day, of God's choosing; but had the potential to have taken place during Paul's lifetime, if Israel had repented, which they did not. This was what Paul hoped for: for then he would not have known the '
unclothed' state of '
death', but would indeed have been
'present with the Lord'.
* Man does not have an immortal soul: for only God has immortality (1 Tim.6:16). Our mortal body, must be replaced by a resurrection body (1 Cor.15:53), like unto Christ's own resurrection body, which was made up of flesh and bones, and not a 'spirit' (Luke 24:39).
* No! There is no 'life' apart from resurrection.
'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.
For in this we groan,
.. earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
.... with our house which is from heaven:
If so be that being clothed
.. we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan,
.. being burdened:
.... not for that we would be unclothed,
...... but clothed upon,
........ that mortality might be swallowed up of life.'
(2 Corinthians 5:1-4)
Praise His Holy Name!
With respect to you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris