2nd Corinthians 5:1-9 | What are the Mansions
We are there in 2nd Corinthians 5. Tonight, we come to a peculiar passage in the first part of this chapter. We will look at verses 1 through 9 tonight. I think it is an interesting passage. Look down at verse number one. The Bible says this “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 word tabernacle is referring to a temporary location. We would think of something like a tent that we can easily put up and take down. What we find the Apostle Paul doing in this passage is he is talking to us about these two different structures. He first mentions our earthly house and then he transitions to talking about the eternal.
Go to verse 6 so we can look at a little bit of the context. What Paul is doing is using an allegory or analogy. He’s not literally talking about a tent. He is referring to our body when he says, “our earthly house of this tabernacle”. 2nd Corinthians 5:6 “6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:”. He mentions being at home in the body and he calls it a house. Why is it called a house? Your physical body is where the indwelling occurs.
James 2:26 “26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”. There are different types of death. We understand that the Bible calls the second death the lake of fire. But here it talks about the 1st death, or the initial death and it says when your spirit leaves your body you are dead. One day you’re going to die and they’re going to have a funeral and they’re going to bury your body. However, your soul and your spirit will be in heaven and the Apostle Paul is talking about our bodies.
2nd Corinthians 5:1 “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.”. That word dissolved is also translated as destroyed. So, when our bodies are dissolved or destroyed or disintegrate, he says that we know we have a building of God. Again, i want you to notice that these two locations, these two structures, these two bodies are being contrasted. In verse one he says an earthly house. Then in verse one later on he says a building of God and house not made with hands. In verse one he calls it a tabernacle but in the second part of verse one he says it’s eternal in the heavens. So, he starts by calling it earthly but then says heavenly.
What is Paul referring to when he says, “our earthly house of this tabernacle”. In verse 6 he shows us it is our mortal body. The question then has to be asked what Paul is referring to when he says, “this building of God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”. I think it’s easy to see that he is referring to our glorified bodies. He’s making this contrast between two bodies that you will one day inhabit. Our bodies will die and dissolve. The Bible says, “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.”. As a result of sin, our bodies are in the process of dying and decaying and dissolving. The older you get, the more of a realization that you have that this body is dissolving. It’s going to be destroyed one day. It’s going to be uninhabited one day. But also speaks of an earthly building which is referring to our glorified body.
Philippians 3:21 “21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”. The Bible calls our bodies vile because we have sin and lusts and wrong desires. We’re told that one day God and Jesus are going to change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.
I think it is interesting when Paul talks about our bodies, our mortal flesh. He calls it a tabernacle. Now the reason he calls it a tabernacle is because a tabernacle is temporary. For example, when you go camping you don’t set up a tent to plan on living there forever. A tent is something you put up and take down. It’s something you’re going to use for a short amount of time. By the way, that’s what our body is. The Bible says our life is a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away, when this tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building eternal in the heavens not made with hands.
In John 14, we have a famous passage and sometimes I think it is taken out of context. He says “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”. Here we have Jesus speaking to us about the fact that there are many mansions in his Father’s house. We as Christians often we like this passage because we will often talk about the fact that God is going to give us a mansion in heaven and have all of these nice things that you didn’t have on Earth. However, I would submit to you tonight that I believe Jesus here is referring to is the glorified body. He’s not actually talking about a building with eight bedrooms and four bathrooms and a six-car garage.
In 2nd Corinthians 5:1, he called our mortal body a tabernacle. It is like a tent compared to the glorified body that you’re going to receive in heave. He is telling us that our current bodies are nothing compared to the bodies that we will one day receive. Now I realize that sometimes you say these things and people are mad because they want a mansion. Look, I’m not against you having a mansion but ask yourself why do you even need a house? We need it for shelter and protection from the weather and sun and those things. The temperature changes as the sun rises and sets. Heaven is a place where the sun doesn’t go down, there are no earthquakes or tornadoes or weather problems. I won’t get into the argument, but you could talk about whether or not there are those weather issues before the flood. However, after the flood, this earth has a shelf life. Things will one day return back to what they were when there were no weather problems.
All I’m telling you is that i don’t know necessarily that you’re going to need a physical house to live in when you live in heaven. Heaven is a place where you’re not going to need the protection of a physical structure so when. If you disagree with me then that is ok. However, I think if you connect these verses and ideas, we can see that this is referring to our glorified bodies. This doesn’t mean we are going to stop singing “Mansion Over the Hilltop”. Sometimes you preach and teach these things and people get overly zealous about it and want to blast anyone singing this song.
2nd Corinthians 5:1, we see the contrast of these 2 bodies. We have our earthly house of this tabernacle in reference to our mortal body vs. the building of God referring to our glorified body. Some of that was opinion and we can’t be dogmatic about it. If you disagree with me then it isn’t that big of a deal, and we can agree to disagree. However, there is no opinion in verse 2. We see the context in verse 1 and the contrast mentioned between the 2 in verses 2-4. We see the state of our current body, the suffering of this tabernacle. Verse 2 “2 For in this we groan,…”. This is referring to the earthly house of this tabernacle. “2 For in this we groan,…”. Groan means to have a deep inarticulate sound of pain or despair. “If you’ve ever been around someone that has some major sort of maybe injury or has broken a bone and they’re having to maybe walk on it, you might head that make a groaning sound.”. The groaning is due to the pain or misery of the situation. Here is what he is saying, here on Earth we groan sometimes do to our situation but in heaven we will never groan.
2nd Corinthians 5:2 “2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:”. Again, notice again that he references that we desire to be clothed upon with the house which is in heaven. This is referring to the fact that the mansion that Jesus referred to is probably not a physical mansion, but it is a body you will inhabit. Verse 3 “3 If so, be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.”. By the way, since Adam and Eve, mankind has desired to be clothed and not be naked. Verse 4 “4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:.”. See, isn’t it true that in this life and in this world and in this body, we carry burdens and stress and troubles and trials? As a result, while we are in this tabernacle, we groan.
Romans 8:18 “18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”. Reckon means to calculate or to judge. He is saying that the way he adds this up or looks at the situation. You see, the problems in this life are not worth even being compared to the glory one day in heaven. We’re going to see some wonderful things in heaven. However, he says with the glory which shall be revealed in us. This is a reference to the body or the glorified body.
Verse 19 “19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”. Earnest expectation is referring to the fact that we have a hope or something we are expecting. Creature is referring to all mankind. Sometimes when Paul is writing, he gets deep into theology, and it can be hard to see what he is saying. I want to dig into this so we can understand. It says we are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.
A good cross reference is 1st John 3:2 “2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”. What does that mean? It means that we don’t know exactly what our glorified body will be like. However, what we do know is that when Jesus comes back, we will be like him. When he comes back in his 2nd advent, when he is seen in the clouds, when we are raptured together to be with him, our mortal will put on immortality. This corruptible will put on incorruption. We’re not really sure what that’s all going to be like. We’ve studied it out in the Bible here and looked at some of those things. However, we don’t really know what it’s going to be like. What we do know is that when Jesus is manifest, we will be like him. That verse connects to Romans 8:19 where we are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. All of creation waits for this.
Why would we be waiting for this? Romans 8:20 “20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,”. When Adam and Eve sinned, when the curse came upon man, the Bible tells us it came on the animal kingdom also and upon all of the Earth. When we fell, they fell. When we were cursed, the Earth was cursed. Remember, God told Adam there would be thorns. He said that he would have to work for everything. This is not something that they chose to be subject to these things.
Romans 8:21 “21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”. See, when Jesus returns in his glorified body, we will be transformed to be like him. We will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. The Earth at the millennial reign of Christ will be delivered and the animal kingdom at the millennial reign of Christ will be delivered. That’s why the Bible says, “the wolf and the lamb will lie together”. “The lion and the lamb will lie together”. Why? Because they will be delivered from the curse and the corruption of the bondage as well all of creation.
Here’s what Paul’s telling us in Romans 8. He’s saying sin doesn’t just cause you and I to suffer but it has caused all of creation to suffer. My kids like to watch those videos of animal kingdom. It used to be that they would have movies like Bambi where everyone gets along that are a bit unrealistic. Now they are showing animal videos that are a bit more realistic. They’re letting you see the animals kill each other. You actually start to realize that all these animals do out in the wild is eat and sleep. When they are awake, they are trying not to be killed and kill other animals. They’re not building hospitals. They’re not trying to educate their children. They’ve got no other things going on for them. They are just trying to survive. That is not how God created this world though. Even creation itself was made subject to vanity and to emptiness and to shallowness.
Notice verse 21 “21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”. We suffer in this life. Isn’t it true that this body dies so we have funerals? This body gets sick. This body gets injured. This body gets hurt. This body has issues and problems. We groan as a result of living in this earthly tabernacle. Paul tells us though that there is a hope for another body.
Romans 8:22 “22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”. It says, “we know”. We are aware of the pain that this world is going through. We see it with the earth and animals and us as humans. It’s not just the animals. It’s not just the unsaved people. He says, “23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,”. So, it’s not just the unsaved but he is saying that we also as saved people deal with this. “23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”. That’s the context. Even we as believers suffer. Even we as believers have trials, have troubles, weep and hurt and have pain.
Paul gives us first the contrast between the two bodies. Then he talks about the status of our current body. Thirdly he gives us the hope of our coming body. Notice verse 2 “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:”. “3 If so, be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 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.”. Verse 5 “5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”.
Remember how Romans 8:23 said “23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,…”. See, he gives us the earnest of the spirit. He gives us the indwelling of the spirit. This is what gives us the assurance that one day mortality might be swallowed up of life. Do you see that phrase at the end of 2nd Corinthians 5:4? “Mortality might be swallowed up of life”. What is that referring to? Go to 1st Corinthians 15.
1st Corinthians 15 is known as the resurrection chapter. Often, you’ll find that certain chapters have certain themes. This chapter begins with the resurrection of Christ, and it talks about the resurrection of us and our bodies. 1st Corinthians 15:51 “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”. What he’s saying is that we are not all going to die. The Bible uses the word “sleep” for believers who die. As believers, we are never really dead because one day that body will wake up as a glorified body. The Bible says we will all be changed. Remember the changing of our vile body. This speaks to the fact that we shall see him, and we shall be like him.
1st Corinthians 15:52 “52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”. When Paul said mortality might be swallowed up of life”, this is the same idea taught in verse 53. It talks about being immortal. Our bodies are in the process of dying but one day we will actually begin the process of death. This is what the Psalmist said, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”. Our bodies actually begin to dissolve, begin to destroy, begin to disintegrate. We begin to shut down. We’re getting ready to die. For those unsaved, their bodies die and eventually they will experience what is known as the 2nd death. Their glorified body will be thrown into the lake of fire.
For us that are saved, assuming we don’t live to the rapture, our bodies die. They begin to dissolve, begin to shut down. The spirit begins to leave the body. Mortality will be swallowed up of life. This mortal will put on immortality. This corruptible will put on incorruption. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”. We as believers will never experience death. People might look at a corpse of me one day and say I died but we will never experience death in the same way as unbelievers.
2nd Corinthians 5:6 “6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:”. While we are home in this body, we are not in the presence of 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.”. He says there’s this longing for heaven. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand that. I do think that as we get older and we have lost loved ones in heaven, there is more of a longing to be home with the Lord. Let me show you this longing for heaven in the Book of Philippians.
Philippians 1:20 “20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”. Notice the same wording of earnest expectation and hope. “21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”. Do you understand that statement? What Paul is saying is that I have the option of staying on this Earth and living for Christ or dying and being with the Lord. That should be our mentality. If we are here, we are here to live for the Lord.
“22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.”. That word “wot” is like the word wit. It means to have knowledge. What Paul is stating is that if he got to choose between the 2, he is not sure which he would choose. Verse 23 “23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”. “Strait” means a narrow passage. “24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”. He is saying that he would rather be in heaven but if he stays here then he can do more. Then Paul kind of comes to this conclusion that we learned about when we were talking about prayer. The question is, what would Jesus want? Not my will but thy will. Verse 25 “25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
Let’s look at the application in 2nd Corinthians 5. Paul’s been talking about this idea of our bodies. He has talked about the contrast of the two bodies. We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved then we have a building of God and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. He talks about the suffering of our current body. He talks about the fact that this tabernacle, while we live in it, we groan and all of creation groans together. He talks about the hope of our coming body, the fact that we have a body or mansion eternal in the heavens. We desire to be there in heaven but if God allows us to save here then we will do what is pleasing to God.
2nd Corinthians 5:9 “9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”. Wherefore means for that reason. Remember the comparison is between the earthly body and the heavenly. Because this earthly tabernacle will dissolve and because it is suffering, we long to be in heaven. Because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. However, if God chooses, we will stay here and serve God. 2nd Corinthians 5:9 “9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”. You know the Bible says that all things were created for him, that everything was created for his pleasure. Paul is saying that whether we are in heaven or on Earth, we are meant to please him. Live in a way to be accepted by him.
In Revelation 3:14, notice what the Bible says. I think it’s put beautifully. I’ve showed this to you in the past, but I just want you to see it again. In chapters 2 & 3 we have the messages to the 7 Churches of Asia. We have Jesus who is sending the messages. In every introduction, he shows himself in a different character or a different light. Revelation 3:14 “14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”. The word Amen is something you’ll hear the men at our Church say from time to time during the preaching. What it means is a term of affirmation. It literally means “so be it” but basically you are saying you agree with what is being preached. When you hear men saying amen, they are giving their approval to what is being preached. Sometimes those amens are really good when it is something controversial being preached and it helps visitors or newer people to realize that what is being preached is not strange.
As much as I like a Church that says amen, the greatest amen I hope to ever hear is that when this earthly tabernacle is dissolved, and we are no longer absent from the Lord. However, we will be absent from our bodies and present with the Lord in our eternal building not made with hands. That’s what Paul is going to talk about, and we will talk about it next week. The Judgment Seat of Christ. That God would look at our lives and be in agreement with how we lived it. That he would be pleased with how we lived. Paul said that if you aren’t in heaven, you should live for heaven. “9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”. The goal is that God would say “well done thou good and faithful servant. Amen.”.
Let’s pray.