Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 5:7

"(for we walk by faith, not by sight);" — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ASV)

With the assured hope of receiving a glorified body (v.1) and with the pledge of his transformation in the presence and activity of the Spirit within him (v.5), Paul was always confident, even in the face of death. However, he continues, because we realize that we are absent from the Lord’s presence as long as this body forms our residence, we really prefer to leave our home in this body and take up residence in the presence of the Lord.

Just as the repeated verb “we groan” shows vv.2 and 4 to be related, so “we are confident” relates vv.6 and 8, with v.7 being parenthetical (cf. v.3). But v.8 does not simply repeat v.6; it stands in antithetical parallelism to it. The corollary of “residence in the body = absence from the Lord” (v.6) is “absence from the body = residence with the Lord” (v.8). In other words, as soon as a person dies (v.8a), residence in the presence of the Lord begins (v.8b).

What is involved in being “at home with the Lord”? To be sure, it denotes a change of location. But the preposition translated “with” (GK 4639) also implies an active fellowship between two persons (cf. its use in Mk 6:3). Being “at home with the Lord” supersedes earthly experience where believers simply know the Lord (cf. Php 3:10); it is a higher form of the intimate fellowship with Christ than what we experience on earth (cf. Php 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

In v.7 Paul corrects a possible misinterpretation of v.6. If the clause “we are away from the Lord” (v.6) is interpreted in an absolute sense, present fellowship with Christ would appear illusory and being in the physical body would hinder spirituality. Since both deductions are totally false, Paul qualifies his statement by observing that “we do in fact still walk in the realm of faith, not of sight.” To the believer the Lord is present, not to sight but to faith. Any spatial separation is temporary, not final.