John Calvin Commentary 2 Corinthians 5:6

"Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord" — 2 Corinthians 5:6 (ASV)

Therefore we are always confident. This means exercising dependence on the earnest of the Spirit; for otherwise, we always tremble, or at least, are courageous or alarmed by turns, and do not retain a uniform and even state of mind. Hence, that good courage of which Paul speaks has no place in us unless it is maintained by the Spirit of God. The connecting particle and, which immediately follows, ought to be understood as meaning because, in this way: We are of good courage, Because we know that we are absent, etc.

This knowledge is the cause of our calmness and confidence. For the reason why unbelievers are constantly in a ferment of anxiety, or obstinately murmur against God, is that they think they will soon cease to exist, and they place in this life the highest and uppermost summit of their felicity. We, on the other hand, live in the exercise of contentment and go forward to death with alacrity, because a better hope is laid up for us.

We are absent from the Lord. Scripture everywhere proclaims that God is present with us; Paul here teaches that we are absent from him. This is seemingly a contradiction, but this difficulty is easily solved when we consider the different senses in which he is said to be present or absent. He is, then, present with all people, inasmuch as he upholds them by his power. He dwells in them, because in him they live and move and have their being (Acts 17:28).

He is present with his believing people by the energy of his Spirit; he lives in them, resides in their midst, indeed, within them.

But meanwhile he is absent from us, insofar as he does not present himself to be seen face to face, because we are still in a state of exile from his kingdom and have not yet attained that blessed immortality which the angels who are with him enjoy.

At the same time, to be absent, in this passage, refers merely to knowledge, as is evident from the reason that follows.