BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The opening verses of chapter 5 continue Paul’s thoughts from the previous chapter, where he described the trials and sufferings of ministry. He now shifts to the believer’s hope beyond this life. Paul refers to our physical bodies as an “earthly house” or “tabernacle,” meaning a temporary tent that will one day be folded up. In contrast, he points to the eternal, resurrected body God has prepared for His people. Because this future body is far superior, believers “groan” for what is to come. This teaching was especially important in Corinth, where Greek philosophy denied bodily resurrection. Paul wanted the church to understand that the Holy Spirit dwelling within them is the “earnest,” or guarantee, of their eternal future with God (2 Corinthians 5:5).

This assurance shaped Paul’s deep desire to please God. He reminded the Corinthians that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). In Corinth, the judgment seat, or bema, was a raised platform where Roman officials rendered decisions and victorious athletes received their rewards. Paul used this imagery to teach that while believers will not face condemnation, their lives will be reviewed and they will be rewarded for faithfulness.

Beginning in verse 11, Paul turns to his ministry of reconciliation. Knowing the seriousness of eternity, which he calls “the terror of the Lord,” he preached with urgency and sincerity. Some in Corinth questioned his motives and credentials, but Paul insisted that he was not driven by self interest. He was compelled by the love of Christ, demonstrated through Christ’s death and resurrection. Salvation brings a complete transformation. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new life is God’s work, not man’s. Having been reconciled to God, believers are now ambassadors for Christ, carrying His message to a world in need. Jesus, who knew no sin, took our sin upon Himself so that we might receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Chapter 6 continues Paul’s defence of his ministry, flowing directly from his role as Christ’s ambassador in 2 Corinthians 5:20. His sufferings validated his apostleship far more than any letter of recommendation. Paul lists three categories of trials he endured. The first includes pressures and hardships that came through circumstances: afflictions, necessities, and distresses. The second includes sufferings inflicted by others: stripes, imprisonments, and tumults. The third includes sacrifices he willingly embraced for the sake of the Gospel: labours to the point of exhaustion, watching’s that shortened his rest, and fasting’s when ministry needs outweighed personal comfort.

Paul also expressed deep affection for the Corinthians and urged them to live in holiness. He warned them not to be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Drawing from Deuteronomy 22:10, he used the image of mismatched animals yoked together, unable to walk in unity or pull in the same direction. In the same way, believers cannot form binding partnerships with those who oppose God’s ways. Christians are the temple of the living God, set apart for His service. God promises to dwell among His people, to be their God, and to receive them as His own, on the condition that they separate themselves from sin and from alliances that compromise holiness.

A TESTIMONY FROM OUR DAY

As a child, I often listened to my father share his testimony and wondered how he could have been so different before he was saved. The man I knew at home was nothing like the person he described from his earlier years. Although he had been raised by a Christian mother, he chose his own path. He served as a navigator in World War II, flying twenty‑nine missions over Germany, yet never once thought to pray, even as he watched fellow airmen lose their lives.

After the war, he married and settled into a life marked by sin and a destructive gambling addiction that eventually ruined his marriage. My mother, though not saved at the time, attended church occasionally and would persuade him to come. He went reluctantly and mockingly. Eventually she filed for divorce, and only then did my father realise how desperately he needed a change.

One Sunday evening he attended his brother’s church and prayed through to salvation. When he told my mother, she laughed and continued with her plans to divorce him. But my father was determined to serve God no matter the cost. As he grew in his Christian walk, my mother saw a genuine change in him and agreed to reconcile, though she insisted she would never attend church. Yet God continued to speak to her heart, and one night she too prayed and was saved.

Growing up in that home, I witnessed first-hand the transformation God had made in both their lives. The old life was gone. A new life had begun. This is exactly what Paul describes in our key verse: when a person comes to Christ, he becomes a new creature. The desires that once bound the heart lose their power, and a new desire to serve God takes their place. This change is not self‑produced. It is the work of God in a surrendered heart.

A CLOSER LOOK

Question 1
How does the promise of an eternal home affect the way we view present struggles, and how does our hope of an eternal body shape our confidence? What does it mean to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:1–8)?
Question 2
Why is it important that the message of reconciliation comes from God’s initiative rather than human effort? What responsibilities do Christians bear as ambassadors for Christ, and how should this influence the way we represent Him to a lost world (2 Corinthians 5:18–20)?
Question 3
What changes did you notice in your life after you were saved, in light of Paul’s teaching that anyone in Christ becomes a new creature? (2 Corinthians 5:17)? How can we be more effective representatives of Christ in our communities?
Question 4
What did Paul mean when he urged the Corinthians not to “receive the grace of God in vain,” and how can believers guard against this in daily life (2 Corinthians 6:1–2)? How can difficulties strengthen rather than weaken our faith?
Question 5
What does “be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” mean in practical terms? What areas of modern culture challenge believers to remain separate unto God? Why is it dangerous for believers to enter into close relationships or binding partnerships with non‑believers, according to Paul’s teaching (2 Corinthians 6:14–16)?
Question 6
From what did Paul say we are to cleanse ourselves, and what does this reveal about the call to holiness (2 Corinthians 6:17–18; 2 Corinthians 7:1)? What promises does God give to those who walk closely with Him?

TAKE HOME

Salvation brings a complete transformation. When God changes a heart, old desires fade and a new longing to please Him takes their place. This miracle is worth sharing with a world that desperately needs hope.

At the same time, the very nature of the Christian life calls us to separate from what is unholy. Our faith is strengthened and our testimony protected when we refuse relationships or alliances that would compromise our walk with God. As new creatures in Christ, let us live in purity, stand firm in righteousness, and shine His light wherever we go.