If a man dies,
shall he live again?
00:00:01.15\00:00:04.25
What does it mean to
be absent from the body
00:00:07.11\00:00:09.88
and present with the Lord?
00:00:09.91\00:00:11.25
Did Jesus go with the thief
to Paradise on Good Friday?
00:00:11.28\00:00:17.80
Did the souls of
dead people really cry out
00:00:19.54\00:00:22.41
from below the altar?
00:00:22.44\00:00:23.74
Pastor Bohr answers
these questions and more
00:00:25.45\00:00:27.97
in the amazing series
00:00:28.00\00:00:29.56
Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
00:00:35.27\00:00:36.64
Our Father and our God,
what a joy it is, once again,
00:00:36.67\00:00:41.17
to be in Your presence.
00:00:41.20\00:00:42.23
We're thankful, Father, for Your
Holy Word, which is a sure guide
00:00:42.26\00:00:48.92
in a world that is so
confused about many things.
00:00:48.95\00:00:52.46
And, Father, as we study
one more topic on the subject of
00:00:52.49\00:00:56.97
life and death, we ask for the
guidance of Your Holy Spirit.
00:00:57.00\00:01:01.67
I ask, Lord, that You will
remove all preconceived ideas
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from our minds, and from our
hearts, and that You will help
00:01:05.94\00:01:09.12
us to understand the
truth as it is in Jesus.
00:01:09.15\00:01:13.31
And we thank You,
Father, for hearing our prayer,
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for we ask it in the
precious name of Jesus, Amen.
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In our study today we are going
to take a look at a very complex
00:01:22.38\00:01:27.53
passage of the Apostle Paul.
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Now let me tell you something
about the Apostle Paul.
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You know, there were two great
pillars of the earliest church.
00:01:33.38\00:01:38.39
One of them was Peter,
and the other one was Paul.
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Now Peter was a
fisherman: down-to-earth.
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Most of what he wrote is
easy to understand, although not
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everything, because in our
next lecture we're going to talk
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about preaching to
the spirits in prison.
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But most of what he wrote
could be grasped by the common,
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ordinary person in the pew.
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But the Apostle
Paul was a philosopher,
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and he was a theologian, trained
in the schools of the Rabbis,
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and, therefore, he wrote some
things that are very complex
00:02:06.12\00:02:10.79
and difficult to understand.
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Now Peter, in his second
epistle, had this to say about
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the writings of
the Apostle Paul.
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If you'll turn with me to
chapter 3, and verses 15 and 16,
00:02:21.49\00:02:26.61
of the second gospel of Peter,
we're going to see what Peter
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had to say about
Paul. It says there:
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That is about salvation.
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So you would say, Paul, why
didn't you make yourself clear?
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But Peter doesn't blame Paul.
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He continues, saying:
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So Peter doesn't blame
Paul for being too complicated.
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He blames those who are untaught
and unstable for twisting
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what the Apostle
Paul really meant.
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Now we're going to study today
a passage that has been greatly
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misunderstood by
the Christian world.
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We're going to take a
look at 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.
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This is the famous passage where
the Apostle Paul speaks about
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his desire to be absent from the
body and present with the Lord.
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And some Christians say clear as
day that the Apostle Paul wanted
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to die, and he wanted his
soul to fly off to Heaven,
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so that his soul could
be immediately, upon death,
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with the Lord. That is
the way in which this passage
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is interpreted
by most Christians.
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The question is, did the
Apostle Paul mean to teach this?
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First of all we want to
take a look at the context;
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the immediately
preceding context.
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Let's go to 2 Corinthian
4:16-18, and I want you to
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notice that the Apostle
Paul is contrasting our present
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existence in this world, with
our future existence in Heaven
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when Jesus comes. Here the
Apostle Paul makes a series of
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contrasts between the here and
now, and the sweet by and by,
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if you please.
Beginning with verse 16:
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By the way, that's our
body as we know it now.
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That is our spiritual nature.
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Do you see the two
things that he's comparing?
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He's comparing our
light affliction now with the
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exceeding and
eternal weight of glory,
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when Jesus comes. Verse 18:
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That's the here and now.
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Those are the things of Heaven.
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In other words, this
world is going to pass.
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Those are the heavenly things.
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So the Apostle Paul, in the
immediately preceding context,
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is contrasting this
life, which has affliction.
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This life which is
temporal, with the future life
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where we will experience joy,
and where we will live eternally
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with the Lord. Now with this
context, we want to take a look
00:06:28.90\00:06:33.73
at the passage that we're
going to especially study today.
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Let's go to 2 Corinthians
5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:1.
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Here the Apostle Paul says:
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Now notice that the Apostle Paul
is contrasting the tent that we
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live in now, with a building
that God has reserved for us
00:07:17.75\00:07:24.12
later. Now there's some
important terminology in
00:07:24.15\00:07:28.54
this verse. The first
term is the word tent.
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The King James Version
translates it tabernacle,
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but the New King
James calls it a tent.
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The tent represents the
transitory body, corruptible
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mortal body that we live in now,
which upon the moment of death,
00:07:48.61\00:07:54.31
is dissolved. But then you'll
notice that the Apostle Paul
00:07:54.35\00:07:58.81
speaks about a building that God
has reserved for us in Heaven.
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By the way, the word
building is in contrast to tent.
00:08:04.67\00:08:09.38
The word tent
is skenoo in Greek.
00:08:09.41\00:08:12.85
The word building, the building
that God has for us in Heaven,
00:08:12.88\00:08:17.02
is the word oikotedion.
00:08:17.05\00:08:18.91
It's not a tent. It is
a permanent solid building
00:08:18.94\00:08:23.34
with foundations. So what the
Apostle Paul is contrasting here
00:08:23.37\00:08:28.87
is our present
earthly house that we live in,
00:08:28.90\00:08:33.96
which we're going to notice
is our body, which is a tent,
00:08:33.99\00:08:37.75
corruptible, which can be
dissolved with the building
00:08:37.78\00:08:42.57
that God has
prepared for us in Heaven,
00:08:42.60\00:08:44.91
our immortal and incorruptible
body that will last throughout
00:08:44.94\00:08:50.23
eternity. Now it's important
to realize, in this verse,
00:08:50.26\00:08:54.87
that the Apostle Paul says that
we already have that building
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in Heaven. He doesn't say
we will have that building,
00:09:00.39\00:09:05.03
he says we have a building now.
00:09:05.06\00:09:08.34
In other words, if you
believe that the soul of man
00:09:08.37\00:09:13.26
is immortal, and that the
soul of man is a building,
00:09:13.29\00:09:18.63
then there are two entities
to man: there's the soul,
00:09:18.66\00:09:22.86
which is a building, and then
God also has a building prepared
00:09:22.89\00:09:25.69
in Heaven. You
would have two buildings.
00:09:25.72\00:09:27.29
The fact is that the
Apostle Paul is telling us here,
00:09:27.32\00:09:31.87
he's contrasting our earthly
body with the incorruptible,
00:09:31.90\00:09:39.17
immortal body that we
will have when Jesus comes.
00:09:39.20\00:09:43.55
Now let's take a look at
the word tent that is used here.
00:09:43.58\00:09:48.61
You know that a tent
is very transitory, right?
00:09:48.64\00:09:52.43
It's not permanent. It
can dissolve and corrupt
00:09:52.46\00:09:56.98
very easily. Let's turn in our
Bibles to Job 4:19 to see what
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our present house is.
00:10:04.24\00:10:07.55
It says there in Job 4:19:
00:10:07.58\00:10:11.67
What do we live in now?
00:10:25.28\00:10:27.05
We live in houses of what?
houses of clay composed of dust.
00:10:27.08\00:10:34.46
What happens in the
course of time with clay?
00:10:34.49\00:10:38.05
It breaks, it's brittle;
like a tent it dissolves.
00:10:38.08\00:10:42.66
Notice also Job 10:9,
Job 10:9. Here Job says:
00:10:42.69\00:10:52.12
So what is the
house that we live in now?
00:11:05.77\00:11:11.19
You'll notice that the Apostle
Paul uses the terminology,
00:11:11.22\00:11:14.36
earthly house, this tent.
00:11:14.39\00:11:16.31
Job speaks about our earthly
house made of what? of clay.
00:11:16.34\00:11:21.45
It is fragile, it is breakable,
and it can be dissolved.
00:11:21.48\00:11:27.49
But the Apostle Paul is saying
that the building that God has
00:11:27.52\00:11:31.05
for us in Heaven
is eternal, permanent,
00:11:31.08\00:11:34.15
and it cannot be dissolved.
00:11:34.18\00:11:36.70
Now let's read a
passage from the writings
00:11:36.73\00:11:40.23
of the Apostle Peter
where he speaks about the tent,
00:11:40.26\00:11:44.20
and the building.
Notice 2 Peter 1:13-15,
00:11:44.23\00:11:50.38
2 Peter 1:13-15. Here
the Apostle Peter says this:
00:11:50.41\00:11:57.86
What does he mean by, as
long as I am in this tent?
00:12:04.74\00:12:07.98
He's saying, as long as I
am in this present corruptible,
00:12:08.01\00:12:12.74
mortal body, so he says:
00:12:12.77\00:12:16.46
What does he mean by
putting off his tent?
00:12:26.85\00:12:29.05
It means that the
tent is going to dissolve.
00:12:29.08\00:12:33.32
The house of clay is going
to disintegrate, in other words.
00:12:33.35\00:12:38.96
He continues saying:
00:12:38.99\00:12:40.67
By the way, that word decease
is the same one that's used
00:12:54.74\00:12:57.36
in Luke 9:31 where Jesus spoke
about Him with Moses and Elijah;
00:12:57.39\00:13:02.76
about Himself going to Jerusalem
to experience His decease,
00:13:02.79\00:13:07.72
which is speaking about what?
00:13:07.75\00:13:09.41
It's speaking about death.
00:13:09.44\00:13:11.66
So the question is, when
is Peter going to lay off this
00:13:11.69\00:13:16.28
present
corruptible, dissolvable tent?
00:13:16.31\00:13:19.79
It's going to be at the moment
of his what? of his decease.
00:13:19.82\00:13:23.72
That's when he
lays off his tent.
00:13:23.75\00:13:27.36
Now you notice that the Apostle
Paul says here that we have
00:13:27.39\00:13:33.31
a building in Heaven
which is made without hands.
00:13:33.34\00:13:40.56
What does that mean? a
building made without hands?
00:13:40.59\00:13:45.09
Well, let's turn in our Bibles
to Mark 14:58, Mark 14:58.
00:13:45.12\00:13:53.96
Here the enemies of Jesus
are accusing Him of saying
00:13:53.99\00:14:00.28
something, and
they're using it against Him
00:14:00.31\00:14:03.12
to condemn Him to death.
00:14:03.15\00:14:04.54
It says, Mark 14:58, actually,
Jesus has said that He's going
00:14:04.57\00:14:10.94
to resurrect the third day and
so they say, secure the tomb,
00:14:10.97\00:14:15.13
so that the third day they
can't come and steal His body,
00:14:15.16\00:14:19.70
and then say that He
actually resurrected. Notice:
00:14:19.73\00:14:23.99
So His temple was
made with what? hands.
00:14:31.60\00:14:36.32
They say that's what Jesus said.
00:14:42.90\00:14:45.47
And so we'd better guard
the tomb to make sure that they
00:14:45.50\00:14:50.52
don't steal the body, and then
they say that Jesus resurrected.
00:14:50.55\00:14:53.53
By the way, what did
Jesus mean when He said,
00:14:53.56\00:14:56.69
destroy this temple?
00:14:56.72\00:14:58.38
What was He talking about?
00:14:58.41\00:14:59.51
If you read John 2:19-21, it
says that He was speaking about
00:14:59.54\00:15:05.13
the temple of His body.
00:15:05.16\00:15:08.31
He was speaking about
the temple of His body.
00:15:08.34\00:15:11.58
In other words, the temple made
with hands was the body of Jesus
00:15:11.61\00:15:20.14
that went into the grave.
00:15:20.17\00:15:22.04
Are you with me or not?
00:15:22.07\00:15:23.25
What was the temple
that was made without hands?
00:15:23.28\00:15:29.98
It was actually the glorified
immortal, incorruptible body
00:15:30.01\00:15:35.48
that Jesus received at
the moment of His what?
00:15:35.51\00:15:38.60
At the moment of
His resurrection.
00:15:38.63\00:15:41.64
So you'll notice Jesus says,
destroy this temple and in three
00:15:41.67\00:15:45.82
days I will raise it up.
00:15:45.85\00:15:47.41
Destroy this temple made with
hands and in three days I will
00:15:47.44\00:15:50.87
raise it up a
temple not made with hands.
00:15:50.90\00:15:53.34
He's contrasting His present
corruptible, mortal body with
00:15:53.37\00:15:58.27
the body which is
immortal and incorruptible,
00:15:58.30\00:16:01.48
that He would receive
after his resurrection.
00:16:01.51\00:16:05.93
Now lets notice another
text that speaks about not made
00:16:05.96\00:16:11.73
with hands, and what it means.
00:16:11.76\00:16:13.64
Go with me to Hebrews 9:11.
00:16:13.67\00:16:16.75
It's speaking here
about the sanctuary.
00:16:16.78\00:16:20.09
And the earthly sanctuary
was a copy of the heavenly one.
00:16:20.12\00:16:23.65
The earthly one was made
with hands, but the heavenly one
00:16:23.68\00:16:26.68
was made without hands.
00:16:26.71\00:16:28.74
That is because God made it.
00:16:28.77\00:16:30.67
Notice Hebrews 9:11:
00:16:30.70\00:16:34.08
By the way, this is
the Heavenly temple.
00:16:42.34\00:16:44.30
Are you understanding
what this is saying?
00:16:52.80\00:16:55.10
In Heaven there is a temple
that's not made with human
00:16:55.13\00:16:59.99
hands, because it
was made by God's hands.
00:17:00.02\00:17:02.97
On earth there was an
earthly sanctuary that was built
00:17:03.00\00:17:06.24
by human hands. What is being
contrasted is the present body
00:17:06.27\00:17:11.76
of Jesus, mortal and
corruptible, which comes as a
00:17:11.79\00:17:16.14
result of being born from a
human mother, and the body which
00:17:16.17\00:17:20.97
His Father prepared for Him
in Heaven that He gave Jesus
00:17:21.00\00:17:24.91
when Jesus
resurrected from the dead.
00:17:24.94\00:17:28.07
By the way, did Jesus have
a real body before He died?
00:17:28.10\00:17:32.25
Oh that's, that's a
ridiculous question.
00:17:32.28\00:17:36.08
Of course. He got tired, He
ate, He walked, He had flesh and
00:17:36.11\00:17:41.78
blood. You can
read it in the gospels.
00:17:41.81\00:17:44.11
He had a body before His death.
00:17:44.14\00:17:48.24
Like what kind of body was that?
00:17:48.27\00:17:49.92
Was it a body of
clay, so to speak?
00:17:49.95\00:17:52.69
Was it a tent that
could be dissolved?
00:17:52.72\00:17:56.27
Of course, He died! What kind
of body did Jesus receive after
00:17:56.30\00:18:00.61
His resurrection? Was
it still a physical body?
00:18:00.64\00:18:03.41
Yes, but it was a spiritual,
physical body, if you might say.
00:18:03.44\00:18:07.81
In other words, it was a
body that was incorruptible,
00:18:07.84\00:18:11.32
and immortal. It was not
subject to being dissolved.
00:18:11.35\00:18:15.72
Are you with me or not?
00:18:15.75\00:18:16.78
Now let's read
about that in Luke 24:39.
00:18:16.81\00:18:21.25
This is speaking about the
post resurrection body of Jesus.
00:18:21.28\00:18:24.80
It says there:
00:18:24.83\00:18:26.47
So did Jesus have flesh and
bones after His resurrection?
00:18:40.94\00:18:44.26
Sure. What kind of
building did Jesus have
00:18:44.29\00:18:47.44
after His resurrection?
00:18:47.47\00:18:48.50
It was not a
tent, it was a building.
00:18:48.53\00:18:53.70
It was not a oskane,
it was an oikoterian.
00:18:53.73\00:18:57.45
In other words, a
permanent, solid building,
00:18:57.48\00:19:00.96
kind of like in the wilderness.
00:19:00.99\00:19:02.28
Israel had a tent with
them which was the tabernacle.
00:19:02.31\00:19:07.26
Later on, when they
settled in the promised land,
00:19:07.29\00:19:09.91
what did they build?
00:19:09.94\00:19:10.97
They built a solid,
permanent, what? temple.
00:19:11.00\00:19:14.90
And so that's the contrast
between a tent and a solid
00:19:14.93\00:19:18.73
building, which
cannot be dissolved.
00:19:18.76\00:19:20.84
It continues
saying, in verse 41:
00:19:20.87\00:19:25.23
So did Jesus eat food like a
normal person would with a body?
00:19:40.87\00:19:46.32
Absolutely, yes. By the way,
are God's people going to eat
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.52
in Heaven? Are they
going to eat in the New Earth?
00:19:49.55\00:19:52.28
The Bible says we're going
to eat from the Tree of Life,
00:19:52.31\00:19:54.77
so we must have some
type of digestive system,
00:19:54.80\00:19:58.08
but it's going to be an
incorruptible, and immortal
00:19:58.11\00:20:03.15
body. Now do you understand
what the Apostle Paul is
00:20:03.18\00:20:06.60
trying to say in verse 1?
00:20:06.63\00:20:07.86
He's contrasting our present
earthly tent: provisional,
00:20:07.89\00:20:13.25
temporary, corruptible,
can be easily dissolved,
00:20:13.28\00:20:16.75
with the building that
God has prepared in Heaven.
00:20:16.78\00:20:20.68
Notice that the building
exists as Paul is writing.
00:20:20.71\00:20:24.14
The building, the permanent
body, incorruptible, immortal,
00:20:24.17\00:20:28.63
not temporal, not
subject to being dissolved.
00:20:28.66\00:20:31.58
That is the resurrection
body, in other words.
00:20:31.61\00:20:35.81
Now let's go to
verse 2, 2 Corinthians 5:2.
00:20:35.84\00:20:43.55
The Apostle Paul
continues saying:
00:20:43.58\00:20:45.60
In other words,
in this tent we what?
00:20:49.21\00:20:52.55
We groan in this
tent. Why do we groan?
00:20:52.58\00:20:56.24
So why is the Apostle Paul
groaning? because he wants to be
00:21:07.88\00:21:12.02
clothed upon by his
habitation, which God has
00:21:12.05\00:21:16.25
at that very moment where?
00:21:16.28\00:21:19.12
In Heaven for Him. Now the
question is, is the Apostle Paul
00:21:19.15\00:21:23.27
groaning here because he wants
his immortal soul to leave his
00:21:23.30\00:21:26.66
body, and to go to
Heaven to be with the Lord?
00:21:26.69\00:21:28.89
Absolutely not! Let's notice
another parallel verse about
00:21:28.92\00:21:34.01
what the Apostle
Paul groaned about.
00:21:34.04\00:21:35.93
Romans 8:23, Romans 8:23.
00:21:35.96\00:21:42.91
The Apostle Paul is speaking
here about the resurrection
00:21:42.94\00:21:49.10
when Jesus
comes. And he says this:
00:21:49.13\00:21:52.04
There's the same word.
00:22:04.49\00:22:05.62
By the way, did he say earnestly
desiring in 2 Corinthians 5?
00:22:09.12\00:22:12.87
Yes, he says here:
00:22:12.90\00:22:14.17
...for our soul to fly off
to Heaven to be with the Lord.
00:22:16.35\00:22:19.41
No, that's not what it says.
00:22:19.44\00:22:20.91
What was the
Apostle Paul groaning for?
00:22:27.59\00:22:30.00
Did he want his soul to leave
the body so he could be present
00:22:30.03\00:22:32.74
with the Lord? No, he
wanted to leave his tent here;
00:22:32.77\00:22:36.59
corruptible, dissolvable,
mortal, and he wanted God to
00:22:36.62\00:22:41.23
give him his resurrected body;
the body that is not subject
00:22:41.26\00:22:45.26
to corruption; the building,
the solid building that does not
00:22:45.29\00:22:49.04
corrupt or dissolve.
00:22:49.07\00:22:50.33
Are you with me? Now
let's notice 2 Corinthians 5:2,
00:22:50.36\00:22:57.13
and let's go on to verse 3.
00:22:57.16\00:22:58.83
The Apostle Paul is now going
to introduce a third option.
00:22:58.86\00:23:02.93
You see, the first
option is the tent.
00:23:02.96\00:23:05.79
No good! The second option
is the building that God has for
00:23:05.82\00:23:13.81
Paul at that very moment.
00:23:13.84\00:23:15.35
But now the Apostle
Paul presents a third option,
00:23:15.38\00:23:18.93
a third possibility.
00:23:18.96\00:23:20.28
He says here in verse
2: For in this we groan,
00:23:20.31\00:23:24.75
earnestly desiring to be
clothed with our habitation,
00:23:24.78\00:23:30.78
which is from heaven:
00:23:30.81\00:23:32.08
What is he groaning for?
00:23:32.11\00:23:33.98
He wants to be
clothed with the habitation,
00:23:34.01\00:23:37.09
or with the building that God
has from Heaven. Notice this:
00:23:37.12\00:23:41.38
Now wait a minute, so there's
a tent that we are clothed with,
00:23:49.21\00:23:54.12
that's our present body,
corruptible, dissolvable;
00:23:54.15\00:23:57.07
there's the building that God
has prepared at the time of the
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.87
resurrection, but if for
some reason we don't receive the
00:24:00.90\00:24:04.54
building, and we lay aside our
tent, what condition are we in?
00:24:04.57\00:24:10.35
Naked, according
to the Apostle Paul.
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.94
By the way, in 1 Thessalonians
4 he calls it sleeping.
00:24:12.97\00:24:16.07
And in other
places he calls it dead.
00:24:16.10\00:24:20.80
They're all the same concept
with different terminology.
00:24:20.83\00:24:26.50
Now, the Apostle Paul
then presents three options.
00:24:26.53\00:24:29.24
The first is to be clothed
with our present tabernacle,
00:24:29.27\00:24:32.16
that's our present
corruptible, mortal body.
00:24:32.19\00:24:34.53
The other is to be clothed
upon with our heavenly building
00:24:34.56\00:24:38.44
at the moment of
the resurrection.
00:24:38.47\00:24:40.22
The other option is not to be
clothed at all with the present
00:24:40.25\00:24:44.30
body, or with the future body,
and he says that that means
00:24:44.33\00:24:47.75
to be what? to be naked.
00:24:47.78\00:24:50.90
In other places he says asleep,
and other places he says dead.
00:24:50.93\00:24:55.25
Are you with me? Now
let's go to 2 Corinthians 5:4,
00:24:55.28\00:25:00.83
and I want you to notice
four terms in this verse.
00:25:00.86\00:25:04.94
Which tent? our present
corruptible, mortal body.
00:25:08.72\00:25:13.78
Remember that word.
00:25:17.98\00:25:19.01
Is this body a burden?
00:25:21.91\00:25:24.01
It most certainly is.
00:25:24.04\00:25:25.47
Now notice this:
00:25:25.50\00:25:27.26
Does the Apostle
Paul want to be unclothed?
00:25:29.72\00:25:32.26
Does he want to be naked?
00:25:32.29\00:25:33.80
Does he want to go and
be present with the Lord
00:25:33.83\00:25:36.35
without a body? Of
course not! He says:
00:25:36.38\00:25:39.76
That's the first
word I want us to notice.
00:25:44.19\00:25:46.29
Remember that, further clothed.
00:25:54.63\00:25:56.89
That's number two.
00:25:56.92\00:25:58.06
That's number three.
00:26:00.30\00:26:01.99
That's number four.
00:26:06.18\00:26:07.21
Remember those terms: groan,
2. further clothed 3. mortality,
00:26:08.53\00:26:15.92
4. swallowed up. Now let's
go to 1 Corinthians 15:50-55,
00:26:15.95\00:26:23.47
1 Corinthians 15:50-55.
00:26:23.50\00:26:27.49
Here the Apostle Paul is
speaking, not about the soul
00:26:27.52\00:26:31.46
leaving the body at the moment
of death to go and be with
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.87
the Lord, the Apostle
Paul is here talking about the
00:26:33.90\00:26:36.80
resurrection from the dead.
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.35
And notice the
terminology that he uses.
00:26:38.38\00:26:41.60
We've already discussed this.
00:26:46.59\00:26:47.90
Is that the same thing as saying
the tent and the building?
00:26:53.89\00:26:56.43
The tent is the corruption.
00:26:56.46\00:26:58.61
The building is what?
incorruption. Verse 51:
00:26:58.64\00:27:03.24
Now notice this:
00:27:18.17\00:27:19.20
By the way, that means
to be clothed in the Greek.
00:27:24.35\00:27:29.68
...what? Remember that
mortality was going to be
00:27:34.77\00:27:38.02
swallowed up by life?
00:27:38.05\00:27:39.27
Does that happen at the moment
of death, or at the moment of
00:27:39.30\00:27:41.61
the resurrection? It says:
00:27:41.64\00:27:43.84
...what? Remember
this expression?...
00:28:03.56\00:28:05.57
Question, what was the
Apostle Paul groaning about?
00:28:14.37\00:28:16.50
He wanted the redemption
of his what? of his body.
00:28:16.53\00:28:21.31
When is it that the mortal
is clothed with immortality?
00:28:21.34\00:28:25.78
At the resurrection.
00:28:25.81\00:28:27.39
When is it that death
is swallowed up in victory?
00:28:27.42\00:28:31.01
At the resurrection.
00:28:31.04\00:28:32.86
The Apostle Paul must
explain the Apostle Paul.
00:28:32.89\00:28:37.21
In other words, we cannot
just take our presuppositions
00:28:37.24\00:28:41.14
from the twenty-first century
and impose them upon scripture.
00:28:41.17\00:28:45.40
Now the question is, when
is it that this takes place?
00:28:45.43\00:28:49.62
that corruption is taken
away, and incorruption is given
00:28:49.65\00:28:54.47
in its place? that
mortality is removed,
00:28:54.50\00:28:57.46
and immortality is given?
00:28:57.49\00:28:59.19
Notice Philippians 3:20, 21
where the Apostle Paul speaks
00:28:59.22\00:29:03.58
about the building that
God is going to give us,
00:29:03.61\00:29:05.71
and what that
building is going to be like.
00:29:05.74\00:29:08.32
By the way, it's the same
type of building that Jesus got
00:29:08.35\00:29:11.40
when He resurrected.
00:29:11.43\00:29:13.73
Notice Philippians 3:20, 21.
00:29:13.76\00:29:17.91
Here the Apostle Paul says:
00:29:17.94\00:29:20.16
See the terminology again?
00:29:28.23\00:29:30.00
Do we eagerly wait for Him
to come and take us to Heaven
00:29:34.36\00:29:37.49
when we die? No, notice: who
will transform our lowly body...
00:29:37.52\00:29:47.49
Is that the tent? Is that
the tent, the corruptible,
00:29:47.52\00:29:51.10
immortal tent? Yes.
00:29:51.13\00:29:52.98
Is that the building that
God has in Heaven? Absolutely!
00:29:58.80\00:30:02.41
By the way, that building
is already assured in Heaven,
00:30:08.14\00:30:13.00
and do you know why?
because God has given us already
00:30:13.03\00:30:15.75
the down payment
through the Holy Spirit.
00:30:15.79\00:30:17.81
Notice 2 Corinthians 5:5.
00:30:17.84\00:30:21.03
This is not wishful thinking.
00:30:21.06\00:30:23.51
We have the building
because we have the Holy Spirit,
00:30:23.54\00:30:28.41
who is the down payment, or the
security deposit, if you please.
00:30:28.44\00:30:32.67
It says there:
00:30:32.70\00:30:34.12
A better translation would be an
earnest, or a security deposit,
00:30:46.47\00:30:50.94
or a down payment.
Notice 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22,
00:30:50.97\00:30:56.38
speaking about this down payment
again being the Holy Spirit.
00:30:56.41\00:31:01.20
It says there in 2
Corinthians 1:21, 22:
00:31:01.23\00:31:04.95
Now He who establishes us with
you in Christ, and has anointed
00:31:04.98\00:31:10.67
us, is God; who also has what?
sealed us, and given us the
00:31:10.70\00:31:19.34
Spirit in our
hearts as a guarantee.
00:31:19.37\00:31:23.89
So is this idea after
receiving the Heavenly building
00:31:23.92\00:31:26.76
wishful thinking? No, we
have the assurance in Heaven,
00:31:26.79\00:31:31.37
because He has given us the
Holy Spirit as the guarantee.
00:31:31.40\00:31:34.98
Notice also Ephesians 1:13, 14,
Ephesians 1:13,14. It says here:
00:31:35.01\00:31:43.44
What guarantee do we have
now that we're going to get the
00:32:10.73\00:32:13.19
promised possession, that
we're going to get the building
00:32:13.22\00:32:15.53
in the future, and our
body is going to be redeemed?
00:32:15.56\00:32:18.14
God has given us, in the
present, His what? His Spirit.
00:32:18.17\00:32:22.17
By the way, Jesus resurrected
the first fruits to show that
00:32:22.20\00:32:27.86
there will be last fruits.
00:32:27.89\00:32:29.21
The Holy Spirit is the
guarantee, and the resurrection
00:32:29.24\00:32:32.55
of Jesus is the guarantee,
not some immortal soul.
00:32:32.58\00:32:35.86
Notice 1 Corinthians 15:17-23,
the emphasis of the Apostle Paul
00:32:35.89\00:32:41.03
on Jesus as the first fruits,
and the fact that there will be
00:32:41.06\00:32:44.20
last fruits, if you please.
00:32:44.23\00:32:45.96
Because Jesus lives, His
people will live in the future.
00:32:45.99\00:32:50.33
Notice 1 Corinthians 15
beginning with verse 17:
00:32:50.36\00:32:53.98
Let me ask you, are those
the ones who are unclothed?
00:33:05.20\00:33:08.18
Are those the ones who
are naked, so to speak?
00:33:08.21\00:33:11.29
Yes, because they don't
have their present mortal body,
00:33:11.32\00:33:15.83
and they don't have their what?
00:33:15.86\00:33:17.33
They don't have
their immortal body.
00:33:17.36\00:33:19.19
Did the Apostle
Paul want to be naked?
00:33:19.22\00:33:23.04
Because some people say,
oh it would be nice to die,
00:33:23.07\00:33:25.77
and then tonight I
can be with the Lord.
00:33:25.80\00:33:27.43
The fact is the Apostle
Paul says, I don't want to be
00:33:27.46\00:33:30.99
unclothed, because he
knew that death was sleep.
00:33:31.02\00:33:35.61
He wanted to go and be present
with the Lord at the moment
00:33:35.64\00:33:39.11
of the resurrection.
00:33:39.14\00:33:40.17
He wanted to be alive.
00:33:40.20\00:33:41.23
That's why he says in 1
Thessalonians 4, he says:
00:33:41.26\00:33:43.88
we who are alive and remain
will be caught up together
00:33:43.91\00:33:47.96
with those who died in
Christ. Notice verse 18:
00:33:47.99\00:33:51.22
If Jesus has not risen, then
those who have died have what?
00:33:55.96\00:33:59.76
In Christ? are perished.
00:33:59.79\00:34:03.88
Now wait a minute. I guess then
they would have to get a return
00:34:03.91\00:34:07.10
ticket for their
soul from Heaven.
00:34:07.13\00:34:09.04
See, it doesn't make much sense.
00:34:09.07\00:34:11.58
The Apostle Paul says:
00:34:14.65\00:34:15.80
When is it that we're going to
be with the Lord? at His coming.
00:34:47.41\00:34:50.22
When is it that we're
going to receive the building?
00:34:50.25\00:34:53.07
At His coming. If we
should die we lay out the tent.
00:34:53.10\00:34:56.71
The tent dissolves,
but we don't have to worry.
00:34:56.74\00:34:59.02
We have the
guarantee of the Holy Spirit.
00:34:59.05\00:35:01.10
And when Jesus comes He's
going to give us that building
00:35:01.13\00:35:04.21
that He's prepared for us; that
immortal, incorruptible body.
00:35:04.24\00:35:08.20
Are you all with me?
00:35:08.23\00:35:09.60
Now, let's go
also to Romans 8:11;
00:35:09.63\00:35:14.52
speaking once
again about the Spirit.
00:35:14.55\00:35:17.39
If the Spirit that resurrected
Jesus is in us, God is going to
00:35:17.42\00:35:22.18
resurrect us as well,
because the Holy Spirit
00:35:22.21\00:35:24.40
is the down payment. Notice:
00:35:24.43\00:35:26.30
So those who have the Spirit,
do we have to fear death?
00:35:43.87\00:35:46.38
Do we have to fear that our
present earthly, corruptible,
00:35:46.41\00:35:50.62
tent is going to dissolve?
00:35:50.65\00:35:52.13
Absolutely not. Do we
have to even fear and be naked,
00:35:52.16\00:35:56.37
so to speak? Absolutely not,
because God has given us the
00:35:56.40\00:36:00.65
Holy Spirit, we know that when
Jesus comes He's going to bring
00:36:00.68\00:36:04.69
that building, and He's
going to give us the building.
00:36:04.72\00:36:07.36
He's going to give us the
immortal, incorruptible body.
00:36:07.39\00:36:11.32
And now we come to the
verse which has been greatly
00:36:11.35\00:36:16.21
misunderstood. We've
set the stage for the verse
00:36:16.24\00:36:19.60
that has been misunderstood,
2 Corinthians 5:6, 7.
00:36:19.63\00:36:26.38
The Apostle Paul says.
00:36:29.83\00:36:31.24
Which body? You
tell me which body.
00:36:37.41\00:36:40.76
While we are at
home in the tent.
00:36:40.79\00:36:43.49
While we are at home in
this corruptible, weak, mortal
00:36:43.52\00:36:50.14
temporal body, we are what?
00:36:50.17\00:36:54.07
He says, we are
absent from the Lord.
00:36:54.10\00:36:58.14
Are you
understanding what he is saying?
00:37:01.84\00:37:03.04
While we are present in the
tent, we are what? we are absent
00:37:03.07\00:37:09.59
from the Lord the
Apostle Paul says.
00:37:09.62\00:37:12.87
Now, is the Apostle Paul saying
that he wants to be absent
00:37:12.90\00:37:19.61
from the body so he can
be present with the Lord
00:37:19.64\00:37:22.42
immediately upon death?
00:37:22.45\00:37:23.80
See, this is the way
that Christians read in.
00:37:23.83\00:37:26.08
They say, so we are always
confident knowing that while
00:37:26.11\00:37:29.59
we are at home in the body
we are absent from the Lord.
00:37:29.62\00:37:34.32
But, you see, when we lay down
our body immediately after death
00:37:34.35\00:37:40.19
our soul goes to Heaven
and is present with the Lord.
00:37:40.22\00:37:43.65
Is that what the text says?
00:37:43.68\00:37:45.65
No, the text simply says that
while we live in our corruptible
00:37:45.68\00:37:49.66
tent at this
moment, we are what?
00:37:49.69\00:37:52.63
We are absent from the Lord.
00:37:52.66\00:37:56.41
And then the Apostle Paul
says, in verse 7, For we walk by
00:37:56.44\00:38:03.36
faith, not by
what? not by sight.
00:38:03.39\00:38:07.57
Now why would he include that
parenthetical statement there,
00:38:07.60\00:38:11.29
we walk by faith not by sight?
00:38:11.32\00:38:13.78
Let me ask you, do we have
to believe by faith that someday
00:38:13.81\00:38:20.27
Jesus is going to give us that
incorruptible, immortal body?
00:38:20.30\00:38:24.53
We're not up there; we're here.
00:38:24.56\00:38:27.98
Right? And so we have
to accept it how? by faith.
00:38:28.01\00:38:34.17
How about when we get there?
00:38:34.20\00:38:36.79
Will we have to
accept it by faith anymore?
00:38:36.82\00:38:39.72
No, because we
will walk by what?
00:38:39.75\00:38:42.50
We'll walk by sight.
00:38:42.53\00:38:44.12
So the Apostle Paul is saying,
Now, while we're in the tent,
00:38:44.15\00:38:47.82
we have the
promise of the building.
00:38:47.85\00:38:49.57
It hasn't come yet, he says,
so now we have to walk by faith.
00:38:49.60\00:38:53.51
We have the down payment of the
Holy Spirit, and we know that
00:38:53.54\00:38:56.91
some day soon we're
going to get the building,
00:38:56.94\00:38:58.64
because we have faith
that God has promised,
00:38:58.67\00:39:01.12
and that He will
fulfill His promise.
00:39:01.15\00:39:03.05
He says, but when we get there,
we're not going to walk by faith
00:39:03.08\00:39:06.79
anymore, because we'll be there.
00:39:06.82\00:39:08.36
We'll have the building.
00:39:08.39\00:39:09.48
So he says, then
we will walk how?
00:39:09.51\00:39:13.07
We will walk by sight.
00:39:13.10\00:39:15.23
By the way, Hebrews
11:1 amplifies this thought.
00:39:15.26\00:39:19.83
Hebrews 11:1 says, faith is the
substance of things hoped for,
00:39:19.86\00:39:27.64
the evidence of things not seen.
00:39:27.67\00:39:31.71
What was the
Apostle Paul hoping for?
00:39:33.44\00:39:35.89
Well, he was hoping that he
could die and fly off to heaven
00:39:35.92\00:39:39.17
in his soul to be
with the Lord, right?
00:39:39.20\00:39:40.94
Of course not.
What was he hoping for?
00:39:40.97\00:39:44.78
He was hoping for the moment
when Jesus would come to give
00:39:44.81\00:39:49.14
him his immortal, and
incorruptible building.
00:39:49.17\00:39:52.50
But did he have to
accept that by faith?
00:39:52.53\00:39:55.47
Faith is the substance of things
that we what? we hope for,
00:39:55.50\00:40:00.92
the evidence of things
that we cannot yet what? see.
00:40:00.95\00:40:06.74
So we walk by
faith, not by sight.
00:40:06.77\00:40:10.74
Are you following me?
00:40:10.77\00:40:11.86
Now let's go to Romans 8:24.
00:40:11.89\00:40:14.74
The Apostle Paul speaks about
this hope, this hope that he
00:40:14.77\00:40:20.05
eagerly waits for, which
is the redemption of his body.
00:40:20.08\00:40:23.54
Notice Romans 8:24.
00:40:23.57\00:40:26.20
Let me ask; you say, Oh I
hope someday to get to Heaven.
00:40:40.70\00:40:44.58
If I'm already
there, why do I need hope?
00:40:44.61\00:40:48.73
Are you with me? The Apostle
Paul is saying, for we were
00:40:48.76\00:40:53.25
saved in this hope, but
hope that is seen is not hope,
00:40:53.28\00:40:56.37
for why does one
still hope for what he sees?
00:40:56.40\00:41:00.55
In other words, if you
already have your immortal,
00:41:00.58\00:41:03.95
incorruptible building, you're
not going to say, Oh, I hope
00:41:03.98\00:41:06.80
someday the Lord will
give me my incorruptible,
00:41:06.83\00:41:09.18
immortal building. We
walk by faith, not by sight.
00:41:09.21\00:41:14.59
But let me ask you, is
our faith wishful thinking?
00:41:14.62\00:41:17.01
Is faith like
saying, Oh, I hope so?
00:41:17.04\00:41:20.99
I hope someday God is
going to give me, you know,
00:41:21.02\00:41:24.55
the building. Absolutely not!
00:41:24.58\00:41:26.19
We can be certain because
God has given us the Spirit.
00:41:26.22\00:41:29.72
We can be certain because
Jesus is the first fruits.
00:41:29.75\00:41:33.28
Jesus is alive! Our hope
is not in flying off to Heaven
00:41:33.31\00:41:37.69
at the moment of death.
00:41:37.72\00:41:38.75
The Apostle Paul is not saying
that he wants to immediately
00:41:38.78\00:41:41.55
when he dies, he wants
to be absent from the body,
00:41:41.58\00:41:44.00
and present with the Lord.
00:41:44.03\00:41:45.06
Notice 2 Corinthians
5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:8.
00:41:45.09\00:41:50.57
Let's read verse 7
again for the context.
00:41:50.60\00:41:53.47
He says, so we are always
confident, knowing that while
00:41:53.50\00:41:57.92
we are at home in the
body, that is in this tent,
00:41:57.95\00:42:00.92
we are absent from the Lord, for
we walk by faith, not by sight.
00:42:00.95\00:42:06.15
By the way, that's in
parentheses in most Bibles.
00:42:06.18\00:42:09.82
And then he continues
his argument in verse 8.
00:42:09.85\00:42:12.66
that our immortal soul
be absent from the body
00:42:17.82\00:42:23.63
immediately after death,
and be present with the Lord,
00:42:23.66\00:42:26.88
immediately after death.
00:42:26.91\00:42:28.26
That's the way it's read.
00:42:28.29\00:42:31.24
Christians inject into the text
the idea that immediately after
00:42:31.27\00:42:37.54
death, and that it's the soul
that is absent from the body.
00:42:37.57\00:42:41.26
The word soul is not used, and
the word immediately is not used
00:42:41.29\00:42:45.78
either. So when the Apostle Paul
says, we are confident, yes,
00:42:45.81\00:42:50.56
well pleased rather to
be absent from the body.
00:42:50.59\00:42:53.18
What does he mean by
absent from the body?
00:42:53.21\00:42:55.25
He says, I want to get away
from this corruptible, mortal,
00:42:55.28\00:42:59.81
destructible, dissolvable tent,
and I want to be present with
00:42:59.84\00:43:05.14
the Lord how? as an immortal
soul, or I want to be present
00:43:05.17\00:43:08.48
with the Lord with the building
that He has prepared for me;
00:43:08.51\00:43:11.73
eternal, everlasting,
incorruptible, immortal.
00:43:11.76\00:43:16.45
Are you understanding
what Paul is saying here?
00:43:16.48\00:43:18.50
He's saying we are confident,
yes, well pleased rather to be
00:43:18.53\00:43:24.01
absent from the body, and
to be present with the Lord.
00:43:24.04\00:43:27.80
Now the question is, when did
the Apostle Paul expect the dead
00:43:27.83\00:43:30.77
to be present with the Lord?
00:43:30.80\00:43:31.95
We have to let
Paul explain Paul.
00:43:31.98\00:43:35.56
Notice 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17,
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
00:43:35.59\00:43:43.91
When is it that we're always
going to be with the Lord?
00:44:22.78\00:44:24.96
at the moment of death,
or is it at the moment of the
00:44:24.99\00:44:27.61
resurrection of the dead?
00:44:27.64\00:44:28.94
The Apostle Paul makes it clear.
00:44:28.97\00:44:31.23
It's at the moment of
the resurrection of the dead.
00:44:31.26\00:44:33.66
Notice once again, what
the Apostle Paul had to say in
00:44:33.69\00:44:37.50
1 Corinthians 15:50-55.
00:44:37.53\00:44:40.09
I mean it's so clear!
00:44:40.12\00:44:41.15
How can you get away from this?
00:44:41.18\00:44:43.28
Don't inject into the
Bible your preconceived notions
00:44:43.31\00:44:47.26
and ideas. Don't say, oh no,
the Apostle Paul wanted to be
00:44:47.29\00:44:50.01
absent from the body so
that his soul could be present
00:44:50.04\00:44:52.57
with the Lord. The
word soul isn't there.
00:44:52.60\00:44:54.30
Oh, he wanted to be
absent from the body,
00:44:54.33\00:44:56.88
the moment he died, immediately
he wanted to be present
00:44:56.91\00:44:59.79
with the Lord. The word soul
and the word immediately is not
00:44:59.82\00:45:02.28
there, so we need to know
when Paul expected to be present
00:45:02.31\00:45:06.08
with the Lord. Raise your
hand if you're understanding
00:45:06.11\00:45:08.29
what I'm
saying. Praise the Lord!
00:45:08.32\00:45:10.39
Now, 1 Corinthians 15:50.
00:45:10.42\00:45:14.15
Now this I say brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit
00:45:14.18\00:45:17.83
the kingdom of God. That
means the tent can't inherit
00:45:17.86\00:45:19.97
the kingdom of God,
right? because it's corruptible.
00:45:20.00\00:45:22.61
Nor does corruption
inherit incorruption.
00:45:22.64\00:45:26.52
Is he comparing the same two
modes of existence that he does
00:45:26.55\00:45:29.97
in 2 Corinthians 5? Absolutely!
00:45:30.00\00:45:32.24
Behold I tell you a
mystery; We shall not all sleep,
00:45:32.27\00:45:35.49
in other words, we're
not all going to be naked,
00:45:35.52\00:45:37.90
but we shall all
be what? changed.
00:45:40.41\00:45:43.60
When will we receive
our building from Heaven?
00:45:43.63\00:45:46.40
When is it that we're going to
be changed? this tent is going
00:45:46.43\00:45:49.68
to be changed to a building?
00:45:49.71\00:45:51.01
It says, In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye,
00:45:51.04\00:45:54.31
at the last trumpet: for the
trumpet will sound, and the dead
00:45:54.34\00:45:58.25
will be raised incorruptible...
00:45:58.28\00:45:59.84
In other words, we're
going to receive our building.
00:45:59.87\00:46:01.26
...and we shall be changed.
00:46:01.29\00:46:03.91
For this corruptible must put on
00:46:03.94\00:46:07.05
incorruption, and this mortal
00:46:07.08\00:46:11.22
must put on immortality
00:46:11.25\00:46:14.05
So when this corruptible
has put on incorruption,
00:46:14.08\00:46:16.59
and this mortal
has put on immortality,
00:46:16.62\00:46:18.67
then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written,
00:46:18.70\00:46:22.22
Death is
swallowed up in victory.
00:46:22.25\00:46:24.20
O death, where is your sting?
00:46:24.23\00:46:25.97
O Hades where is your victory?
00:46:26.00\00:46:29.20
So the Apostle Paul has
presented three options.
00:46:29.23\00:46:33.41
Option 1. to live presently
in the tent, in our corruptible,
00:46:33.44\00:46:41.95
mortal, temporal
body that can dissolve.
00:46:41.98\00:46:47.25
The second option is that when
Jesus comes we'll receive our
00:46:47.28\00:46:53.88
building from Heaven, and
therefore, we will be present
00:46:53.91\00:46:57.62
with the Lord. The third option
is in-between for those who die
00:46:57.65\00:47:04.19
in Christ. They will not
be clothed with their tent,
00:47:04.22\00:47:08.37
and they will not be
clothed with the building.
00:47:08.40\00:47:10.74
They will be what?
naked, asleep, or dead.
00:47:10.77\00:47:18.78
Now some people say,
Pastor I don't like that.
00:47:18.81\00:47:21.28
You know, we're going to
be separated from the Lord,
00:47:21.31\00:47:24.26
and then until Jesus comes.
00:47:24.29\00:47:25.75
Well, the dead
people don't know it.
00:47:25.78\00:47:26.91
For dead people
there's no separation,
00:47:26.94\00:47:30.30
because they're unconscious.
00:47:30.33\00:47:32.11
For unconscious people
there's no passing of time.
00:47:32.14\00:47:35.22
So let's take Adam who
died when he was 930 years old;
00:47:35.25\00:47:43.88
over 5,000 years ago.
00:47:43.91\00:47:46.01
When Jesus calls Adam from
the grave, and Adam resurrects,
00:47:46.04\00:47:52.13
he says, how long has gone by?
00:47:52.16\00:47:55.97
Oh, 5,000 and some years.
00:47:56.00\00:47:58.49
No, I just died an instant ago!
00:47:58.52\00:48:02.58
You see, there's no passing
of time for the dead person.
00:48:02.61\00:48:06.02
A dead person can't be
separated from the Lord,
00:48:06.05\00:48:08.07
because he doesn't know it.
00:48:08.10\00:48:09.13
So for the dead person
the next thinking moment
00:48:09.16\00:48:14.38
he will be with the Lord.
00:48:14.41\00:48:15.49
In a certain sense it's true
that as soon as a person dies
00:48:15.52\00:48:19.95
they go to Heaven.
00:48:19.98\00:48:21.01
Now let me explain
that and qualify it
00:48:21.04\00:48:24.59
so that you don't
misunderstand what I am saying.
00:48:24.62\00:48:26.30
From the perspective of the
dead person, when that person
00:48:26.33\00:48:31.36
died right now, the next
thinking moment he sees Jesus
00:48:31.39\00:48:34.69
coming on the clouds.
00:48:34.72\00:48:35.75
For him no time passed.
00:48:35.78\00:48:37.93
He goes to Heaven immediately
after his what? after his death
00:48:37.96\00:48:42.46
even though 5,000 years
plus have passed for Adam.
00:48:42.49\00:48:46.77
Are you with me? no separation.
00:48:46.80\00:48:50.42
Now, what is the critical
issue for the Apostle Paul?
00:48:50.45\00:48:53.94
Now he's going to become
practical in his theology.
00:48:53.97\00:48:56.87
2 Corinthians 5:9.
00:48:56.90\00:48:59.99
He says, what's the key?
whether we're in the tent,
00:49:14.82\00:49:18.16
or later when
we're in the building?
00:49:18.19\00:49:19.83
What's the important thing?
00:49:19.86\00:49:20.89
The important thing is to
be what? to be pleasing to Him.
00:49:20.92\00:49:26.27
Folks this idea that man has an
immortal soul that flies off to
00:49:26.30\00:49:35.14
Heaven at the moment of death,
is a legacy that the Christian
00:49:35.17\00:49:40.33
church has received
from Greek philosophy.
00:49:40.36\00:49:42.79
The Christian church has not
received this from the Bible.
00:49:42.82\00:49:48.98
What they've done is
they've received this from Greek
00:49:49.01\00:49:52.49
philosophy, and then they look
for these texts and they inject
00:49:52.52\00:49:55.62
this idea into scripture,
because they're thinking like
00:49:55.65\00:49:59.36
Greeks. They're not thinking
like Hebrews, which deals with
00:49:59.39\00:50:06.10
the unity of the person.
00:50:06.13\00:50:08.34
There can be no separation
between the soul and the body.
00:50:08.37\00:50:14.52
Incidentally, the Bible makes
it very clear that our only hope
00:50:14.55\00:50:21.63
of life is not found
in us in an immortal soul,
00:50:21.66\00:50:26.07
it's found in Jesus Christ.
00:50:26.10\00:50:28.47
So when you say that you have
an immortal soul that even God
00:50:28.50\00:50:32.91
can't destroy... See
they say that even the wicked
00:50:32.94\00:50:35.68
are going to burn
forever in the fires of hell,
00:50:35.71\00:50:38.23
because they have a soul that's
immortal, and even God can't
00:50:38.26\00:50:42.54
annilhate that soul, because
He gave that soul immortality.
00:50:42.57\00:50:47.07
That's almost like saying
that a person becomes God.
00:50:47.10\00:50:51.51
See, immortality is an attribute
that belongs only to God.
00:50:51.54\00:50:55.34
It does not belong to man.
00:50:55.37\00:50:56.86
By the way, later on we're going
to talk about those passages,
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.70
you know, where it speaks
about man being destroyed with
00:50:59.73\00:51:02.48
eternal fire, and with
everlasting destruction,
00:51:02.51\00:51:04.98
and so on. We're going to have
a whole lecture where we'll deal
00:51:05.01\00:51:07.84
with those passages, and we're
going to see that those passages
00:51:07.87\00:51:10.67
are not teaching what
people think they're teaching.
00:51:10.70\00:51:13.83
Just like this one, people
inject their personal views
00:51:13.86\00:51:16.96
into the text. Our
only hope of life, folks,
00:51:16.99\00:51:21.02
is found in Jesus Christ.
00:51:21.05\00:51:23.72
I want to read a couple of texts
before we draw this to a close.
00:51:23.75\00:51:28.81
Go with me to 1 John
5:11, 12, 1 John 5:11, 12.
00:51:28.84\00:51:37.72
Here the beloved disciple
is categorical in what he says.
00:51:37.75\00:51:44.57
And this is the testimony, that
God has given us eternal life,
00:51:44.60\00:51:52.25
and this life belongs to us.
00:51:52.28\00:51:58.65
Is that what it says? No.
00:51:58.68\00:52:03.41
God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
00:52:03.44\00:52:10.24
Eternal life is contingent.
00:52:10.27\00:52:14.45
It is derived. It
is not inherent in man.
00:52:14.48\00:52:20.37
And then, in case you didn't
understand that this life is
00:52:20.40\00:52:25.49
in His Son, John says,
He who has the Son has life.
00:52:25.52\00:52:33.15
He who does not have the
Son of God does not have life
00:52:33.19\00:52:40.79
in any way, shape, or
form; no life in ourselves
00:52:40.82\00:52:47.97
outside of Jesus Christ.
00:52:48.01\00:52:49.46
It was the devil who
said, You will not surely die,
00:52:49.50\00:52:54.69
but you shall be as God.
00:52:54.72\00:52:58.55
Go with me to John 11:25, 26.
00:52:58.58\00:53:04.96
This is a story of the
resurrection of Lazarus.
00:53:04.99\00:53:09.17
He'd been dead for four days.
00:53:09.20\00:53:11.44
This is the
greatest miracle of Jesus.
00:53:11.48\00:53:14.59
Jesus comes to the tomb.
00:53:14.62\00:53:16.38
Of course, Mary
and Martha are crying.
00:53:16.42\00:53:20.69
They say, we know that he'll
resurrect in the final day,
00:53:20.72\00:53:24.35
but we would like
to have him alive now.
00:53:24.39\00:53:26.25
Notice what Jesus says in
verses 25 and 26 of John 11.
00:53:26.28\00:53:33.24
What does Jesus mean when
He says though he may die?
00:53:54.45\00:53:58.57
It would mean that we
would lay aside our what?
00:53:58.61\00:54:04.11
The tent would dissolve.
00:54:04.15\00:54:06.54
What did He mean when
He said, though he die,
00:54:06.57\00:54:09.51
yet shall he live. He means
that immediately the person
00:54:09.55\00:54:12.52
dies, then he has a new life
coming out of the soul out of
00:54:12.55\00:54:15.99
the body to Heaven.
00:54:16.02\00:54:17.09
Of course not! He's saying, I am
the resurrection and the life.
00:54:17.13\00:54:22.46
He's not talking about
going to Heaven after you die.
00:54:22.49\00:54:25.15
He's saying, He's
speaking about the resurrection.
00:54:25.18\00:54:27.77
He says, I am the resurrection,
and the life: he who believes
00:54:27.80\00:54:32.83
in me, though he
may die, he shall live.
00:54:32.87\00:54:38.05
And now notice, verse 26:
00:54:38.08\00:54:41.98
Wait a minute, He just
said that though he die,
00:54:47.16\00:54:50.81
yet shall he live. So he
says, whoever receives Me
00:54:50.85\00:54:54.02
will never die. What kind
of death is He talking about
00:54:54.05\00:54:57.18
when He says that
he will never die?
00:54:57.22\00:54:59.27
He's talking
about the second death.
00:54:59.30\00:55:01.76
He's talking about the
death that really counts.
00:55:01.79\00:55:04.83
You see, the first
death doesn't count.
00:55:04.86\00:55:07.60
For those who are in
Christ, to the dead in Christ,
00:55:07.63\00:55:10.96
death is but a
moment of silence.
00:55:11.00\00:55:13.97
We don't have to fear death.
00:55:14.01\00:55:17.16
We can go home and we can
sleep well, not having to be
00:55:17.19\00:55:23.73
concerned if we wake up
the next morning or not,
00:55:23.76\00:55:26.25
if we're in Christ,
because our life is hid in Him,
00:55:26.28\00:55:30.82
according to scripture.
00:55:30.86\00:55:32.29
See folks, we need to get it in
our minds that our hope of life
00:55:32.32\00:55:36.96
is not found in an immortal
soul that leaves the body
00:55:36.99\00:55:39.77
at the moment of death.
00:55:39.80\00:55:40.83
The hope of life is
found outside of ourselves
00:55:40.86\00:55:43.45
in Jesus Christ. And
Jesus has given us His Spirit
00:55:43.48\00:55:48.37
as the guarantee. You can take
it to the bank, is what Jesus
00:55:48.40\00:55:51.74
is saying, because if the
Spirit that raised up Jesus
00:55:51.78\00:55:55.31
dwells in you, that Spirit that
resurrected Him, that gave life
00:55:55.34\00:56:01.70
to His mortal body, will
give life to your mortal body
00:56:01.73\00:56:05.36
as well. What a
glorious Hope Christians have!
00:56:05.39\00:56:09.02
And yet it's ruined by
the idea that when you die
00:56:09.06\00:56:12.62
the soul goes to Heaven,
and then when Jesus comes again,
00:56:12.66\00:56:16.50
he brings the soul from Heaven,
we already dealt with that text.
00:56:16.54\00:56:19.48
He brings the soul from Heaven,
and then He kind of joins it
00:56:19.51\00:56:22.42
to the body.
What an anti-climax!
00:56:22.45\00:56:25.30
It's much more glorious
to believe that the people
00:56:25.33\00:56:28.46
who are in the grave,
who are dead, who don't live;
00:56:28.49\00:56:31.37
Jesus comes, He blows a trumpet,
He calls them forth from the
00:56:31.41\00:56:36.09
tomb. He says, I am the
resurrection and the life,
00:56:36.13\00:56:39.24
and those people come
forth by a miracle of God,
00:56:39.28\00:56:42.35
with their building
incorruptible, immortal,
00:56:42.39\00:56:45.87
to live
forevermore with Jesus Christ.
00:56:45.90\00:56:49.00
That glorifies Jesus.
00:56:49.04\00:56:52.69
The first view is
actually a glorification of man.
00:56:52.72\00:56:58.89
The question is, have we
received Jesus Christ as our
00:56:58.93\00:57:05.06
Savior and Lord?
That's the key question.
00:57:05.09\00:57:08.54
If we have, we
have no reason to fear.
00:57:08.58\00:57:11.99
Yea though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of
00:57:12.03\00:57:15.82
death, I will fear no evil.
00:57:15.86\00:57:18.18
But we must be
absolutely certain this evening
00:57:18.21\00:57:22.91
that Jesus is our
Savior and our Lord.
00:57:22.94\00:57:29.00