2 KORINTIËRS 5
1 Ons weet dat, wanneer ons aardse woning wat maar 'n tent is, afgebreek word, ons 'n vaste gebou in die hemel het. Dit is 'n woning wat nie deur mense gemaak is nie, maar deur God, en dit bly ewig staan. 2 Terwyl ons in die tentwoning leef, sug ons, want ons verlang daarna dat ons woning uit die hemel ons sal oordek. 3 Ons wil nie ontklee wees en naak voor God staan nie. 4 Ons wat nog in die tentwoning is, sug en voel bedruk omdat ons nie van die aardse liggaam afstand wil doen nie; ons wil die hemelse bo-oor die aardse aantrek, sodat wat sterflik is, verteer kan word deur die lewe. 5 Hy wat ons vir hierdie oorgang voorberei het, is God. As waarborg hiervan het Hy ons sy Gees gegee.
6 Daarom is ons altyd vol moed. Ons weet dat, solank as ons in die liggaam bly, ons nog nie by die Here woon nie, 7 want ons lewe deur geloof, nie deur sien nie. 8 Ons is vol moed en sou liewer ons verblyf in die liggaam wil verlaat en by die Here gaan woon. 9 Maar, of ons hier woon of daar woon, ons het net een wens, en dit is om te lewe soos Hy dit wil. 10 Ons moet immers almal voor die regterstoel van Christus verskyn, sodat elkeen kan ontvang volgens wat hy tydens sy aardse lewe gedoen het, of dit nou goed was of kwaad.
Die bediening van die versoening
11 Ons weet wat dit beteken om die Here te dien. Daarom probeer ons die mense oortuig. God ken ons bedoelings, en ek vertrou dat julle ook van ons bedoelings oortuig is. 12 Ons prys onsself nie opnuut by julle aan nie. Ons gee julle juis eerder aanleiding om trots te wees op ons, sodat julle 'n antwoord kan hê vir dié wat trots is op die uiterlike en nie op die innerlike nie. 13 As ons in geestesvervoering was, was ons dit vir God; en as ons by ons verstand is, is ons dit vir julle. 14 Die liefde van Christus dring ons, omdat ons tot die insig gekom het dat een vir almal gesterwe het, en dit beteken dat almal gesterwe het. 15 En Hy het vir almal gesterwe, sodat dié wat lewe, nie meer vir hulleself moet lewe nie, maar vir Hom wat vir hulle gesterf het en uit die dood opgewek is.
16 Ons beoordeel dus van nou af niemand meer volgens menslike maatstaf nie. Al het ons Christus vroeër volgens menslike maatstaf beoordeel, nou beoordeel ons Hom nie meer so nie. 17 Iemand wat aan Christus behoort, is 'n nuwe mens. Die oue is verby, die nuwe het gekom. 18 Dit alles is die werk van God. Hy het ons deur Christus met Homself versoen en aan ons die bediening van die versoening toevertrou. 19 Die boodskap van versoening bestaan daarin dat God deur Christus die wêreld met Homself versoen het en die mense hulle oortredinge nie toereken nie. Die boodskap van versoening het Hy aan ons toevertrou.
20 Ons tree dus op as gesante van Christus, en dit is God wat deur ons 'n beroep op julle doen. Ons smeek julle namens Christus: Aanvaar die versoening met God wat Hy bewerk het! 21 Christus was sonder sonde, maar God het Hom in ons plek as sondaar behandel sodat ons, deur ons eenheid met Christus, deur God vrygespreek kan wees.
2 Corinthians 5
1 FOR WE know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2 Here indeed, in this [present abode, body], we sigh and groan inwardly, because we yearn to be clothed over [we yearn to put on our celestial body like a garment, to be fitted out] with our heavenly dwelling,3 So that by putting it on we may not be found naked (without a body).4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)--not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit), but rather that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection].5 Now He Who has fashioned us [preparing and making us fit] for this very thing is God, Who also has given us the [Holy] Spirit as a guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise].6 So then, we are always full of good and hopeful and confident courage; we know that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord [that is promised us].7 For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.8 [Yes] we have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord.9 Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth away from Him] or away from home [and with Him], we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him.10 For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].11 Therefore, being conscious of fearing the Lord with respect and reverence, we seek to win people over [to persuade them]. But what sort of persons we are is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood by God, and I hope that it is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood also by your consciences (your inborn discernment).12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are providing you with an occasion and incentive to be [rightfully] proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who pride themselves on surface appearances [on the virtues they only appear to have], although their heart is devoid of them.13 For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit,14 For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died;15 And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.16 Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].