2 Corinthians 5:3 kjv
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:3 nkjv
if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:3 niv
because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:3 esv
if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:3 nlt
For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.
2 Corinthians 5 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 8:23 | Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groa… | Longing for our redemption/resurrection body. |
| 1 Cor 15:42-44 | So is it with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it i… | Describes the perishable vs. imperishable body. |
| 1 Cor 15:53-54 | For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal b… | Mortal putting on immortality. |
| Php 3:21 | ...who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the… | Transformation into a glorious body like Christ's. |
| 1 Jn 3:2 | ...we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see h… | Likeness to Christ at His appearing. |
| Isa 61:10 | I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for h… | Clothed with garments of salvation, robe of righteousness. |
| Rev 3:18 | I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich… | Clothed in white garments (spiritual covering). |
| Rev 16:15 | (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, k… | Keep garments (righteousness) to avoid nakedness. |
| Gen 3:7, 10-11 | Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked... | Awareness of sinful nakedness and shame. |
| 2 Cor 5:1 | For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we h… | Our earthly tent vs. heavenly building. |
| 2 Cor 5:2 | For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, so th… | Believers' longing for the heavenly dwelling. |
| Heb 9:27 | And just as it is appointed for man once to die, and after that comes ju… | Appointment with death and judgment. |
| Lk 12:47 | That servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act acc… | Readiness for the master's coming. |
| Matt 22:11-12 | “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who… | Wedding garment required for guests (righteousness). |
| Jude 23 | save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with… | Clothing stained by the flesh. |
| Eph 4:24 | and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true ri… | Putting on the new self, righteousness and holiness. |
| Col 3:10 | and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after t… | Putting on the new self (renewal). |
| Rom 13:14 | But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, t… | Putting on Christ. |
| Gal 3:27 | For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. | Having been clothed with Christ. |
| Rev 19:8 | it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—f… | The bride clothed in fine linen (righteousness). |
2 Corinthians 5 verses
2 Corinthians 5 3 Meaning
2 Corinthians 5:3 speaks of the believer's future state, expressing a profound truth regarding the transition from the earthly body to the heavenly. The core message is an affirmation of assurance: that believers, when they receive their resurrection bodies, will not be found in a state of spiritual nakedness or disembodiment at Christ's return or their glorification. It acts as a positive assertion against a negative possibility, emphasizing the certainty of receiving a glorious, heavenly body as a continuation of salvation.
2 Corinthians 5 3 Context
This verse is nestled within Paul's discourse on the Christian's hope concerning the resurrection body and future life with the Lord, bridging the gap between verses 1 and 2. Paul is comforting the Corinthians, who faced hardship and persecution, by directing their focus from their present sufferings and the temporary nature of their physical bodies ("earthly tent") to the enduring, glorious future awaiting them in Christ. He expresses a deep longing for this "heavenly dwelling," not out of a desire to be disembodied or "naked" (referring to an intermediate state between death and resurrection), but to be fully clothed with the resurrection body, free from decay and groaning. The "if indeed" (eige) implies both a certain expectation for believers and a subtle warning of the dreadful alternative for unbelievers or those unprepared.
2 Corinthians 5 3 Word analysis
- if indeed (εἴγε - eíge): A conditional particle implying certainty rather than mere possibility. It can mean "seeing that" or "since." Here, it strengthens the connection to the previous statement (longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling) and almost implies "granted that" or "because we are putting it on." It underpins Paul's strong conviction that this spiritual outcome is guaranteed for those who are in Christ.
- when we have put it on (ἐνδυσάμενοι - endysamenoi): From endyo, meaning "to dress," "clothe," or "put on." This is an aorist middle participle, signifying a completed action for themselves, "having clothed ourselves" or "when we are clothed." The "it" refers back to the heavenly dwelling mentioned in 2 Cor 5:2, emphasizing the reception of the glorified body.
- we will not (οὐ - ou): The strongest form of negation in Greek. It categorically denies the possibility for believers.
- be found (εὑρεθησόμεθα - heurethēsomenetha): Future passive indicative of heurisko, meaning "to find." This implies a future event, possibly at the judgment seat of Christ or at His return, where the state of each individual will be revealed. The passive voice suggests God or Christ as the one doing the "finding."
- naked (γυμνοί - gymnoí): Literally means "unclothed" or "bare." In this context, it carries several potential layers of meaning, often debated by scholars:
- Spiritually vulnerable/ashamed: Echoing Gen 3 where Adam and Eve recognized their nakedness after sin, leading to shame and a desire for covering (spiritual separation from God's righteousness).
- Without a resurrection body: The most direct interpretation in the immediate context of 2 Cor 5, referring to the intermediate state between physical death and bodily resurrection. Paul is asserting believers will not remain in this state of "bodilessness."
- Unredeemed/Unsaved: The dreadful state of being without Christ's righteousness, thus unprotected before divine judgment.
2 Corinthians 5 3 Bonus section
The concept of "clothing" throughout the Bible often symbolizes one's identity, status, or spiritual condition (e.g., priests clothed in holy garments, Job mourning in sackcloth, Jesus' parables of wedding garments). In 2 Corinthians 5:3, "nakedness" (gymnos) does not simply refer to being without an earthly body after death; Paul has just expressed a longing to be away from the earthly body (2 Cor 5:1-2). Instead, it primarily signifies being without the heavenly dwelling—the glorious, spiritual, and imperishable resurrection body. This implies a terrifying scenario of judgment or incompleteness if one were to face eternity without this divine provision. Paul uses it as a stark contrast to the secure hope of the Christian, affirming that believers will be fully equipped and ready for eternal life with God, echoing the triumph over death promised through Christ. This implicitly rebuts any notion of a mere disembodied existence as the ultimate destiny of the redeemed or a state of spiritual impoverishment at the Lord's coming.
2 Corinthians 5 3 Commentary
2 Corinthians 5:3 encapsulates a vital eschatological assurance within Paul's anthropology of hope. For the believer, death is not an ultimate state of vulnerability or abandonment. Instead, there's a certain future where, at the time of ultimate glorification—whether through death followed by resurrection or translation at Christ's coming—they will be "clothed." This "clothing" signifies the promised, incorruptible, and spiritual resurrection body, an integral part of their full salvation. The phrase "if indeed" carries the weight of a firm conviction, emphasizing that it's an assured outcome for those united with Christ, contrasting the horrific alternative of being "found naked." To be found "naked" signifies the profound spiritual destitution and shame of being revealed before God without the covering of Christ's righteousness or the glorified body of the resurrection, thus bearing the full consequence of sin and judgment. Paul's certainty, grounded in the power of God who gives the Spirit as a guarantee, is that true believers need not fear such a fate; they are destined for glory, not spiritual exposure. For example, knowing this assures believers facing persecution or chronic illness that their physical deterioration is not the end but a prelude to a perfect and eternal dwelling. This hope empowers them to persevere, fixing their gaze on the Lord rather than the temporary afflictions of the body.