2 Corinthians 5:8 kjv
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 nkjv
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 niv
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 esv
Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 nlt
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:6 | So we are always confident; even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we will be away from the Lord. | Present faith, future hope |
| Phil 1:21 | For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. | Gain in death |
| Phil 1:23 | I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. | Desire for Christ's presence |
| 1 Thess 4:17 | After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. | Rapture and eternal presence |
| Rom 8:23 | Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. | Waiting for body redemption |
| Rev 14:13 | Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." | Blessed rest in death |
| John 14:1-3 | "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." | Jesus preparing a place |
| 1 Cor 15:50-57 | But this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Resurrection and victory |
| Luke 23:43 | Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." | Promise to the thief |
| Heb 12:22-23 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. | Heavenly Jerusalem |
| 2 Sam 12:23 | But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. | David on his infant son |
| Psalm 73:24-26 | Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever. | God as ultimate desire |
| Isa 57:1-2 | The righteous perishes, and no one lays it to heart; the devout are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous are taken away from calamity; they enter into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness. | The peaceful rest of the righteous |
| John 17:24 | Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have seen, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. | Jesus' prayer for unity |
| 1 Pet 1:3-4 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. | Inheritance in heaven |
| Col 3:1-4 | If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. | Hidden life in Christ |
| Heb 11:13-16 | These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. | Abraham and the patriarchs |
| Acts 7:59 | And as they were stoning Stephen, he cried out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." | Stephen's dying prayer |
| Mark 14:32-34 | And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch." | Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane |
| 2 Cor 5:1-5 | For we know that if the tent that is our earthly house is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, when we have put it on, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent are groaning under the weight, not because we want to be unclothed, but because we desire to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. | Present groaning, future hope |
2 Corinthians 5 verses
2 Corinthians 5 8 Meaning
We are confident and would prefer to be absent from the body, to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5 8 Context
This verse is part of a larger passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 where Paul is discussing the contrast between believers' earthly existence and their future, eternal state with Christ. The immediate context (verses 1-7) focuses on the tension between the present suffering and limitations of life in a mortal body (likened to a temporary tent) and the future, incorruptible dwelling in the presence of the Lord. Paul expresses his ardent desire to be absent from this physical body, not out of a desire to die in itself, but to be in immediate and perfect fellowship with Christ. The preceding verse (v. 7) states, "For we walk by faith, not by sight," setting the stage for this confident longing for an eternal reality that is presently unseen but ardently desired.
2 Corinthians 5 8 Word Analysis
- βέβαιοι (bebaiōi): Confident, certain, assured. This confidence is not self-generated but rooted in God's promise and the presence of the Holy Spirit (v. 5). It speaks of an unshakable conviction about the future reality.
- εἶναι (einai): To be. This infinitive links the confidence to the state of existence.
- ἐκδημῆσαι (ekdēmēsai): To be away from one's home, to journey abroad, to be absent. Here it signifies departure from the earthly body, viewed as a temporary residence or "tent." It’s like being on a journey away from a familiar dwelling.
- ἐκ τοῦ σώματος (ek tou sōmatos): From the body. The body is understood as the earthly, physical, mortal house or tabernacle. This refers to leaving it behind at death.
- δημοθῆναι (dēmothenai): To be at home, to reside in one's homeland. It carries the sense of being present and fully at home. In the spiritual context, it means being fully and eternally present with the Lord.
- πρὸς τὸν Κύριον (pros ton Kurion): With/towards the Lord. This refers to personal, direct, and intimate communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. "Pros" indicates movement toward and presence with.
Words Group Analysis:
- "βέβαιοι... εἶναι ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος" (bebaiōi... einai ekdēmēsai ek tou sōmatos): This phrase captures the believer's assured certainty and confident desire to depart from the physical body. It's an internal conviction about what happens when one leaves the earthly tent.
- "δημοθῆναι πρὸς τὸν Κύριον" (dēmothenai pros ton Kurion): This highlights the destination and nature of the believer's eternal state – to be fully present and "at home" with the Lord Jesus Christ, a far superior and desirable dwelling than the earthly body.
2 Corinthians 5 8 Bonus Section
The Greek word demos means "people" or "a district." Thus, en-demos (or en-dēmos) signifies being among one's people or in one's own land/home. The related verb apo-demeō means to leave one's home or country. Paul uses ek-dēmeō (to go away from home) in contrast to endēmeō (to be at home). This linguistic play emphasizes the idea of the body as a temporary sojourning place (like a foreign land) and the Lord's presence as the true homeland. This highlights the profound disorientation of earthly life from the perspective of eternity and the ultimate homecoming found in Christ's presence.
2 Corinthians 5 8 Commentary
Paul articulates a profound and confident longing for death, not as an end, but as a transition. This confidence stems from his assurance that the moment believers depart from their earthly bodies, they will be immediately and perfectly in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a state of "being at home" with Christ, far superior to life in this temporary, earthly dwelling. This longing is driven by faith, understanding that physical absence from the body means an unbroken, intimate presence with Christ, who is the believer’s ultimate home and source of life. This perspective reframes death from something to be feared into a welcomed doorway to a richer reality.
Practical Usage:
- When facing trials or suffering, remember the ultimate hope of being with Christ, which sustains present difficulties.
- For those mourning believers, find comfort in knowing their loved ones are now face-to-face with Jesus, experiencing perfect fellowship.
- Live with a heavenly perspective, cherishing the promise of eternity with Christ more than temporal earthly possessions or comforts.