Heavenly Dwelling
Habitation2 Corinthians 5:1. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 3. inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:1 says that if a Christian’s house or tabernacle is torn down they have a building from God and this building is in Heaven.
A Christian’s body is referred to as the temple (tabernacle) of the Holy Spirit. This verse refers to the person putting off the body or dying.
2 Corinthians 5:3 tells us that we put on the heavenly dwelling.
-- New American Standard 2 Corinthians 5:3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.
If we are to put this dwelling on then it can be put on or not put on. If it is put on then it is a decision we make. Putting on the heavenly dwelling is not something that happens to us automatically.
If we put this dwelling on then we will not be found naked when this earthly house or tabernacle is dissolved.
Christians are encouraged to put on this heavenly dwelling.
In 2 Corinthians 4:7, just a few verses before Paul starts talking about putting on the heavenly dwelling He says that we have a “treasure” while we are in earthen vessels.
In 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul says that this treasure is “the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus”.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:10 and 11 that as Christians die to sin (refer to Romans 6:4 and 10 to understand that Jesus death and resurrection is compared to a Christian’s new life in Christ) the Life of Jesus will be manifest in their mortal flesh.
-- New American Standard Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul then says that the inward man is renewed daily and the outer man is perishing.
To have the Life of Christ manifest in our mortal flesh is referred to in the following verses.
Ro 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Having Jesus life manifested in our mortal flesh involves our becoming righteous and making no provision for the flesh nature --- or not sinning.
The nature of Christ Jesus is the dwelling that is in heaven waiting for Christians. This life of Christ is – so to speak – put on as we stop sinning.
A Christian can acquire this dwelling, which is in heaven and is conferred upon them by God, by eliminating sin from their lives. They put on the nature or life of Christ as they refrain from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
This Spiritual dwelling that is “put on” while we are on Earth is referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:40. This is literally the First resurrection from the state of Spiritual death, Romans 6:11.
-- New American Standard Romans 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In 1 Corinthians 15:29 the Apostle Paul is talking about being baptized for the dead and in verse 31 He then goes on to say that He dies daily. If He died physically then He would not be around to die the next day. This is obviously not physical death but “putting to death the sinful nature”, Romans 6:10.
-- New American Standard Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
In 1 Corinthians 15:29 Paul is putting on Christ or putting on the spiritual dwelling or mansion that the Lord went to heaven to prepare for us in John 14:2.
-- New American Standard John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
The Lord prepares a place or mansion or dwelling for us in Heaven. Christians “put it on” through the Holy Spirit – as we work out our salvation.
The Lord’s Second Coming is again stated in Jesus own word’s in John 14:23.
-- New American Standard John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
Keep in mind that the mystery of Godliness is Christ in you (the Believer), Colossians 1:27.
As a verification that the bible teaches that this “Heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5) or “Spiritual Body” (1 Corinthians 15) is “put on’ during this life and not after physical death consider the following verses.
In 2 Corinthians 4:11 we are told that as we are given over to death the life of Christ is manifested in our “mortal flesh”.
-- New American Standard 2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
This is the same mortal “body that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 15. The word mortal is also linked to 2 Corinthians 5:4 where it (the mortality) is said to be swallowed up by life.
The preceding verses have established that the word “mortal” is the same Greek word used in 1 Corinthians 15:53 and 54, 2 Corinthians 4:11 and 5:4.
This is important because the same word (mortal) is used to identify the process referred to in 2 Corinthians 4:11 in which the life of Christ is manifested in our flesh.
This shows that we can have both the mortal and immortal condition existing in our bodies at the same time.
The mortal is being (2 Corinthians 5:4) swallowed up by life or to put this another way – the outward man is perishing and the inner man is being renewed day by day, 2 Corinthians 4:16.
The “putting on” of the spiritual dwelling is a superimposition of the Life of Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:10. The knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ is the treasure that we have while in these jars of clay, 2 Corinthians 4:7.
The following paragraphs refer to the word translated as “clothed upon” in 2 Corinthians 5:2. It is clear that this Greek word means significantly more than the phrase “clothed upon” infers.
2Co 5:2 For
The word ependuomai is number 1902 in the strongs concordance, and is defined below.
1902. ependuomai ependuomai, ep-en-doo'-om-ahee
middle voice from 1909 and 1746; to invest upon oneself:--be clothed upon.
I am illustrating number 1746 (one of the root words mentioned above) for information purposes.
1746. enduow enduo, en-doo'-o
from 1722 and 1416 (in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively):--array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on.
The Greek word numbered 1909 (the other root word or Strong’s number 1902) is the one that I would like to draw attention to.
1909. epi epi, ep-ee'
a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).
The Strong’s concordance word numbered 1909 means superimposition. Putting on the heavenly dwelling or body is a simple case of superimposition.
The heavenly dwelling is superimposed upon the earthly dwelling during this life. This happens as a person stops sinning as is seen in 1 Corinthians 15:49. This is called putting on Christ.
This word “ependuomai” (1902) from 2 Corinthians 5:2 which refers to our clothing ourselves with the heavenly dwelling is a combination of the two root words mentioned previously. When combined these words mean “to superimpose with clothing”.
A superimposition is by definition the lying of one thing over another thing, as in - putting the incorruptible image of Christ over the corruptible image of man. This is exactly the concept of what is referred to as the outer man perishing and the inner man being renewed daily, 2 Corinthians 4:16. Coupled with the concept of life swallowing up death a person can get a good idea of what is referred to in this process of putting on the Heavenly dwelling.
The following verses also mention the life of Christ being manifest in our mortal flesh.
Ro 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Ga 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(KJV)
Eph 4:24 And <2532> that ye put on <1746> (5670) the new <2537> man <444>, which <3588> after <2596> God <2316> is created <2936> (5685) in <1722> righteousness <1343> and <2532> true <225> holiness <3742>.
Col 3:10 And <2532> have put on <1746> (5671) the new <3501> man, which <3588> is renewed <341> (5746) in <1519> knowledge <1922> after <2596> the image of him <1504> that created <2936> (5660) him <846>:
The body that Christians have on earth is both the mortal body and the immortal body spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15 and is found in the following statements. One is the outer man, which is perishing, 2 Corinthians 4:16. The other man is referred to as the inward man, which is being renewed day by day,
-- New American Standard
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
This is the same spiritual body or dwelling that is referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:50. Some people think that the Spiritual body that is referred to in 1 Corinthians 15 is the body after physical death. This is not the case - as is made clear in 2 Corinthians 5:6 and 7. After physical death we are said to be present with the Lord (Philippians 1:23) and it is said that to be present with the Lord is to be absent from the body. Since a “natural body” and a “spiritual body” are referred to in 1 Corinthians 15 it is plain that the reference is to the natural man perishing and the spiritual man being renewed daily, 2 Corinthians 4:16.
Another way to show that 1 Corinthians 15 is referring to the inner man and the outer man and not the state of the person after physical death is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 15:50.
-- New American Standard
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
It can be seen from this verse that flesh and blood is compared to that which is perishable.
The Kingdom of God is compared to that which is imperishable.
The kingdom of God is seen to be a present reality as far as Christians are concerned in Matthew 12:28.
-- New American Standard
Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Since this is the case the comparison must also hold true for the “imperishable” that is mentioned and used interchangeably with the words “incorruption” and “heavenly” and “Glory” in the same chapter. The imperishable (Kingdom of God or the Image of Christ) must be put on during our lives on earth.
From this evidence I conclude that the chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 5 and the whole concept of the “spiritual body” or “house which is from God” is not referring to a new body which Christians are given after their physical death and their subsequent second resurrection.
It is referring to a person that is increasingly motivated by the life of Christ. This is the state of the Christian during the first resurrection from the dead or the resurrection from the sinful state. This is a gradual progression from corruption to the image of the incorruptible Lord Jesus Christ. It describes the transition process beginning with being dead in sin and culminating in becoming a new creation in Christ. In biblical terminology it describes the process of Christ being manifest in our mortal flesh, 2 Corinthians 4:11.
-- New American Standard
2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
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