Waiting for Our New Bodies
1We know that the earthly tent we live in will be destroyed. But we have a building made by God. It is a house in heaven that lasts forever. Human hands did not build it. 2During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing. 3Then we will not be naked. 4While we live in this tent of ours, we groan under our heavy load. We don’t want to be naked. Instead, we want to be fully dressed with our house in heaven. What must die will be swallowed up by life. 5God has formed us for that very purpose. He has given us the Holy Spirit as a down payment. The Spirit makes us sure of what is still to come.
6So here is what we can always be certain about. As long as we are at home in our bodies, we are away from the Lord. 7We live by believing, not by seeing. 8We are certain about that. We would rather be away from our bodies and at home with the Lord. 9So we try our best to please him. We want to please him whether we are at home in our bodies or away from them. 10We must all stand in front of Christ to be judged. Each one of us will be judged for what we do while in our bodies. We’ll be judged for the good things and the bad things. Then each of us will receive what we are supposed to get.
Christ Brings Us Back to God
11We know what it means to have respect for the Lord. So we try to help other people to understand it. What we are is plain to God. I hope it is also plain to your way of thinking. 12We are not trying to make an appeal to you again. But we are giving you a chance to take pride in us. Some people take pride in their looks rather than what’s in their hearts. If you take pride in us, you will be able to answer them. 13Are we “out of our minds,” as some people say? If so, it is because we want to serve God. Does what we say make sense? If so, it is because we want to serve you. 14Christ’s love controls us. We are sure that one person died for everyone. And so everyone died. 15Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore. They should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we don’t look at anyone the way the world does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don’t anymore. 17When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone! The new is here! 18All this is from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ. 19God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. 20So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! 21Christ didn’t have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.
天上的房屋
1我們知道，我們的身體好比是地上的帳篷，如果毀壞了，我們就從上帝那裡得到一個住處，不是人手造的，而是天上永恆的「房屋」。 2我們在這地上的「帳篷」裡歎息，渴望早日遷進那天上的「房屋」，好像更換衣服一樣。 3我們一旦穿上新衣，就不會赤身露體了。 4我們在這「帳篷」裡勞苦歎息，並非想脫去這地上的身體，而是切望能穿上那天上的新身體，讓永恆的生命吞滅必朽的身體。 5是上帝為此目的預備了我們，並賜給了我們聖靈作擔保。
6所以，我們總是坦然無懼，儘管知道住在肉身之內便無法與主在一起。 7因為我們行事為人，是憑對上帝的信心，不是憑眼見。 8是的，我們坦然無懼，甚至更樂意離開身體，回到天家與主相聚。 9因此，我們立定心志，無論是住在肉身之內還是離開肉身，都要取悅主。 10因為我們所有的人都要出現在基督的審判台前，好按照各人在肉身之時所行的善惡接受賞罰。
勸人與上帝和好
11我們知道主是當受敬畏的，所以勸人歸信祂。我們的內心如何，上帝知道，我盼望你們的良心也知道。 12我們不是稱讚自己，而是讓你們有機會以我們為榮，叫你們可以反駁那些只貪圖外表虛榮、不注重內在實質的人。 13如果我們瘋狂，那是為了上帝；如果我們清醒，那是為了你們。 14因為基督的愛激勵我們，因為我們確信：基督一人既代替所有的人死了，所有的人就都死了。 15祂為眾人死，是要叫那些活著的人不再為自己活，而是要為替他們死而復活的基督活。
16從今以後，我們不再以貌取人了，雖然我們曾這樣看待基督，現在卻不再這樣看待祂了。 17若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，看啊，一切都更新了。 18這一切都是上帝的作為，祂藉著基督使我們與祂和好，又把勸人與祂和好的職分賜給了我們。 19也就是說，上帝在基督裡使世人與自己和好，不再追究他們的過犯。祂已託付我們去傳揚這和好之道。 20所以我們現在是基督的大使，可以說上帝正藉著我們發出呼求。我們替基督懇求你們：要與上帝和好！ 21上帝使無罪的基督擔當我們的罪，使我們可以藉著基督成為被上帝接納的義人。
