Craig A. Brittingham, Pastor
Hillside Baptist Church
April 12, 2026
“The Believer’s Death” – 2 Corinthians 5:1-11
1A. God has promised the believer in Christ a new body after the death of the body in which he now dwells (5:1-5).
1b. Paul wrote of the believer’s present body as an earthly house or tent (vs. 1; cf. 2 Peter 1:13-15).
1c. He wrote of the new body (which we will receive at the resurrection when Christ returns) as a building from God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens (cf. Heb. 9:11).
2c. Note the contrast of an earthy house, a tent which is temporary and an eternal house in the heavens.
2b. Paul also spoke of the body as clothing (vv. 2-4).
1c. We will be “naked” or “unclothed” between the time of our death and the resurrection.
2c. In other words, we will live as a spirit without a body in heaven which is often referred to as the intermediate state (see Heb. 12:22-23).
3c. Though we will be present with the Lord in spirit, which is better than being here on the present earth, our ultimate desire is to be present with Him in our
new resurrection bodies.
3b. God has prepared us for this very thing and given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.
2A. At death, the believer in Christ will absent his body and be immediately present with the Lord (5:6-8).
1b. He will reside in heaven in the intermediate state (a disembodied spirit) until Christ returns.
2b. When Christ returns, He will bring with Him these believers who will be reunited with their raised and changed bodies (see 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).
Questions…
1. Why does the Bible refer to our bodies as tents?
2. What is the building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens?
3. What does the phrase, “not made with hands” mean?
4. What contrasts did Paul draw between our present bodies and our new bodies?
5. Why did Paul refer to our new bodies as being eternal in the heavens?
6. What is the intermediate state?
7. Does Hebrews 12:22-23 refer to it? If so, how?
8. How did God guarantee us that we will receive new bodies?
9. Why should we not desire to remain bodiless spirts forever?
10. When will we receive our new bodies?