F. To be absent from the body and present with the Lord– 2 Corinthians 5:8
At first glance, it would seem that Paul is talking about the soul going to heaven right at death. However, if you look at the other verses preceding it (2 Corinthians 5:2-4) we see that Paul speaks about an "unclothed" state that he desires not to be found in. This unclothed state is the intermediate period of death that he desires to bypass before he is clothed in immortality. His desire is to not see death, but to go straight to heaven (like Elijah and Enoch). To be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord does not take into account that there is no time factor in the grave.
When you die, the next thing you will see is the face of Jesus. Paul states quite frankly in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 when this "unclothed" state is done away with and immortality is assured. (see also 2nd Timothy 4:6-8 where Paul speaks about his departure being at hand and then says that it will occur at the last day for all people which cross references to 1 Corinthians 15:23 and John 6:40)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...For I am in a strait between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better - Philippians 1:21,23
Why does it say that ‘ to live is Christ and to die is gain? Some take this to mean that ‘to die is gain’ because Paul gets to go to heaven. However, this doesn’t take into account vs 20 which explains how ‘living is Christ’ is tied to ‘dying for Christ’.
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.
Paul speaks here of martyrdom and that to die is gain in that he will show Christ by his example of sacrificing himself for the cause of the faith. So to assume that Paul is saying that to die is gain because he gets to go to heaven as soon as he dies is not an accurate assumption.
There is no time factor in the grave. To be absent from the body will be to be present with the Lord. A Christian’s next waking moment will be to be with Christ, woken up by his voice and being gathered into His keeping It will seem instantaneous. The next thing Paul will see is the face of Jesus coming in the clouds. This verse does not say that Paul would immediately be with the Lord. Paul is not talking about any sort of duration but merely of fact: that after death will come life. But notice when Paul says elsewhere when this life will happen:
Every man in their own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward they that are His at his coming – 1 Corinthians 15:23
Were this the only verse to describe eternal life, it could very well be taken as authoritative in the regard of explaining life after death. However we have numerous other scriptures that show when Paul and the rest of the Christians believed eternal life was granted: at the resurrection.
Just to show how ambiguous this text can be, let me present a third option. Perhaps the phrase ‘to depart and be with Christ’ may not mean dying and going to heaven at all but a third option: translation. It is contradictory for Paul to say that he cannot choose between life or death because each one has its benefits and then say that to "depart and be with Christ is far better". If ‘to die is gain’ is a far better choice then to ‘remain and be with you’, there would be no inner battle in Paul between choosing life or death. Paul's desire (as we saw in the 2nd Corinthians 5:8) was to not even see death. The far better choice other than life or death (which were equally the same because of Paul's inner battle) would be to be taken up to heaven immediately like Elijah and Enoch. THAT is the far better choice than the other two with which Paul was struggling. Paul shows in the verses before and after that each one has its benefits. Life and death are inevitable and expected, but his desire is to be translated and not see death. He says that ‘nevertheless to remain and be with you’ (not to die or be translated) is better for them. This sounds similar to the language Paul uses when talking about the resurrection:
And we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds – 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Rather than be caught up in the clouds (like Elijah in the fiery chariot), Paul feels that to ‘remain’ on the earth is better for his followers.
At first glance, it would seem that Paul is talking about the soul going to heaven right at death. However, if you look at the other verses preceding it (2 Corinthians 5:2-4) we see that Paul speaks about an "unclothed" state that he desires not to be found in. This unclothed state is the intermediate period of death that he desires to bypass before he is clothed in immortality. His desire is to not see death, but to go straight to heaven (like Elijah and Enoch). To be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord does not take into account that there is no time factor in the grave.
When you die, the next thing you will see is the face of Jesus. Paul states quite frankly in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 when this "unclothed" state is done away with and immortality is assured. (see also 2nd Timothy 4:6-8 where Paul speaks about his departure being at hand and then says that it will occur at the last day for all people which cross references to 1 Corinthians 15:23 and John 6:40)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...For I am in a strait between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better - Philippians 1:21,23
Why does it say that ‘ to live is Christ and to die is gain? Some take this to mean that ‘to die is gain’ because Paul gets to go to heaven. However, this doesn’t take into account vs 20 which explains how ‘living is Christ’ is tied to ‘dying for Christ’.
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.
Paul speaks here of martyrdom and that to die is gain in that he will show Christ by his example of sacrificing himself for the cause of the faith. So to assume that Paul is saying that to die is gain because he gets to go to heaven as soon as he dies is not an accurate assumption.
There is no time factor in the grave. To be absent from the body will be to be present with the Lord. A Christian’s next waking moment will be to be with Christ, woken up by his voice and being gathered into His keeping It will seem instantaneous. The next thing Paul will see is the face of Jesus coming in the clouds. This verse does not say that Paul would immediately be with the Lord. Paul is not talking about any sort of duration but merely of fact: that after death will come life. But notice when Paul says elsewhere when this life will happen:
Every man in their own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward they that are His at his coming – 1 Corinthians 15:23
Were this the only verse to describe eternal life, it could very well be taken as authoritative in the regard of explaining life after death. However we have numerous other scriptures that show when Paul and the rest of the Christians believed eternal life was granted: at the resurrection.
Just to show how ambiguous this text can be, let me present a third option. Perhaps the phrase ‘to depart and be with Christ’ may not mean dying and going to heaven at all but a third option: translation. It is contradictory for Paul to say that he cannot choose between life or death because each one has its benefits and then say that to "depart and be with Christ is far better". If ‘to die is gain’ is a far better choice then to ‘remain and be with you’, there would be no inner battle in Paul between choosing life or death. Paul's desire (as we saw in the 2nd Corinthians 5:8) was to not even see death. The far better choice other than life or death (which were equally the same because of Paul's inner battle) would be to be taken up to heaven immediately like Elijah and Enoch. THAT is the far better choice than the other two with which Paul was struggling. Paul shows in the verses before and after that each one has its benefits. Life and death are inevitable and expected, but his desire is to be translated and not see death. He says that ‘nevertheless to remain and be with you’ (not to die or be translated) is better for them. This sounds similar to the language Paul uses when talking about the resurrection:
And we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds – 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Rather than be caught up in the clouds (like Elijah in the fiery chariot), Paul feels that to ‘remain’ on the earth is better for his followers.