Can you explain what God meant when He said “To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD and who was He talking too?”

A Conflicting Teaching of Paul?

This text is found in 2 Corinthians 5:8. These words come from Paul.  The same letters to the Corinthians (1^st and 2 Corinthians) contain the very clear verses about the importance of the resurrection to the believer (1 Corinthians 15 for example).  So, is Paul teaching two different doctrines?  Does “absent from the body and present from the Lord” mean when a person dies, he/she goes immediately to her reward of eternal life in heaven?  For this passage to align with all the other passages from Paul, Jesus and the other writers about the second coming and resurrection, we must look at it in its context and the light of the many other passages. 

The typical understanding of the state of the dead is that they don’t die.  That their soul lives on forever, but there is at least a judgment before entrance into “the heavenly gates”, according to Paul.  Some say, the resurrection is merely the redeemed coming back to get their bodies.

The problem with the teaching of immediate reward is that it destroys the need for a resurrection and the second-coming.  To base our entire understanding on what happens at death on one verse and ignore all the multitude of very clear passages about the second coming and the resurrection of the body is poor exegesis and takes away the encouragement of Paul to “comfort one another with these words” which is found after the description of the coming of Christ and the dead rising first and then is being caught up to meet Him in the air…(1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18).   It would also negate “the mystery” Paul discloses regarding the clear scene of resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54:

^“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Notice that immortality is not given until those who sleep are changed (in a twinkling of an eye) when they are raised form the dead in an instant and they then move from mortal to immortality, corruptible (subject to decay) to incorruptible (not subject to decay).  The proclamation of “Death is swallowed up in victory” is not pronounced until Jesus returns and those who sleep in the grave are risen and changed. (Note: it is not His coming that is in a moment and a twinkling of an eye, but the change of the redeemed!)

The Passage:

Let’s read carefully the entire passage in the question above to get the immediate context.  Then let’s look at the context of the entire letter and Paul’s other similar statements about this topic:

Paul describes three states of a person existence:

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ³ if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴ For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5; 1-8

Paul tells us there are three states of existence a person can be in:

1. We are in an “earthly house” also called “this tent.” This is without doubt reference to our body.
2. Unclothed (Naked).  Neither in this “earthly house” “tent” nor in the building God has made for us. 
3. “Building of God” eternal in the heavens. This is the immortal body.

So there is a point where we are neither at home in this body or present with the Lord.  It is the being without clothing of life or naked We “groan” or desire to be clothed with the “building of God” that is “swallowed up” by life. This is our desire to move out of this life to the life God has made for us and for our bodies to be changed.

When do we receive the building of God that is immortal and swallowed up by life?  It is at the Second Coming as also described by Paul to the same Corinthians in his first letter.

^52“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (naked), but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15: 52-53

Here Paul describes the condition of the saved follower of Christ when He returns:

1. They “all sleep” waiting to be changed (verse 52). Paul describes this as being naked in 2 Corinthians 5: 2-3
2. At the “last trumpet” (second coming-See 1 Thess. 4:16-18) they are changed into the house mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5 above.
3. They “put on” (are clothed) with immortality (no longer subject to death) and incorruption (no longer subject to decay or growing old) at the second coming and the resurrection.

What is often overlooked is the term “sleep” to describe death even though it used by many Bible writers including Jesus to describe death.  This sleep is both unconscious and very quick (See Job 14:12, Job 19: 25-26, Psalm 13:33, Daniel 12:22, Matthew 9:24, John 11: 11-13, 1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thessalonians 4: 14, Eccl 9:5).  This is what it means to be naked according to Paul.  It is that place where we are neither clothed in this mortal body or in the immortal body given at the second coming.

The sleep of death is very quick as an experience for both the believer and the unbeliever. 

Jesus taught two resurrections.  When a saved person dies, the next thing they see is Jesus in the air with all the other people being resurrected or “caught up” to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18).  The next thing the unsaved see is something different (A different topic for another time).  Whether dead for one moment, one year, or a thousand years before the Lord returns, the sleep is instantaneous in their minds.  If you have ever been put under general anesthesia, you hear the anesthetist say, “we are putting you to sleep…” and the very next words are “you are in the recovery room” even though you may have been in surgery for hours.

To be absent from the body and present with the Lord does not mean immediate presence with the Lord in the scheme of time without the judgment and the second coming of Jesus.  But to the believer, the sleep of death is quick and unconscious.

Real Comfort From God’s Word:

Over the years, I have heard many words spoken to comfort the bereaved.  Often those words have no basis in God’s word.  Some even border on the ridiculous.  I actually heard this at a funeral a few years ago.  The “pastor” in his zeal to bring comfort to a grieving family of a man who loved to hunt and drink came up with this wild and untrue scenario of the condition of the deceased:   “Our brother, is now hunting with St. Peter and drinking his favorite whisky.”  Sounds great, but there is so much wrong with that illusion.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer the words of God when it comes to comforting those who have lost a loved one.

Such was the case when Paul sought to remind the people of Thessalonica what they  had forgotten.  The people had expected Jesus to have already returned.  That was their hope of eternal life and it is ours too.  Paul ended the true description of the return of Christ and the condition of the deceased with this statement for which we all desire, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  What was it that Paul said that lead to this conclusion?  It is the hope in the second coming and the resurrection of the dead…those who are in Christ.  Here are the exact words.  They are, perhaps, the clearest picture of the return of Christ. 

“For the Lord Himself will descend (come down) from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. THEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHE WITH THESE WORDS.” 1 Thess. 4: 16-18

If you read carefully, you will notice several great Biblical truths: 1.) The Lord Himself (not an angel or someone else) comes. It is not quiet nor secretive.    2.)  He comes down to us, and brings us up to Him when He returns.  3.) Those who were “in Christ” when they died are resurrected. 4.)  Those who are “left” (alive and remain) meet the Lord in the air. What a great reunion day that will be!  Those who have been separated for so many years meet the Lord in the air…not heaven…in the air.  5.)  Eternity starts there in the air after the resurrection and the changing of our bodies into glorious immortal bodies (See 1 Cor. 15: 51-54)  According to Jesus, he then takes us to where He is now (John 14:1-4). 6.).  It is in this description (words) of the return of Christ that we are to find our comfort.

Paul could not have described a better picture of hope and comfort!  The resurrection of the saved and the great reunion day that starts on that day is our hope…the source of comfort.  we trust Jesus by faith now, but the reality is on that great day of His return.

Jesus gave the same hope in the following words of comfort.  It, too, is centered on the Second coming and taking us to where He is now. 

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14: 1-3

Like Paul, Jesus’ concern is that our hearts are not troubled. That we are comforted in His words  The disciples were troubled because Jesus was telling them of His pending death and His going away (See previous chapter, John 13.)  Jesus comfort to them was to give them hope in His return after preparing a place for them (and us).  When would they see Him again?  The answer is clear from Jesus…when He comes again and He receives us.  It is then that He takes us to where He is now (heaven). 

Is it not clear that our joy and comfort is in the promise of Jesus’ return and the fact that He holds the keys of the grave and death (See Revelation 1:18)? 

Paul was adamant about the second coming and the resurrection of the saved as our only hope…our only comfort…Paul gives even more detail about the resurrection and its absolute necessity for our salvation from death in 1 Corinthians 15.

“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty…And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished.” 1 Corinthians 15: 14, 17-18.

Never comfort me with false words that my loved one is in heaven looking down on me.  How could that be heaven for them?  It is unbiblical.  My comfort is in that blessed hope of His return.  I am

“looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ” Titus 2:13

The crown of life will be given at the return of Christ and not before. Look carefully at the statements of Jesus, Peter, and Paul:  2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54, 1 Peter 5:4, Luke 14:14

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to ALL WHO HAVE LOVED HIS APPEARING.” 2 Timothy 4:8

The last chapter of Revelation, Jesus tells us when we receive our reward and this crown.  Jesus brings it with Him!  “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Revelation 22:12