True Saints, When Absent From The Body, Are Present With The Lord by Jonathon Edwards
2 CORINTHIANS v. 3.--We are confident, I say, and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord.
THE apostle in this place is giving a reason why he went on
with so much boldness and immovable steadfastness, through such
labors, sufferings, and dangers of his life, in the service of his
Lord; for which his enemies, the false teachers among the
Corinthians, sometimes reproached him as being beside himself, and
driven on by a kind of madness. In the latter part of the
preceding chapter, the apostle informs the Christian Corinthians,
that the reason why he did thus, was, that he firmly believed the
promises that Christ had made to his faithful servants of a
glorious future eternal reward, and knew that these present
afflictions were light, and but for a moment, in comparison of
that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The same
discourse is continued in this chapter; wherein the apostle
further insists on the reason he had given of his constancy in
suffering, and exposing himself to death in the work of the
ministry, even the more happy state he expected after death. And
this is the subject of the text; wherein may be observed,
1. The great future privilege, which the apostle hoped for;
that of being present with Christ. The words, in the original,
properly signify dwelling with Christ, as in the same country or
city, or making a home with Christ.
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