Away from Home
7/31/25 Bible Thought (2 Corinthians 5)
I have often heard people claim that faith and fear are opposites.
Essentially, the idea is that to have faith is to not be afraid, and to trust. While this is certainly true, I find that in Scripture it seems that a more common antonym for faith is sight.
The author to the Hebrews would define faith in these terms,
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1, emphasis added).
This is also one of the key ideas of 2 Corinthians 5.
After recounting some of his trials as an apostle, Paul points out that even if his earthly tent—that is his physical body—is destroyed, there is a “building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).
With this, the apostle brings out such a beautiful contrast.
On earth, we have a tent. We are camping. We are away from home.
Paul knew an awful lot about tents because tentmaking was his occupation he used to fund his ministry (Acts 18:3).
One scholar has noted,
“More than any of us has supposed, Paul was Paul the Tentmaker. His trade occupied much of his time.…”[1]
Interestingly enough, the only verse in the entire Bible that tells us Paul’s vocation takes place during his ministry in Corinth.
There, it would have been commonplace for travelers to stay in tents, and for sailors to live in tents while their boats were docked.[2] Presumably then, the believers to whom Paul is writing had seen him laboring with his own hands.
Now, a tent by nature is not intended to be a permanent home. It’s temporary. Tent-dwelling characterizes one who is on a journey that has yet to arrive at their final destination.
Such it is for us.
This earthly life that we presently live isn’t the end of the story. In fact, it’s not even home! It’s temporary. It’s a camping trip, and oftentimes not exactly the kind you would have hoped for!
The knowledge that a heavenly home awaits us is one of the greatest sources of encouragement for the believer.
As a result, twice in today’s passage Paul shows himself an example of one who was of “good courage” (2 Cor. 5:6,8).
Now, remember, these are words coming from someone whose life was regularly endangered for the preaching of the gospel! Yet, he had his eyes so fixed on eternity that what happened here on earth was actually secondary in importance—even though it’s all we can presently see.
Paul concluded,
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).
Keeping our eyes fixed by faith on eternity has two implications according to today’s passage.
First, it brings great encouragement (2 Cor. 5:6). We have the assurance of a future resurrection body and a heavenly home that is permanent and established for us.
Second, knowing the truth of eternity and that we are just passing through this life, we make it our chief aim in everything to please the Lord, knowing that one day judgment is coming (2 Cor. 5:9-10).
Let us then keep our eyes firmly fixed on that heavenly home. It will encourage us when we’re downtrodden or afraid and motivate us when we’re lax.
We might not “see” today, but the coming eternal realities are more real than anything we could ever imagine.
As a result, we walk by faith.
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[1] Hock,1980, as cited in Paul W. Barnett, “Tentmaking,” Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 926.
[2] Clinton E. Arnold, Acts, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, vol. 2B of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 182.