Does 2 Corinthians 5:8 teach that when Christians die, they go immediately to be with the Lord?

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” - 2 Corinthians 5:8

A.    Again and again we hear it quoted: “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.”  Those who quote this assert that the moment a believer dies, he is “absent from the body” and at that very same moment he is “present with the Lord.” This is quoted particularly to oppose those who believe in soul sleep.  Tradition has passed on this quotation, and it has been accepted by many as Scripturally true. But let’s look a little further and see if God’s Word proves or disproves this belief.  

    E.W. Bullinger, who is probably best known for his notes in the Companion Bible, had this to say in regard to this text: “It is little less than a crime for anyone to pick out certain words and frame them into a sentence, not only disregarding the scope and context, but ignoring the other words in the verse, and quote the words ‘absent from the body, present with the Lord’ with the view of dispensing with the hope of the Resurrection (which is the subject of the whole passage) as though it were unnecessary; and as though ‘present with the Lord’  is obtainable without it.” 

    To ignore the scope, structure and context is to propound a literary fraud. It is somewhat like looking at a cell under a microscope and then, without regard to its origin, proclaim it to be something that it is not. The scope of something is the main subject of what is stated. Structure is the way the subject is presented by the writer. Context is the complete presentation of the subject.  All three must be considered  to arrive at a proper understanding of a subject.

     2 Corinthians 5:2, to the casual reader, may appear to be the start of another subject, but this is not the case. It is important to be aware of connectors.  A connector is a word that directs you back to what has preceded it. There are many connector words. Some are:  for, therefore, nevertheless, because.  Chapter 5 begins with: “For we know…”   The question is:  What is it that we know?   In  order  to understand this, we must go back to verses 16-18 of Chapter 4 which reads: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed  day  by  day.  For  our  light  affliction,   which  is  but  for  a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”    

    Much of the 4th and 5th Chapters refer to the temporal condition of the earthen (human) vessel that will one day die and return to the dust. The hope of the Resurrection is being held out as a great encouragement to the brethren. Vs. 17 of Chapter 4 speaks of a future eternal glory. Vs. 1 of Chapter 5 speaks of an eternal house in heaven. Vs. 4 holds out the hope of being clothed with life rather than being in our human house or body which is perishing day by day. Vs. 5 states that God “has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Are these not promises of future rewards, the things unseen which are eternal in the heavens?

    Let us look at vs. 10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (NKJV). Note that this says all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. When will this be? It is when all are resurrected from the dead. Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,  and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.”

    The scope, structure and context support the thought that it is the resurrection that Paul has in mind, and we know that the “first resurrection” mentioned in Rev. 20:6 is yet future. These verses do not teach that when a Christian dies he is immediately with the Lord. The Christian must wait in death until the first resurrection takes place.

    Philippians 1:21-24 is another set of Scriptures that is similarly used to “prove” this viewpoint: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, (See the Diaglott translation and footnote which shows that Paul’s personal desire was a  third choice,  which was) having a desire for the returning, and being with Christ, since it is very much to be preferred.  Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you…” 
                                                       
     The word “depart” used in verse 23 is the Greek word, analuo. This word is used in only one other place and that is in Luke 12:36 where it is rendered exactly the opposite to the meaning given in  verse  23 of the KJV.   “And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will re-turn from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.”  Though we do not consider the Apocryphal books as inspired by God, we certainly can consider them from a scholarly perspective. When we turn to them, we find that in every place where this Greek word analuo is used, it specifies to “return” rather than “depart.”  It would seem that the consistent use of “return,” which far outweighs the one time “depart” is used, would suggest to us that the use of the word “depart” was motivated by the preconceived belief that when a Christian  dies, he is immediately with the Lord.

    The word “depart” is used 130 times and is translated from 22 different Greek words, and none of these offer the choice of an opposite meaning as put forth by the word analuo in Phil. 1:23.  It was for the return of the Lord and being with him that Paul yearned.  If Paul had meant that Christians who die are immediately with the Lord, he would be contradicting his teaching in 1 Thes. 4:13-18: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 

    Let us always let the Word of God speak to us by the Holy Spirit, while keeping in mind, as we seek to prove all things, that we do not forget to consider the scope, structure and context of the text that we are seeking to understand. 1 John 2:27 tells us: “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit -- just as it has taught you, remain in him.”
                                       
  E.  Weeks  © CDMI