2. Korinther 5:6

Translate as Greek, "Being therefore always confident and knowing," &c. He had intended to have made the verb to this nominative, "we are willing" (rather, "well content"), but digressing on the word "confident" (Co2 5:6-7), he resumes the word in a different form, namely, as an assertion: "We are confident and well content." "Being confident . . . we are confident" may be the Hebraic idiom of emphasis; as Act 7:34, Greek, "Having seen, I have seen," that is, I have surely seen. always--under all trials. BENGEL makes the contrast between "always confident" and "confident" especially at the prospect of being "absent from the body." We are confident as well at all times, as also most of all in the hope of a blessed departure. whilst . . . at home . . . absent--Translate as Greek, "While we sojourn in our home in the body, we are away from our home in the Lord." The image from a "house" is retained (compare Phi 3:20; Heb 11:13-16; Heb 13:14).

The apostle proceeds in showing the reasons why they did not faint under their afflictions, namely, their expectation, desire, and assurance of happiness after death (Co2 5:1-5), and deduces an inference for the comfort of believers in their present state (Co2 5:6-8), and another to quicken them in their duty (Co2 5:9-11). Then he makes an apology for seeming to commend himself, and gives a good reason for his zeal and diligence (Co2 5:12-15), and mentions two things that are necessary in order to our living to Christ, regeneration and reconciliation (Co2 5:16 to the end).