What was on Paul's mind when he wrote 2 Corinthians 5?
Paul was occupied with the thought that he might die and lose the rest of his ministry. He was still dealing with that concept, and the chapter addresses what happens when believers die, contrasting the earthly tent with the eternal building in the heavens.
Les teaches that when Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 5, he was still dealing with the whole concept that he thought he was going to die and lose the rest of his ministry. All of this was on the man's mind, yet the Holy Spirit was inspiring it. In this chapter, Les explains, Paul answers the common question of what happens when we die. The earthly house or tabernacle is like a tent, a temporary dwelling place; the body is only a dwelling for the real person—the mind, will, emotions, and personality. That earthly tabernacle will dissolve and return to the earth unless the rapture takes place, in which case it is changed. But dissolution does not stop us, because we have a building of God, a permanent house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.