What happens to the soul and spirit when a believer dies, according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 5?
According to Paul in 2 Corinthians 5, when a believer dies, the soul and spirit depart from the body. That departure places the believer present with the Lord. Paul treats being absent from the body and present with the Lord as the believer’s state, whether still here or gone on to be with the Lord.
Les teaches that Paul has been dealing with the departure of the soul and spirit from the body, and that this departure puts the believer present with the Lord. In the surrounding verses, Paul speaks of being present or absent, and Les explains that this is beside the point: whether we are still here in this world or have gone on to be with the Lord, the issue is that we may be approved. Les emphasizes that these verses dealing with believers, from verse 1 through 13, are not dealing with salvation at all. Instead, they concern reward for our living here in this life as believers. The admonition to the believer is that we are not just saved to escape hell fire; we are saved to serve, and that is why He leaves us here.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
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