1 For we know that when this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever. 2 And now we sigh, so great is our desire that our home which comes from heaven should be put on over us; 3 by being clothed with it we shall not be without a body. 4 While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life. 5 God is the one who has prepared us for this change, and he gave us his Spirit as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.
6 So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord's home. 7 For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight. 8 We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord. 9 More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. 10 For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.
Friendship with God through Christ
11 We know what it means to fear the Lord, and so we try to persuade others. God knows us completely, and I hope that in your hearts you know me as well. 12 We are not trying again to recommend ourselves to you; rather, we are trying to give you a good reason to be proud of us, so that you will be able to answer those who boast about people's appearance and not about their character. 13 Are we really insane? It is for God's sake. Or are we sane? Then it is for your sake. 14 We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that they all share in his death. 15 He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.
16 No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. 17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. 18 All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. 19 Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.
20 Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! 21 Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.
1 Mēs zinām: kad mūsu laicīgais telts mājoklis būs nojaukts, tad mums ir ēka no Dieva, mājoklis, kas nav rokām taisīts, bet mūžīgs debesīs. 2 Šeit mēs nopūšamies, ilgodamies būt ietērptiem savā mājoklī, kas ir no debesīm, 3 tiešām, ja būsim ietērpti, tad nebūsim kaili. 4 Šinī teltī būdami, mēs nopūšamies un panesam grūtības, jo negribam tapt izģērbti, bet pārģērbti, lai to, kas mirstīgs, pārņem dzīvība. 5 Bet Dievs ir tas, kas mūs tam sagatavojis, Viņš arī mums devis Garu par ķīlu. 6 Tāpēc mēs arvien turam drošu prātu un zinām: kamēr mājojam miesā, mēs esam svešumā, tālu no Tā Kunga. 7 Jo mēs dzīvojam ticībā, ne skatīšanā. 8 Bet mēs turam drošu prātu un gribam labāk atstāt miesas mājokli un būt mājās pie sava Kunga. 9 Tāpēc, vai pie Tā Kunga mājās būdami vai vēl svešumā, mēs cenšamies, lai būtu Viņam patīkami. 10 Jo mums visiem jāparādās Kristus soģa krēsla priekšā, lai ikviens saņemtu, ko, miesā būdams, darījis - vai labu vai ļaunu. 11 Tad nu pazīdami bijību Tā Kunga priekšā, mēs pārliecinām cilvēkus, bet Dievam esam pazīstami; es ceru, ka arī jūsu sirdsapziņā esam pazīstami. 12 Mēs jums sevi atkal neieteicam, bet jums dodam pamatu ar mums lepoties, lai varat nostāties pret tiem, kas lielās ar ārišķīgo un ne ar to, kas sirdī. 13 Ja aizrāvāmies līdz neprātam, tas notika Dievam par godu; ja esam apdomīgi, jums par labu. 14 Jo Kristus mīlestība mūs vada, kad tā spriežam: 15 tā kā viens ir miris par visiem, tātad visi ir miruši. Un Viņš mira par visiem, lai tie, kas dzīvo, nedzīvo vairs sev pašiem, bet Tam, kas par viņiem miris un uzmodināts. 16 Tad no šī brīža mēs neviena nepazīstam pēc miesas; un, ja arī mēs Kristu esam pazinuši pēc miesas, tomēr tagad vairs nepazīstam. 17 Tādēļ, ja kas ir Kristū, tas ir jauns radījums; kas bijis, ir pagājis, redzi, viss ir tapis jauns. 18 Bet tas viss nāk no Dieva, kas mūs ir salīdzinājis ar Sevi caur Kristu un mums devis salīdzināšanas kalpošanu. 19 Jo Dievs bija Kristū un salīdzināja pasauli ar Sevi, tiem viņu grēkus nepielīdzinādams, un ir mūsu starpā licis salīdzināšanas vārdu. 20 Tā mēs nākam, Kristus sūtīti, un pamācām, it kā Dievs runātu caur mums. Mēs lūdzam Kristus Vārdā: ļaujieties salīdzināties ar Dievu! 21 To, kas grēka nepazina, Viņš mūsu labā ir darījis par grēku, lai mēs Viņā kļūtu Dieva taisnība.
