2 Corinthians 5:7

The context

Paul is defending his ministry to a congregation that has been impressed by rival teachers. The sentence belongs to a stretch about courage, the tent we live in, and the longing to be at home with the Lord. The clause sits between a statement of confidence and a statement of ambition to please him.

What it establishes

Paul describes the present Christian life as oriented by trust in what is not seen, rather than by direct sight of its object. It is a description of the church's ordinary condition, not an exceptional state.

What it does not establish

It does not commend credulity. Faith here is trust in a person who has acted, not a general licence to believe claims without evidence; the letter's own arguments from testimony and conduct assume otherwise.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• I prayed, "Dear God, forgive me. I’m sorry. Jesus wasn’t a myth." No bear hugs from God. No ‘truth switch’ turned on. It’s still all nonsense. Why?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.