For we also, who are in this tabernacle, do groan, being burthened; because we would not be unclothed, but clothed upon, that that which is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

“If, then, that seed [referred to] is here solidified and formed into a definite shape, it will possess the figure of a man, and not the form of the angels. How is it possible, therefore, that that seed should be after images of the angels, seeing it has obtained a form after the likeness of men? Why, again, since it was of a spiritual nature, had it any need of descending into flesh? For what is carnal stands in need of that which is spiritual, if indeed it is to be saved, that in it it may be sanctified and cleared from all impurity, and that what is mortal may be swallowed up by immortality; but that which is spiritual has no need whatever of those things which are here below. For it is not we who benefit it, but it that improves us.”

“And again he says: "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, not as if we were oppressed with an unwillingness to be unclothed, but (we wish)to be clothed upon." He here says expressly, what he touched but lightly in his first epistle, where he wrote: ) "The dead shall be raised Incorruptible (meaning those who had undergone mortality), "and we shall be changed" (whom God shall find to be yet in the flesh). It was accordingly not without good reason that he described them as "not wishing indeed to be unclothed," but (rather as wanting) "to be clothed upon; " in other words, as wishing not to undergo death, but to be surprised into life, "that this moral (body) might be swallowed up of life," by being rescued from death in the supervesture of its changed state.”

“For what the Lord then called "habitations," the apostle here calls "clothing." And what He there calls "friends" "of unrighteousness," the apostle here calls "houses" "dissolved." As then, when the days of our present life shall fail, those good deeds of beneficence to which we have attained in this unrighteous life, and in this "world" which "lieth in wickedness," will receive our souls; so when this perishable life shall be dissolved, we shall have the habitation which is before the resurrection—that is, our souls shall be with God, until we shall receive the new house which is prepared for us, and which shall never fall. Whence also "we groan," "not for that we would be unclothed," as to the body, "but clothed upon" by it in the other life.”

“"For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon." Here again he hath utterly and manifestly stopped the mouths of the heretics, showing that he is not speaking absolutely of a body differing in identity, but of corruption and incorruption: 'For we do not therefore groan,' saith he, 'that we may be delivered from the body: for of this we do not wish to be unclothed; but we hasten to be delivered from the corruption that is in it'. Wherefore he saith, 'we wish not to be unclothed of the body, but that it should be clothed upon with incorruption.' Then he also interprets it [thus,] "That what is mortal may be swallowed up of life." For since putting off the body appeared to many a grievous thing; and he was contradicting the judgments of all, when he said, "we groan," not wishing to be set free from it; ('for if,' says one, 'the soul in being separated from it so suffers and laments, how sayest thou that we groan because we are not separated from it?') lest then this should be urged against him, he says, 'Neither do I assert that we therefore groan, that we may put it off; (for no one putteth it off without pain, seeing that Christ says even of Peter, 'They shall "carry thee," and lead thee "whither thou wouldest not;"') but that we may have it clothed upon with incorruption.' For it is in this respect that we are burdened by the body; not because it is a body, but because we are encompassed with a corruptible body and liable to suffering, for it is this that also causes us pain. But the life when it arriveth destroyeth and useth up the corruption; the corruption, I say, not the body. 'And how cometh this to pass?' saith one. Inquire not; God doeth it; be not too curious.”

“After the Apostle commended the ministry of the new testament, both as to its dignity and as to its use, he consequently here commends it as to its reward; although he treated of the reward in some respect, in some way and incompletely, above, here nonetheless he treats of this completely. Concerning this he does three things. For first he treats of the reward; second, of the preparation and the reception of the reward, at "and therefore we strive whether," etc.; third, of the cause of both, namely of the preparation and of the reward which is awaited, at "but all things are of God, who reconciled," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the reward that is awaited; second he expresses the desire for the awaited reward, at "for in this we groan," etc. But because the reward which is awaited is inestimable, namely of heavenly glory, he therefore says "we know that," etc., as if to say, according to the Gloss, that it truly works in us a weight of glory, because this glory will be in the bodies, not only in the souls. "For," that is, because; "we know," that is, we are certain, because we already have it in hope, "that if our earthly house," that is, the body. For man, as has been said, is called mind, since it is the more principal part in man; and this mind is related to the body as a man is related to a house. For just as, when a house is destroyed, the man inhabiting it is not destroyed but remains, so, when the body is destroyed, the mind or rational soul is not destroyed, but remains. The earthly body, therefore, is called "the house of habitation," that is, in which we dwell. Job 4:19: "who dwell in houses of clay," etc. "Be dissolved," that is, be destroyed. "We know," I say, that we have "a building," that is, an edifice, "from God," that is, prepared by God. An edifice, I say, "a house not made with hands," that is, not by the work of man, nor by the work of nature, but an incorruptible body, which we shall assume; and this indeed is not made with hands, because incorruptibility in our bodies comes only from divine operation. Phil. 3:21: "he will reform the body of our lowliness," etc. "An eternal house," that is, a house prepared from eternity. Isa. 33:20: "a tabernacle that shall by no means be destroyed, in the heavens." Matt. 5:12: "your reward is abundant in heaven." This exchange, namely that in place of the earthly house they should have the heavenly, Job desired, saying in chapter 14:14: "all the days in which I now serve as a soldier." This exposition is according to the Gloss. But nevertheless it is not according to the apostolic sense, nor does it agree with what precedes or what follows. For since he has one continuous subject matter of which he speaks, he does not interpose another. And therefore let us see what the Apostle intends to say. Now it must be known that the Apostle wishes here to show that the saints reasonably endure tribulations, by which the present life is corrupted, because from this they immediately arrive at glory—not at a glorious body, as is said in the Gloss. And therefore he says: "therefore we have endured, for," that is, because, "we know," that is, we hold for certain, "that if our earthly house of this habitation," that is, the body, "be dissolved," that is, be corrupted through death, "we have," immediately, not in hope but in reality, a better house, namely a building, "a house not made with hands," that is, heavenly glory, not a glorious body. Of this house, moreover, it is said in John 14:2: "in my Father's house there are many mansions," etc. And this indeed is from God, not made with hands, because eternal glory is God himself. Ps. 30:3: "be to me a protecting God, and a house," etc. And "eternal," according to the letter, because God himself is eternal. "In heaven," that is, in the heights, because as soon as the body is corrupted, the holy soul attains this glory not in hope, but in reality. For even before the body is dissolved, we have this house in hope. Thus, therefore, the reward of the saints is admirable and desirable, because it is heavenly glory. Therefore he consequently subjoins the desire of the saints for this reward, saying "for in this we groan," etc. Where he does three things. First he expresses the desire of grace for the reward itself; second he shows that the desire of grace is retarded by the desire of nature, at "for we also who are in this tabernacle," etc.; third he shows how the desire of grace conquers the desire of nature, at "being confident therefore," etc. But the desire of grace is with fervor. "For in this we groan," etc., as if to say: this is the true proof that we have a house not made with hands, because if the desire of nature is not in vain, much less is the desire of grace in vain. Since, therefore, we have a most fervent desire of grace for heavenly glory, it is impossible that it should be in vain. And this is what he says, "we groan," that is, we desire by groaning, "in this"—that is, we being retarded in the desire of the soul. Ps. 119:5: "woe is me, that my sojourning," etc. For in that we are "desiring," that is, we desire, "to be clothed upon with our habitation," that is, the enjoyment of glory, "which is from heaven," that is, heavenly; which is called "habitation" because in that very glory the saints dwell as in their consolation. Matt. 25:21-23: "enter into the joy of your lord." But by saying "to be clothed upon," he gives to understand that that heavenly house, of which he had spoken above, is not something separated from man, but something inhering in man. For a man is not said to put on a house, but a garment; a house, however, someone is said to inhabit. These two, therefore, he joins together, saying "to be clothed upon with the habitation," by which he shows that that desire is for something inhering, because it is put on, and something containing and exceeding, because it is inhabited. But because he did not simply say "to be clothed," but "to be clothed upon," he subjoins the reason for his statement, saying "if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked." As if to say: if the soul were clothed with the heavenly habitation in such a way that it were not stripped of the earthly habitation, that is, our body were not corrupted through death, then the heavenly acquisition of that habitation would be a clothing-upon. But because it is necessary that it be emptied of the earthly habitation, in order that it be clothed with the heavenly, it cannot be called a clothing-upon, but a simple clothing. And therefore he says "if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked," as if to say: we would indeed be clothed upon, if we were found clothed, and not naked. For one who is naked is not said to be clothed upon, but only clothed. The Gloss, however, expounds otherwise, concerning a spiritual garment, saying: we desire to be clothed upon, which indeed will come to pass, yet on this condition, if we are found clothed, namely with virtues, and not naked, namely of virtues. Of these garments it is said in Col. 3:12: "put on, as the elect of God," etc. As if to say: no one will arrive at that glory, unless he has the virtues. This exposition, indeed, does not seem to agree with the intention of the Apostle. Thus, therefore, the desire of grace is fervent for the reward, but nevertheless it is retarded by the desire of nature, which he shows when he says "for while we are in this tabernacle," etc. Where first he sets down the condition of the natural desire; second he shows that even this state of the natural desire is from God, at "now he that works us," etc. Now the condition of the desire is a natural one retarding the desire of grace, because we would wish to be found clothed and not naked, that is, we would wish in such a way that the soul might arrive at glory, that the body not be corrupted through death. The reason for which is that a natural desire is present in the soul to be united to the body; otherwise death would not be penal. And this is what he says, "for," we, "who are in this tabernacle," that is, who dwell in this mortal body—2 Peter 1:14: "I know that the putting off of my tabernacle is swift"—"we groan," that is, within, in the heart, not only outwardly in voice, we groan, Isa. 59:11: "we shall groan like meditating doves," because it is hard to think about death. And yet "burdened," as though something existed against our desire, in that we cannot arrive at glory unless we lay down the body, which is so contrary to natural desire, as Augustine says, that not even old age itself could take away from Peter the fear of death. And therefore he says "for that we would not be unclothed," namely of the earthly tabernacle, "but clothed upon," with supercelestial glory, or, according to the Gloss, with a glorious body. But because it might seem unfitting that the body should, on the one hand, be corruptible by its own nature, if it had not been previously dissolved, and on the other hand, by reason of glory, be glorious, he subjoins the manner in which he would wish it to come about, saying "that what is mortal may be swallowed up," etc., as if to say: we do not wish to be clothed upon in such a way that the body remains mortal, but in such a way that glory takes away wholly the corruption of the body, without bodily dissolution. And therefore he says "that what is mortal may be swallowed up," that is, the very corruption of the body, "by life," namely of glory. 1 Cor. 15:54: "death is swallowed up in victory," etc.”

“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan , being burdened Being burdened, as the Syriac takes it, through the weight and load of the body. Yet we may say with S. Gregory Nazianzen : “ Take from me, O Lord, this heavy robe ” (this earthly, burdensome, and troublesome body), “but give me another, one that is lighter.” Not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon . We would not be deprived of the body, but we would be clothed upon with glory, if nevertheless being clothed with a body of flesh we be not found stripped of it by death. The Apostle is in the habit of speaking of the resurrection and the day of judgment as if they were close at hand, and as if he with the others then alive would behold them. CfL 1 Thess. iv. 17. Since the Apostle says that we would not be stripped of our body, Plato was wrong in identifying and a^fux, as though the body were a tomb. In this he was followed by Origen, who supposed souls to be enclosed in bodies as in prisons in punishment of their sins. But the soul does not long to be set free from the body, as it would if this theory were true. The body is therefore the friend, companion, and colleague of the soul, and the soul demands its body as form requires matter, and vice versd. The Apostle would seem to be here condemning this error of Plato and his followers, which was commonly taught in the schools of Corinth. That mortality might be swallowed up of life. Mortality by immortality”

“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan,.... There are some of the saints who are not in the tabernacle, the body. They were in it, but now are not; their bodies are in the grave, the house appointed for all living; and their souls are in the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, in everlasting habitations, in the mansions prepared in Christ's Father's house; and they have done groaning, being delivered from every oppressor, sin, Satan, and the world; are at rest from all their labours, and ate free from every burden; only the saints who are in the tabernacle of the body, in an unsettled state, groan, being in the midst of tribulation, and not yet in the enjoyment of that happiness they are wishing for. The reason of their groaning is, because they are burdened with the body itself, which is a clog and incumbrance to the soul in its spiritual exercises; and oftentimes by reason of its disorders and diseases a man becomes a burden to himself; but what the saints are mostly burdened with in this life, and which makes them groan the most, is the body of sin and death they carry about with them; the filth of it is nauseous, grievous, and intolerable; the guilt of it oftentimes lies very heavy on the conscience; the weight of it presses hard, and is a great hinderance to them in running their Christian race; nor have they any relief under this burden, but by looking to a sin bearing and sin atoning Saviour, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. They are also frequently burdened with Satan's temptations, with blasphemous thoughts, solicitations to sin, the fears of death, the pangs of it, and what will follow upon it; though God is faithful, who will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able to bear; however, these temptations are great burdens, and occasion many a groan: to which may be added the various afflictions of life, which though comparatively "light", are in themselves heavy, grievous burdens, and hard to be bore; the nature, number, and continuance of them often make them so; and especially they are such, when God is pleased to hide his face, and withhold the discoveries of his love and mercy. The apostle goes on to explain what he means by desiring to be clothed, not for that we would be unclothed; that is, of our bodies; and this he says, not through any love and liking he had to this animal life, or to the sensual methods of living here, which make natural men in love with life, and desirous of always living here; but from a principle of nature, which recoils at death, does not like a dissolution, chooses any other way of removing out of this world than by death; a translation of soul and body together to heaven, like that of Enoch and Elijah's, is more eligible even to a good man; or such a change as will be upon the living saints at the coming of Christ, which the apostle seems to have in view, who will be not unclothed of their bodies, as men are at death, but clothed upon; as is here desired, with incorruption and immortality: that mortality might be swallowed up of life; not that the mortal body, or the substance of the body, which is mortal, might be consumed and destroyed, but that mortality, that quality to which it is subject by sin, might be no more: and he does not say, that "death may be swallowed up of life", which will be done in the resurrection morn; but mortality, which being swallowed up by a translation, or such a change as will be at the last day, will prevent death: and the phrase, swallowed up, denotes the suddenness of the change, in an instant, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and that without any pain, or such agonies as usually attend death; and also the utter, final, and total abolition of mortality; so that there will never be more any appearance of it; his desire is, that it may be swallowed up "of the life", which is properly and emphatically life, as this life is not; and means the glorious, immortal, and everlasting life, which saints enter into as soon as they are rid of their mortal bodies, and the mortality of them.”

“For we that are in this tabernacle - We who are in this state of trial and difficulty do groan, being burdened; as if he had said: The whole of human life is a state of suffering, and especially our lot; who are troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, bearing about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus, and being always delivered unto death on the account of Jesus, Co2 4:8-11. These were sufficient burdens, and sufficient causes of groaning. Not for that we would be unclothed - We do not desire death, nor to die, even with the full prospect of eternal glory before our eyes, an hour before that time which God in his wisdom has assigned. But clothed upon - To have the fullest preparation for eternal glory. We wish not to die, whatever tribulation we may be called to pass through, till the whole will of God is accomplished in us and by us. That mortality might be swallowed up of life - Being fully prepared for the eternal state we shall scarcely be said to die, all that is mortal being absorbed and annihilated by immortality and glory. See the notes on Co1 15:51-56 (note). From the use of these expressions among the Jews, this seems to be the general meaning of the apostle.”

“For--resuming Co2 5:2. being burdened: not for that--rather, "in that we desire not to have ourselves unclothed (of our present body), but clothed upon (with our heavenly body). that mortality, &c.--rather, "that what is mortal (our mortal part) may be swallowed up of (absorbed and transformed into) life." Believers shrink from, not the consequences, but the mere act of dying; especially as believing in the possibility of their being found alive at the Lord's coming (Th1 4:15), and so of having their mortal body absorbed into the immortal without death. Faith does not divest us of all natural feeling, but subordinates it to higher feeling. Scripture gives no sanction to the contempt for the body expressed by philosophers.”