What does the apostle Paul mean when he says he would rather be “absent from the body” and “present with the Lord”?

In verses 1–8, Paul is simply comparing our present mortal state with our future immortal life in heaven. He is showing us the difference between our earthly bodies that will someday perish and the new, perfect bodies that will be ours in heaven. Notice the expressions he uses for the two conditions:

– earthly house building from God

– this tent house not made with hands

– mortality our house which is from heaven

– in the body absent from the body

– absent from the Lord present with the Lord

The idea of being “absent from the body” does not teach that some immaterial part of us instantly floats up into heaven at the moment of death. It means to be absent from the infirmities of our earthly bodies, such as disease, sickness, and death. To be present with the Lord means to have our glorious immortal bodies that we’ll receive when Jesus comes.

Because we have no consciousness of time in death, it is true that for the believer, following the moment of death, their next conscious thought is inhabiting his or her glorified body. But that does not happen until the return of Christ and the resurrection.

Indeed, Paul is very clear precisely when the change from mortality will take place. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, 53, he writes, “For the trumpet will sound … and this mortal must put on immortality.” That will happen when Jesus comes.

Key Bible Texts

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (2 Corinthians 5:6 KJV)