survived the coming of the Lord. Besides, the whole basis of this interpretation is unsound. Paul did not expect to survive the second advent, as is plain from 2 Thess. 2, 1-6. See the comment on 1 Cor. 15, 51.
3. The third interpretation assumes that the apostle refers not to the spiritual body but to a mansion in heaven. In the preceding verse he said that he earnestly desired to be clothed upon with his house from heaven, " since," he adds, " being clothed, we shall not be found (i. e. shall not be) naked." As the house from heaven is spoken of as a garment, being house- less is expressed by the word naked. This interpretation gives the same translation of the words as the preceding, but a different exposition of their meaning ; and it has the advan- tage of agreeing logically with the context and with the ele- vated tone of the whole passage. ' If I die,' says Paul, ' I know I have a home in heaven, and I earnestly desire to enter on that heavenly house, since when driven from this earthly tabernacle I shall not be houseless and homeless.' According to this view the object of his desire was the glory and bless- edness of heaven ; according to the other, it was that he might live until Christ came, and thus escape the pain of dying. This was an object comjjaratively insignificant, and utterly out of keeping with the heroic spirit which pervades the whole context.
4. For we that are in (this) tabernacle do groan, being burdened : not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
This Averse gives the reason of the desire expressed in v. 2. ' We desire our house which is from heaven, for in this we groan, <fec.' The words ot wrcs mean tee who are^ not ' whilst we are,' which would require the simj^le ovt€^ Avithout the ar- ticle. 1)1 this tabernacle^ Iv tw o-kt/i/ci, literally, in tlie taberna- cle, i. e. the tabernacle mentioned in v. 1, and implied in v. 2. Do groa7i being burdened^ i. e. because burdened. The bur- den meant may be the affliction by which Paul was over- whelmed ; or the body itself; or the longhig after a better world. As this passage is intimately connected with the pre- ceding chapter, in which the apostle had spoken so freely of his sufferings, and as his experience in view of death was de-