The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (201 page)

5:9-10
In order to possess Christ in heaven we must strive to
please
him on earth. On the Day of Judgment, he will review every one of our thoughts, words, and deeds performed in the body (Mt 25:31-46).
See note on Rom 2:6
. 
Back to text.

5:10 good or evil:
Seems to envision rewards and penalties for the faithful departed, as in 1 Cor 3:12-15. 
Back to text.

5:12 those who pride themselves:
I.e., Paul's critics in Corinth. They are preoccupied with his
position
(outward appearance), not with the more important intentions of his
heart
(cf. 1 Sam 16:7). 
Back to text.

5:13 beside ourselves:
Although interpretations of this saying are debated, it probably means one of two things.
(1)
Paul's exceptional zeal for the gospel was viewed by his opponents as madness (Acts 26:24), despite the fact that he was always reasonable and moderate with the Corinthians themselves.
(2)
Paul's charismatic experiences, while times of intense communion with God, did not benefit the Corinthians as much as his sober instruction and spiritual guidance (12:1-7; 1 Cor 14:18-19). 
Back to text.

5:14 the love of Christ urges us on:
The sacrificial love of Christ displayed on the Cross was overwhelming to Paul as it should be to us (Rom 5:8). This same divine love is poured into our hearts through the Spirit (Rom 5:5) and urges us to spread it among others by word and example (Jn 15:12-13) (CCC 851). 
Back to text.

5:15 no longer for themselves:
Christians are born to a new life of grace that enables them to conquer selfishness and the tendency to live solely for private, personal interests. Purchased for God at the price of Christ's blood (1 Cor 6:20), believers should strive to live the rest of their days
for him
(CCC 655, 1269). 
Back to text.

5:16 according to the flesh:
According to some, this implies that Paul knew the historical Jesus during his earthly ministry. More likely, Paul is claiming that life in the Spirit brings a new perception of things, more penetrating than natural reason (1 Cor 2:12-15). Whereas the crucified
Christ
appears dead and defeated from a human viewpoint, from a spiritual viewpoint his Cross is a powerful sign of victory and life. 
Back to text.

5:17 a new creation:
Baptism transfers us from the bondage of sin and slavery to the blessings of salvation and sonship. The New Covenant thus begins a
new
order in history where creation is steadily renewed, beginning with our souls and extending into every corner of the cosmos (Rom 8:1925; Rev 21:1-5). Christ does not destroy the
old
order of creation but heals it, perfects it, and elevates it with supernatural life (CCC 1214, 1265). • The prophets of Israel envisioned this renewal far in advance of Christ's coming. Isaiah announced that Yahweh would restore the world, beginning with Israel (Is 42:6-9; 43:18-21; 65:17; 66:22). Other oracles foretold a return to the conditions of creation in Eden before sin and decay entered in (Is 51:3; Ezek 36:33-35). 
Back to text.

Not Made with Hands (2 Cor 5:1)

T
HE SCRIPTURES
often describe the works of God as works "made without hands". Implied in these words is a contrast with the works of human hands. The contrast recurs several times in the Bible because there is no little difference between the two. The products of men's hands, even if they serve a sacred and religious purpose, will always fall short of the perfection and glory of God. They will always be frail and imperfect and part of this world. The works of the Lord, however, are perfect and lasting and pure. They are heavenly and spiritual and will never pass away. Even so, God has arranged to teach us about the works of his own hands through the works of human hands.

Scripture points us to several temporary and visible symbols of the Old Covenant that instruct us about the eternal and invisible blessings of the New.

A NEW CIRCUMCISION

Circumcision of the flesh is a work of human hands (Eph 2:11). With one swipe of the flint knife, a young boy enters the divine covenant made with Abraham (Gen 17:9-14). According to the Torah, however, circumcision was not an end in itself. It was an outward sign of what the people of Israel were supposed to do on the inside: cut away the stubbornness of their hearts (Deut 10:16). Because sin and weakness made this impossible, Moses promised that the Lord himself would reach down and do for the Israelites what they could not do for themselves—circumcise their hearts (Deut 30:6). In Paul's mind, this is precisely what happens in Baptism, which is the circumcision of Christ "made without hands" (Col 2:11).

A NEW KINGDOM

The prophet Daniel was once called upon to interpret the dreams of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar. In one of his dreams, the king saw a huge statue of a man made of various metals and clay (Dan 2:31-35). The statue was impressive to the sight, but the king saw a small stone cut out "by no human hand" (Dan 2:34) smash the statue into pieces and become a gigantic mountain that spread itself over the earth. In his interpretation, Daniel told the king that this stone was a new kingdom that God himself was about to establish that would pulverize the empires built by men and extend its dominion over the world (Dan 2:44-45). What Nebuchadnezzar had seen, in other words, was the messianic kingdom of God.

A NEW TEMPLE

The Temple in Jerusalem is a powerful sign of things eternal. According to the Book of Hebrews, this Israelite sanctuary was a model of the heavenly Temple above, a replica of the true sanctuary "not made with hands" (Heb 9:11) that Jesus entered once for all at his Ascension (Heb 9:24).

On a different level, Jesus linked the Temple with the mystery of his humanity: "Destroy this temple," he said, "and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). His enemies misunderstood these words and at his trial accused him of threatening to demolish the Temple "made with hands", only to build another one just like it, though "not made with hands" (Mk 14:58). In fact, Jesus had not threatened to destroy the Jerusalem sanctuary, nor did he intend to build another in its place; rather, he had promised to raise up the temple of his human body in the Resurrection (Jn 2:21). This is a divine work beyond the ability of mere human hands. For Paul, the saints await the same hope of a resurrected body that is eternal and "not made with hands" (2 Cor 5:1).

A NEW JERUSALEM

What was true of the ancient Temple was true also of the city that encompassed it: it was an earthly sign of a heavenly reality. For centuries, the people of Israel looked to Jerusalem as the city where God was honored and worshiped in a special way (Ps 46:4-5). This was the one place in all the earth where God had chosen to make his presence dwell (Deut 12:11). Yet even Jerusalem was an earthly city built of stones that were hewn and stacked by human hands.

According to the Book of Hebrews, the saints of the Old Covenant searched in their hearts for something greater and more lasting. They looked for a better city (Heb 11:16), a city "whose builder and maker is God" (Heb 11:10). This city is the heavenly Jerusalem, where angels and saints gather for worship in the eternal presence of the Lord (Heb 12:22-23). «
Back to 2 Corinthians 5:1.

5:18 ministry of reconciliation:
The ministry of the apostles is to reunite the human family with the Father. For this to happen, the barrier of sin that separates them must be torn down by the sacramental and evangelistic actions of the Church (Mt 26:28; Jn 20:23; Acts 2:38) (CCC 981, 1424, 2844). 
Back to text.

5:19 not counting their trespasses:
Essential to our reconciliation with God but not equivalent to it. Forgiveness, though it includes the nonimputation of sin (Rom 4:6-8), is based on a true removal of guilt (Ps 103:12) by the cleansing power of the Sacraments (Jn 20:23; Acts 22:16; Jas 5:14-15). This is why Paul describes the believer as "a new creation" in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). 
Back to text.

5:20 ambassadors:
The term refers to envoys who represented Roman emperors in distant territories. These representatives carried the authority of the reigning ruler with them wherever they went. Similarly, Christians in general and the apostles in particular bear, each in their own way, the royal, priestly, and prophetic authority of Christ to the world (Mt 18:18; Rom 15:16; Rev 5:9-10) (CCC 859). 
Back to text.

5:21 made him to be sin:
Jesus was not made a sinner or personally counted guilty of sin on the Cross. Rather, he bore the curse of death that mankind incurred because of sin (Gal 3:13; 1 Pet 2:22-24), even though he himself
knew no sin,
i.e., committed no sin (Jn 8:46; 1 Jn 3:5) (CCC 602-3). • Paul adopts the idiom of the Greek OT, where "sin" is a shorthand expression for a Levitical "sin offering" (Lev 4:21; 5:12; 6:25). Isaiah uses this same language for the suffering Messiah, who was expected to make himself an "offering for sin" (Is 53:10).
the righteousness of God:
An important expression in Paul's writings. It can refer
(1)
to God's own righteousness that is manifest to the world when he is faithful to his covenants (Rom 3:25-26) and
(2)
to the gift of righteousness that God imparts to the baptized (Phil 3:9).
See note on Rom 1:17
. 
Back to text.

6:1 in vain:
Unless the Corinthians recognize and follow Paul as their apostolic father and founder, the "false apostles" (11:13) could lead them to spiritual ruin. The danger of falling from grace is a reality faced by every believer in this life (Gal 5:4; Heb 6:4-6; 2 Pet 2:20-22). 
Back to text.

6:2 At the acceptable time:
A citation from the Greek version of Is 49:8. • Isaiah outlines the mission of the Servant Messiah: he will restore the tribal family of Israel and bring the light of salvation to the Gentiles (Is 49:6). Christ fulfills this mission through the apostolic ministry of his servants, like Paul (Acts 13:47). In this context, Paul is stressing that God is ready
(now)
to help the Corinthians in their time of crisis, reminding them that the window for repentance will not always remain open (CCC 859, 1041). 
Back to text.

6:3 no obstacle:
A central part of Paul's pastoral ministry. It means that he
(1)
always practices what he preaches and that
(2)
he willingly surrenders certain apostolic rights that might burden others or be susceptible to misunderstanding (Rom 14:13; 1 Cor 9:12; 10:33). 
Back to text.

6:4-7
A list of Paul's afflictions (6:4-5) and virtues (6:6-7). His countless tribulations reveal his sacrificial love for the Corinthians, and his proven character shows him a genuine servant of Christ. By listing his trials, Paul is boasting that he more closely resembles the suffering and crucified Jesus than any of his critics (11:23-30). 
Back to text.