2 Corinthians 5:9 (DBY)

Passage

Wherefore also we are zealous, whether present or absent, to be agreeable to him.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:7 (for we walk by faith, not by sight;)

2 Corinthians 5:8 we are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore also we are zealous, whether present or absent, to be agreeable to him.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things [done] in the body, according to those he has done, whether [it be] good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men, but have been manifested to God, and I hope also that we have been manifested in your consciences.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "zealous", "whether", "present", "absent", and "agreeable". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "zealous", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "we are confident I say and pleased..." into verse 10's "For we must all be manifested before...", so "wherefore" and "zealous" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wherefore" and "zealous" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.