2 Corinthians 5:9 (LSB)

Passage

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—

2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:11 So then, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we have been made manifest to God; and I hope that we have been made manifest also in your consciences.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "ambition", "whether", "home", "absent", and "pleasing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "ambition", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "we are of good courage and prefer..." into verse 10's "For we must all appear before the...", so "therefore" and "ambition" 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 "therefore" and "ambition" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.