Word Study: Building (οἰκοδομὴν), 2Corithians 5: 1.
The word building appears in Micah 7:11, “The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.” Zion in the verse had experienced destruction from the Persians during captivity. However, God had heard Israelites cries and send prophet Micah to make the decree that there would be the restoration of their destroyed properties. Building in the context is a verb preceded by an indicative preposition, which means a process of restoration. The recovery is not only of the walls but also the peace which Israelis had before captivity. However, the building is a continuous verb in this case, primarily due to the indicative proposition for revealing constant restoration and peace.
Another verse that has the word building is 1Cor 3:9 “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” The context is at a time when Corinthian Christians had divisions based on different teaching of Peter, Paul, and Apollos. Paul reasoning out to the Corinthians that despite having different teachers, they are serving one God. The word building, in this case, is a noun president by another noun of possession. It does not mean an actual building as a structure but rather a metaphoric noun representing all Christians in Corinthians.
In 1Cor 14:26, Paul states that “When you come together, each one has a hymn…Let all things be done for building up.” The text context is at a time when church members in Corinthians were selfish in their various gifts and practices. Paul, in the text, cautions them that individualistic practices to benefit oneself and get fame was not benefiting the whole church and instead of making it weak. Building in the verse is a verb followed by an adverb up to make a phrasal verb. It means the development of the church through the consolidation of the various gifts and practices from different members.
The word building in 2Cor 5:1 is a noun where a determiner ‘a’ comes before to form a determiner phrase. In the context, however, the building is a spiritual body that will allow Christians to access heaven and live there forever. Paul, in the text, is encouraging Corinthians to persevere and accept to suffer while on earth since there is a better place, a building that will give them comfort. He compares the earth with the physical body that suffers and the building in heave with the spiritual body that is free from suffering.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia defines a building as a symbol of prosperity and increase or strengthening and establishing. Such a definition relates to that in 2 Cor 5:1, especially on the part of developing since Paul meant that Corinthians would have a new establishment in the spirt. The King James Version dictionary, on the other hand, defines a building as construction for convenience, which relates to convinience in a spiritual body that Paul demonstrates in the text. Following the various biblical and dictionary meanings of the word, a building in 2 Cor 5:1 means a convenient state of life with protection from temptations of sins and suffering.