Evangelicals invariably misconstrue, and often misquote, that passage. There is no hint of a logical implication in it; it merely asserts Paul’s hope for two things, without claiming that one implies the other.
exactly, its a ‘go to’ for our separated brethern to prop up their own version of the faith as opposed to what was actually taught by the apostles, Sacred Tradition and the Church.
I do not have time to lay out original language structure and words, but it would not make much sense to non-Greek readers. If anyone is interested in seeing the passage and every other NT passage laid out structurally as parts of speech, I recommend the Lexham High Definition New Testament. It is a treasure.
I will copy and past some thoughts from someone I respect and studied under at seminary that briefly touch on structure in this commentary on 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 5:6–8Verses 6–8 bear the same relation to each other as do verses 2–4.
Verses 2 and 6 make a statement.Since we have the promise that we will obtain a glorified body (v. 1), and since we have a pledge of that promise in our present transformation (v. 5), we can feel consistently confident.
Verses 3 and 7 are parenthetical,
and verses 4 and 8 expand verses 2 and 6 respectively.
Statement: verse 2 & verse 6
Parenthesis: verse 3 & verse 7
Explanation: verse 4 & verse 8
However because we are absent from the Lord while we are living in our mortal bodies we desire to leave these bodies and take up our new residence in the Lord’s presence. Note that there are no other alternatives for the believer. We are either in our mortal bodies and absent from the Lord or we are with the Lord and absent from our mortal bodies.
This is a strong guarantee that when we leave our mortal bodies we will go immediately into the Lord’s presence. Being “at home with the Lord” implies a closer fellowship with Christ than we will enjoy in the future.
- Thomas Constable
All the best.