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The word "temporal" originally meant "lasting only for a time, passing, temporary".
It has now, however, come to mean "pertaining to the sphere of human life; terrestrial as
opposed to heavenly; secular as opposed to sacred". The Greek word in II Cor. 4: is
proskairos, "for a season" (as in Matt. 13: 21 and Heb. 11: 25), and has the sense of
the original meaning of "temporal", i.e., "transient" or "temporary". This is the character
of the "visible creation". It is here for a time, and is destined to pass away. The "unseen"
things on the other hand, are "eternal" or "age-abiding" (aionios) and endure until the
purpose of the ages is reached. The chapter division between II Cor. 4: and 5: should
not prevent the reader from realizing that the Apostle is illustrating his meaning by
referring to this present body as a tent soon to be taken down, in contrast with the
resurrection body which is aionion in the heavens. When that day dawns, we who now
"see by means of a mirror, enigmatically", will then see face to face, and our partial
knowledge will be exchanged for a knowledge that belongs to the invisible world, for the
resurrection body will be both "spiritual" and "heavenly" (I Cor. 15: 40, 44).
In connection with the invisible world, the Apostle gives a word of warning in
Col. 2:, which, when we fully understand it, will probably illuminate the problem of the
temptation in the garden of Eden:
"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of
angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly
mind, and not holding the Head . . . increasing with the increase of God" (Col. 2: 18, 19).
Into the obvious difficulties of this passage we do not at the moment propose to enter*
(* - A fuller examination of this passage will be found in the series "Studies in
Colossians", Volume XXIV, page 203). We simply draw attention to the one feature
that has a definite connection with our present theme. "Intruding" means to put one's
foot into another man's territory. To attempt to attain unto "things not seen" is, like the
sin of the garden of Eden, turning that which will be "good" in its own appointed time
into "evil", because entered before the change takes place, and in the wrong spirit.
However "good" anything may be, if it be attained by "intrusion" and as a result of the
"vain puffing up of the fleshly mind", it cannot be anything but "evil". The "increase of
God" provides for the change from childhood to full grown adulthood, and the perfect
state is yet to be. We must not leave this subject without referring to the relation between
the invisible creation and "faith", "hope", and "love".
The relation between faith and the invisible creation is referred to in Heb. 11::
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11: 1).
"He endured as seeing Him Who is invisible" (Heb. 11: 27).
The relation between the invisible creation and hope and love are referred to in
Rom. 8: and I Pet. 1::
"Hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"
(Rom. 8: 24).
"Whom having not seen, ye love" (I Pet. 1: 8).