»Wandeln im Glauben« – »Wandeln im Schauen«? Zum Problem der Übersetzung und Auslegung von 2Kor 5,7

2Cor. 5:7 is mostly translated in the following way: »We are walking by faith, not by seeing.« This translation is not tenable in linguistic respect, because the Greek word ειδος has exclusively the passive meaning »that which is seen«. The correct translation must correspondingly be: »We are walking by faith, not by external appearance.« In the context of the verses 2Cor. 4:7–5:10, Paul speaks with these words about himself and the sentence can be paraphrased as follows: »I am leading my present earthly life as a believer, who in faith is certain of the future gift of the new body, but not as one, who possesses already this new body in a visible form.«