2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

a. NLT: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: So that if any one is in Christ -- he is a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible: Therefore if any man is engrafted in Christ, the Messiah, he is a new creature altogether, a new creation; the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Worrell Translation: Wherefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold they have become new. [Copyright 1904 by A.S. Worrell. Copyright assigned to the Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO. This edition was published 1980 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO 65802. Printed in the U.S.A.]

f. Wuest Translation: So that, assuming that anyone is in Christ, he is a creation new in quality. The antiquated, out-of-date things [which do not belong to the new life in Christ jesus] have passed away. Behold, all things have become new in quality. [The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest. Ⓒ Copyright Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1961. All rights reserved.]

1. “Therefore if any man be in Christ,…”

a. Therefore [Strong: 5620. hoste hoce'-teh from 5613 and 5037; so too, i.e. thus therefore (in various relations of consecution, as follow):--(insomuch) as, so that (then), (insomuch) that, therefore, to, wherefore.]

b. if [Strong: 1487 ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

c. any man [Strong: 5100. tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

d. be in [Strong: 1722. en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

e. Christ [Strong: 5547. Christos khris-tos' from 5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.]

1). In Scripture, the term “in Christ” is to be a member of the Body of Christ, in the same sense that my arm or leg is a member of my own body.

a). 1 Corinthians 12:12-15 For as the body is one, and hath many members and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been made to drink into one Spirit.

12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.

12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

b). Ephesians 5:29, 30 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

2). The term “in Christ” is sort of an identification card revealing to us who we really are, what God Almighty says we are, now that we have been born again. We as New Covenant believers are to believe and confess what the word says about us, what He says about us and what we say about ourselves.

2. “…he is a new creature…”

a. [he is a] new [Strong: 2537. kainos kahee-nos' of uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while 3501 is properly so with respect to age:--new.]

b. creature [Strong: 2937. ktisis ktis'-is from 2936; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively):--building, creation, creature, ordinance.] [Vines: Primarily, the act of creating or the creative act in process...Like the English word ‘creation’, it also signifies the product of the creative act…The reference is to the creative act of God, whereby a man is introduced into the blessing of salvation, in contrast to circumcision done by hands.] [Strong:  from 2936; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively):--building, creation, creature, ordinance.] [D.C. This is the new birth, the born again experience. It is the only way to enter the New Covenant.]

1). Jesus spoke of being born again.

a). John 3:1-7 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?

3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

b). When Jesus spoke of being born again he was speaking spiritually. In this passage Jesus spoke of being born of the flesh and born of the Spirit.

(1) born [1080 * gennao] [Zodhiates: generation, kind, offspring.]

(2) again [509 * anothen] [Zodhiates: Of place: from above, from a higher place, in John 3:3, 7, this could also be translated “to be born from above.” Both meanings are correct since this is a birth from God and it is a new birth.]

2). Paul referred to the born again experience in Titus 3:5.

a). Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. 

(1) regeneration [Strong: 3824. paliggenesia pal-ing-ghen-es-ee'-ah from 3825 and 1078; (spiritual) rebirth (the state or the act), i.e. (figuratively) spiritual renovation; specially, Messianic restoration:--regeneration.] [Zodhiates: Regeneration, restoration, renovation, rebirth.]

3). Man is a three part being, he is a spirit, he has a soul and he lives in a body.

a). 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 4). In the New Birth, the born again experience, our spirit, the real us, has been recreated.

3. “…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

a. old things [Strong: 744. archaios ar-khah'-yos from 746; original or primeval:--(them of) old (time).]

b. [are] passed away [Strong: 3928. parerchomai par-er'-khom-ahee from 3844 and 2064; to come near or aside, i.e. to approach (arrive), go by (or away), (figuratively) perish or neglect, (causative) avert:--come (forth), go, pass (away, by, over), past, transgress.]

c. behold [Strong: 2400. idou id-oo' second person singular imperative middle voice of 1492; used as imperative lo!; --behold, lo, see.]

d. all [things] [Strong: 3956. pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

e. [are] become [Strong: 1096. ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

f. new [Strong: 2537. kainos kahee-nos' of uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while 3501 is properly so with respect to age:--new.]

1). There are a couple of Old Covenant passages that are used to describe what God has done with our sins.

a). Micah 7:18, 19 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

b). Psalm 103:10-12 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

2). As good as that was under the Old Covenant, we under the New Covenant have better promises. Our sins are not only gone, but God has literally forgotten them. Because God has forgotten them we need to not consider them, they are gone. 

a). Hebrews 10:15-17 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

10:17 And their sin and iniquities will I remember no more.

b). Isaiah 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

3). We have a better Covenant.

a). Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

 4). The New Covenant has better promises.

b). 2 Peter 1:3, 4 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.