2 Corinthians 5:16

2 Corinthians 5:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
• New International Version (NIV)So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
• English Standard Version (ESV)From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Context of 2 Corinthians 5:16

14Whatever we do, we do it because Christ loves us. We know that one man, Christ, died on behalf of all people. So we also know that all of us died with him. 15He died on behalf of all people. So, while we live, we no longer live to please ourselves. Instead, we live to please Christ. He is the one that died on our behalf. He is the one that God raised up, to live again. So that changes how we think about people. We no longer use human ideas to think what they are like. At one time, we thought about Christ as humans think. But now we think about him very differently! 17When anyone belongs to Christ, they become a new person. Their old way of life has gone. Their new life has begun! 18All this is what God does for us. Because of what Christ has done, God has brought us back to himself, as his friends. Now he wants us to bring other people to be his friends too. That is the job that he has given to us.

2 Corinthians 5:16 word by word

Ὥστε ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐδένα οἴδαμεν κατὰ σάρκα· εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whereforeὥστεhōste · soG5620
• ·ἀπόapo · away fromG575
• henceforthνῦνnun · nowG3568
• knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• afterκατάkata · according toG2596
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• yeaδέde · thenG1161
• thoughεἰei · if: even thoughG1487
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• we have knownγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• yetἀλλάalla · butG235
• no moreοὐκέτιouketi · not any moreG3765

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 5:16

• Deuteronomy 33:9The Levites left their own families so that they could serve you well. They obeyed your word. They were faithful to your covenant.
• 1 Samuel 2:29But you and your sons do not respect the sacrifices that I have commanded people to offer in my house. Eli, you give more honour to your sons than you give to me. Your family eat all the best parts of the offerings that the Israelites bring to me. You have all become fat!”
• Matthew 10:37Nobody should love his own father and mother more than he loves me. If he does, he cannot be my disciple. Nobody should love his own son or daughter more than he loves me. If he does, then he cannot be my disciple.
• Matthew 12:48Jesus replied, ‘I will tell you who my mother and my brothers really are.’
• Mark 3:31Then, Jesus' mother and his brothers arrived and they stood outside the house. They sent someone into the house with a message. They wanted Jesus to come out to speak to them.
• John 2:4Jesus replied, ‘Woman, why do you tell me this? It is not my time yet.’
• John 15:14And you are my friends, if you obey my message.
• Galatians 2:5But we did not allow them to do this to us. They wanted to spoil the true good news that you have believed. We kept the good news safe for you.
• Galatians 5:6We belong to Christ Jesus. So it does not matter whether anyone has circumcised us or not. The only thing that matters is that we believe in Christ. As a result we will love others in the way that we live.
• Philippians 3:7All those ideas seemed very important to me then. But now they are worth nothing to me, because I trust in Christ.
• Colossians 3:11People have this new nature only because they belong to Christ. That is the important thing. Jews are not different from Gentiles. It does not matter whether someone has circumcised you or not. It does not matter which country you come from or how clever you are. It does not matter whether you are a slave or a free person. Christ is all that matters. He lives in every believer.
• 1 Timothy 5:21I say this to you very strongly: Obey what I am telling you to do. Remember that God himself and Christ Jesus, together with their special angels, are all watching what you do. Do not quickly decide if someone has done right or wrong. Be fair and judge everyone in the same way.
• James 2:1My Christian friends, you must be kind to everyone. You trust the Lord Jesus Christ, who is great in heaven. So do not think that anyone is more valuable than any other person.
• James 3:17But if God makes you really wise, you will live in a completely good way. That is the most important thing. Also, you will live in a way that brings peace. You will be kind to other people so that they become your friends. You will listen to them and not argue. You will forgive them and do many good things to help them. You will not choose between people. And you will not be a hypocrite.
• John 6:63It is the Spirit that gives you life. People cannot do that. The words that I have spoken to you come from the Spirit. They give you life.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Know we no man after the flesh - As we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and as we know that all are alienated from God, and are dead in trespasses and sins; therefore we esteem no man on account of his family relations, or the stock whence he proceeded, because we see all are shut up in unbelief, and all are children of wrath. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh - We cannot esteem a man who is a sinner, were he…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Wherefore henceforth - In view of the fact that the Lord Jesus died for all people, and rose again. The effect of that has been to change all our feelings, and to give us entirely new views of people, of ourselves, and of the Messiah, so that we have become new creatures. The word “henceforth” ( ̓̀ ͂ ͂ apo tou nun) means properly from the present time; but there is no impropriety in supposing that Paul refers to the time when he first obtained correct…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 The renewed man acts upon new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company. The believer is created anew; his heart is not merely set right, but a new heart is given him. He is the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Though the same as a man, he is changed in his character and conduct. These words must and do mean more than an outward reformation. The man who formerly saw no beauty in the Saviour that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17From a human perspective, Paul might recall his past belief as a Pharisee that the Messiah would free the Jews from political oppression. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer: Christ rose from the dead, began the new creation (5:17), and became the redeemer from sin and Lord of the universe (Romans 1:3–4; Philippians 2:6–11; Colossians 1:15–20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Wherefore--because of our settled judgment (2Co 5:14), henceforth--since our knowing Christ's constraining love in His death for us. know we no man after the flesh--that is, according to his mere worldly and external relations (2Co 11:18; Joh 8:15; Php 3:4), as distinguished from what he is according to the Spirit, as a "new creature" (2Co 5:17). For instance, the outward distinctions of Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, slave or free, learned or…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Appear
• Constrain
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Earthly
• Faith
• Groan
• Pray
• Reconcile

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings