EasyEnglish Bible 2018
2 Corinthians 5:21
21Christ never did any wrong thing, but God punished him as if he had. He died as punishment for our sins. As a result, we become right with God when we belong to Christ. We become right, because he is right.
2 Corinthians 5:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- New International Version (NIV)God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Context of 2 Corinthians 5:21
19God's message is this: By Christ's death, God was bringing people of the world back to himself, as his friends. He would no longer keep their sins in his thoughts. This is the message that God wants us to tell people. 20So we speak to people on behalf of Christ. It is like this: When we speak, God himself is speaking to you. On behalf of Christ, we say to you, ‘Please come back to God, as his friends!’ Christ never did any wrong thing, but God punished him as if he had. He died as punishment for our sins. As a result, we become right with God when we belong to Christ. We become right, because he is right.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 52 Corinthians 5:21 word by word
τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- he hath made himποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- who knewγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- noμήmē · notG3361
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- might be madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- the righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Isaiah 53:4But he took away all our weakness! He carried our pain for us. We thought that he was receiving punishment for his own sins. We thought that God was causing him to suffer.
- Daniel 9:26After the 62 weeks have passed, people will kill the ruler that God had chosen. He will have nothing. Then a foreign ruler and his army will attack the city and the temple. He will destroy them quickly, like a flood of water. War and terrible trouble will continue until the end that God has decided.
- Zechariah 13:7‘Attack my shepherd with a sharp knife. Attack the man that is next to me,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Kill the shepherd and then the sheep will run away. Then I will attack the young sheep.
- Romans 8:3The Law that God gave to Moses could not make us free like that. We were too weak to obey his Law because we are human. But God has done what his Law could not do. He sent his own Son to become a person like us. His human body was like the body of people who do wrong things. God's Son died as a sacrifice to take away the punishment for our sins. In that way, God destroyed the power of sin over people who are weak and human.
- Galatians 3:13So God's Law shows that it is right for God to punish us. But Christ took that punishment away from us, because God punished him instead of us. It says in the Bible: ‘When people hang someone on a tree to kill him, it shows that God has cursed that person.’
- Ephesians 5:2Show that you love other people. Remember how much Christ loved us. He gave himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. He offered himself in a way that pleased God, like a sacrifice with a lovely smell.
- 1 Peter 3:18Christ himself always did what was right. But he received pain on behalf of people who do what is wrong. He died once to take away all those wrong things. He did that to bring you near to God. People killed Christ's body, but God's Spirit made him alive again.
- 1 John 2:1I am writing this letter to you, my friends who are like my little children. I am writing to you because I do not want you to do wrong things. But if anyone among you does something wrong, there is someone who will speak to God on our behalf. That person is Jesus Christ, who always does only what is right. He will ask our Father God to forgive you.
- Isaiah 53:9They decided to bury him with wicked people. But his body was put in a rich man's grave. He had not done anything to hurt anyone. He had not told lies to deceive people.
- Luke 1:35Gabriel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of God who is over all will cover you like a shadow. So your child will be special to God. He will be completely good. He will be called God's Son.
- Hebrews 7:26Jesus is the kind of special priest that we need. He completely belongs to God. He has never done anything wrong. He is completely good and clean. He is separate from everyone who does wrong things. God has raised him up to the most important place in heaven.
- 1 Peter 2:22The Bible says this: ‘He never did anything that was wrong. He never said anything that was not true.’
- 1 John 3:5You know that Jesus came into the world so that he might take away our sins. He himself is completely clean from sin.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17When anyone belongs to Christ, they become a new person. Their old way of life has gone. Their new life has begun!
- Isaiah 45:24They will all say this about me: “The Lord alone is true and strong.” ’ Everybody who has been angry with God will come to him. They will be ashamed that they were angry.
- Isaiah 53:11When God's servant sees the result of his pain, he will understand what he has done. And he will be happy. The Lord says, ‘My righteous servant will cause many people to be “not guilty”, because he will take the punishment for all their sins.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us - ̔, ̔ ̔ ̔ · He made him who knew no sin, (who was innocent), a sin-offering for us. The word ̔ occurs here twice: in the first place it means sin, i.e. transgression and guilt; and of Christ it is said, He knew no sin, i.e. was innocent; for not to know sin is the same as to be conscious of innocence; so, nil conscire sibi, to be conscious of nothing against one's self, is the same as nulla pallescere culpa, to be…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us - The Greek here is, for him who knew no sin, he hath made sin, or a sin-offering for us.‘ The design of this very important verse is, to urge the strongest possible reason for being reconciled to God. This is implied in the word ( ̀ gar) “for.” Paul might have urged other arguments, and presented other strong considerations. But he chooses to present this fact, that Christ has been made sin for us, as embodying and…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. 21Christ became the offering for our sin on the cross by taking the penalty of sin upon himself and dying a criminal's death. He did this even though he never sinned (John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5), so we might be made right with God. That is, we are set in a right relationship with God and accepted by him (see Galatians 3:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. For--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. The grand reason why they should be reconciled to God, namely, the great atonement in Christ provided by God, is stated without the "for" as being part of the message of reconciliation (2Co 5:19). he--God. sin--not a sin offering, which would destroy the antithesis to "righteousness," and would make "sin" be used in different senses in the same sentence: not a sinful person, which would be untrue, and would…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 5:21
In the dictionaries
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
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