God’s Word Translation
2 Corinthians 5:19
19In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.
2 Corinthians 5:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
- New International Version (NIV)that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
- English Standard Version (ESV)that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
- New King James Version (NKJV)that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Context of 2 Corinthians 5:19
17Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. 18God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. 20Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. 21God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 52 Corinthians 5:19 word by word
ὡς ὅτι θεὸς ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσων ἑαυτῷ, μὴ λογιζόμενος αὐτοῖς τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, καὶ θέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον τῆς καταλλαγῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- To witὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- ·ΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- reconcilingκαταλλάσσωkatallassō · to reconcileG2644
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- unto himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- notμήmē · notG3361
- imputingλογίζομαιlogizomai · to countG3049
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- trespassesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- trespassesπαράπτωμαparaptōma · trespassG3900
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hath committedτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- the wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
- of reconciliationκαταλλαγήkatallagē · reconciliationG2643
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 5:19
- Matthew 1:23“The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
- John 14:10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I’m telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what he wants.
- John 17:23I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.
- 1 Timothy 3:16The mystery that gives us our reverence for God is acknowledged to be great: He appeared in his human nature, was approved by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was announced throughout the nations, was believed in the world, and was taken to heaven in glory.
- Romans 3:24They receive God’s approval freely by an act of his kindness through the price Christ Jesus paid to set us free ⌞from sin⌟.
- Romans 11:15If Israel’s rejection means that the world has been brought back to God, what does Israel’s acceptance mean? It means that Israel has come back to life.
- 1 John 2:1My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God’s full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father.
- 1 John 4:10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
- Psalms 32:1Blessed is the person whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned.
- Isaiah 43:25I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions for my own sake. I will not remember your sins ⌞anymore⌟.
- Isaiah 44:22I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you.
- Romans 4:6David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,
- 2 Corinthians 5:18God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19That God was in Christ - This is the doctrine which this ministry of reconciliation holds out, and the doctrine which it uses to bring about the reconciliation itself. God was in Christ: Christ is the same as Messiah, the Anointed One, who was to be prophet, priest, and king, to the human race; not to the Jews only, but also to the Gentiles. There had been prophets, priests, and kings, among the Jews and their ancestors; and some who had been priest and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19To wit - (Greek, ̔ ̓́ Hōs oti), namely This verse is designed further to state the nature of the plan of reconciliation, and of the message with which they were entrusted. It contains an abstract, or an epitome of the whole plan; and is one of those emphatic passages in which Paul compresses into a single sentence the substance of the whole plan of redemption. That God was in Christ - That God was by Christ ( ̓ ͂ͅ en Christō), by means of Christ; by the…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. 18-21God gives his servants the message and ministry of reconciliation through Christ. God has given us the task of reconciling people. Paul speaks of his own ministry, but sharing this message is the responsibility of all believers. Christ’s ambassadors call people to accept what God has done so they can be made right with God through Christ. Christ paid the penalty for people’s sins to remove all barriers between God and humans and to make us right with God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. God was in Christ, reconciling--that is, God was BY Christ (in virtue of Christ's intervention) reconciling," &c. Was reconciling" implies the time when the act of reconciliation was being carried into effect (2Co 5:21), namely, when "God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us." The compound of "was" and the participle "reconciling," instead of the imperfect (Greek), may also imply the continuous purpose of God, from before the foundation of…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 5:19
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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