2Cor 5:17-19 | RWP | e4.org | A new creature ( καινη κτισις ). A fresh start is made ( καινη ). Κτισις is the old word for the act of creating ( ), but in N.T. by metonymy it usually bears the notion of κτισμα , the thing created or creature as here. The old things are passed away ( τα αρχαια παρηλθεν ). Did pass by, he means. Second aorist active of παρερχομα , to go by. The ancient ( αρχαια ) way of looking at Christ among other things. And yet today there are scholars who are trying to revive the old prejudiced view of Jesus Christ as a mere man, a prophet, to give us "a reduced Christ." That was once Paul's view, but it passed by forever for him. It is a false view and leaves us no gospel and no Saviour. Behold, they are become new ( ιδου, γεγονε καινα ). Perfect active indicative of γινομα , have become new (fresh, καινα ) to stay so.

‏ 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

A new creature ( καινη κτισις ). A fresh start is made ( καινη ). Κτισις is the old word for the act of creating (Ro 1:20), but in N.T. by metonymy it usually bears the notion of κτισμα, the thing created or creature as here.

The old things are passed away ( τα αρχαια παρηλθεν ). Did pass by, he means. Second aorist active of παρερχομα, to go by. The ancient ( αρχαια ) way of looking at Christ among other things. And yet today there are scholars who are trying to revive the old prejudiced view of Jesus Christ as a mere man, a prophet, to give us "a reduced Christ." That was once Paul's view, but it passed by forever for him. It is a false view and leaves us no gospel and no Saviour.

Behold, they are become new ( ιδου, γεγονε καινα ). Perfect active indicative of γινομα, have become new (fresh, καινα ) to stay so.

Who reconciled us to himself through Christ ( του καταλλαξαντος ημας εαυτω δια Χριστου ). Here Paul uses one of his great doctrinal words, καταλλασσω, old word for exchanging coins. Διαλλασσω, to change one's mind, to reconcile, occurs in N.T. only in Mt 5:24 though in papyri (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 187), and common in Attic. Καταλλασσω is old verb, but more frequent in later writers. We find συναλλασσω in Ac 7:26 and αποκαταλλασσω in Col 1:20f.; Eph 2:16 and the substantive καταλλαγη in Ro 5:11; 11:15 as well as here. It is hard to discuss this great theme without apparent contradiction. God's love (Joh 3:16) provided the means and basis for man's reconciliation to God against whom he had sinned. It is all God's plan because of his love, but God's own sense of justice had to be satisfied (Ro 3:26) and so God gave his Son as a propitiation for our sins (Ro 3:25; Col 1:20; 1Jo 2:2; 4:10). The point made by Paul here is that God needs no reconciliation, but is engaged in the great business of reconciling us to himself. This has to be done on God's terms and is made possible through ( δια ) Christ.

And gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation ( κα δοντος ημιν την διακονιαν της καταλλαγης ). It is a ministry marked by reconciliation, that consists in reconciliation. God has made possible through Christ our reconciliation to him, but in each case it has to be made effective by the attitude of each individual. The task of winning the unreconciled to God is committed to us. It is a high and holy one, but supremely difficult, because the offending party (the guilty) is the hardest to win over. We must be loyal to God and yet win sinful men to him.

To wit, that ( ως οτ ). Latin puts it quoniam quidem. It is an unclassical idiom, but occurs in the papyri and inscriptions (Moulton, Prol., p. 212; Robertson, Grammar, p. 1033). It is in Es 4:14. See also 2Co 11:21; 2Th 2:2. It probably means "how that."

Not reckoning ( μη λογιζομενος ). What Jesus did (his death for us) stands to our credit (Ro 8:32) if we make our peace with God. This is our task, "the word of reconciliation," that we may receive "the righteousness of God" and be adopted into the family of God.