2 Corinthians 5 21

2 Corinthians 5:21 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.

2 Corinthians 5:21 nkjv

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 niv

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 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.

2 Corinthians 5:21 nlt

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5 verses

2 Corinthians 5 21 Meaning

This verse proclaims the divine exchange at the heart of the gospel: God made Christ, who was without sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. It concisely explains substitutionary atonement, where Christ bore the full penalty and identification with human sin, not through moral failure, but as an expiatory sacrifice, thereby imputing divine righteousness to those who are in union with Him.

2 Corinthians 5 21 Context

Chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians unfolds Paul's theological understanding of the new covenant ministry and the believer's transformed identity. Beginning with the hope of a resurrection body (v.1-8) and the aim to please Christ (v.9), Paul moves into the imperative of reconciliation (v.11-20). He underscores the transformation believers undergo, becoming "new creation" in Christ (v.17). Verse 21 stands as the bedrock explanation for how this reconciliation and new identity are made possible. It immediately follows Paul's earnest plea, "Be reconciled to God" (v.20), serving as the foundational theological explanation for how such reconciliation is accomplished through Christ's atoning work, highlighting God's initiation and method.

2 Corinthians 5 21 Word analysis

• For (γὰρ, gar): A conjunction introducing a causal explanation or further justification for the preceding statement, specifically the exhortation "Be reconciled to God" (v.20).
• He (Implied, refers to God): The sovereign subject of the action, emphasizing that the entire work of salvation originates from and is executed by God.
• made (ἐποίησεν, epoiesen): Indicating God's intentional and decisive act. It’s an active verb highlighting divine agency in the atonement.
• Him (refers to Christ): Specifically, God made Christ to be sin. This specifies the chosen instrument for the redemptive act.
• who knew no sin (τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν, ton mē gnonta hamartian): This phrase unequivocally asserts Christ's absolute and perfect sinlessness.
  • γνόντα (gnonta from γινώσκω, ginoskō): To know, often implying experiential knowledge. Christ had no personal, internal, or experiential acquaintance with sin, reinforcing His moral purity. He never committed sin, nor was He corrupted by it.
  • ἁμαρτίαν (hamartian): Sin, the Greek term encompassing transgression, rebellion, and falling short of God's standard.
• to be sin (ἁμαρτίαν γενέσθαι, hamartian genesthai): This is a pivotal and profound statement. It does not mean Christ became morally sinful or personally guilty of sin. Instead, it signifies that God treated Him as the very embodiment of sin for judicial and sacrificial purposes.
  • Christ was judicially identified with sin, carrying its full legal weight and consequence as our substitute.
  • This is often understood as Christ becoming the "sin offering" – the designated means for dealing with sin, much like the Old Testament chatta't (חַטָּאת), which could refer to "sin" itself or "sin offering." He absorbed sin's curse and penalty.
• on our behalf (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, hyper hēmōn): Clearly denotes substitution. Christ acted in place of and for the benefit of humanity. It emphasizes the vicarious nature of His sacrifice.
• so that (ἵνα, hina): A purpose clause, showing the intended outcome and divine goal of this exchange.
• in Him (ἐν αὐτῷ, en autō): A crucial phrase for union with Christ. Our status of righteousness is not inherent but is obtained through identification and spiritual union with Christ. We are declared righteous in Him, not by our own merit.
• we might become (ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα, hēmeis genōmetha): The result of God's act in Christ. It's a divine bestowing, making us something we were not by nature.
• the righteousness of God (δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ, dikaiosynē Theou): This refers to a right standing before God, declared and imputed by Him. It is:
  • From God: Originates entirely with Him.
  • God's own: A perfect, divine standard of righteousness, not merely human moral goodness.
  • Given by God: It is an alien righteousness, external to us, freely given and legally declared to us when we are united with Christ by faith. It satisfies all of God's holy requirements.

2 Corinthians 5 21 Bonus section

The concept of Christ "becoming sin" carries a sacrificial nuance reminiscent of the Old Testament sin offering (chatta't). In the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), hamartia (ἁμαρτία), the same word used here, can translate both "sin" and "sin offering." While 2 Cor 5:21 doesn't explicitly state Christ became the sin offering, the linguistic parallel strengthens the sacrificial interpretation. God's act ensures a perfect judicial and spiritual transaction, where sin's cosmic debt is fully paid, and believers receive a right standing that matches God's own holiness, thus achieving perfect reconciliation. This imputation is entirely non-meritorious on our part, entirely grace-based.

2 Corinthians 5 21 Commentary

2 Corinthians 5:21 unveils the heart of God's salvific plan, articulating the concept of substitutionary atonement and the imputed righteousness of believers. God, in His profound love and justice, engineered a divine exchange: He treated His perfectly sinless Son as if He were the very embodiment of humanity's sin, making Him bear sin's guilt and penalty. Christ, who had no personal sin, voluntarily submitted to this identification with sin. The unparalleled purpose of this act was not Christ's defilement, but our complete reconciliation and redemption. Through His suffering and death as "sin," believers are then declared "the righteousness of God." This is not an earned righteousness, but a perfect, divine status freely given and legally attributed to those who are in Christ, enabling them to stand faultless before God. It's God's act for God's glory and for our salvation.