What Does 2 Corinthians 5:17 Mean?
2 Corinthians 5:17 meaning explained verse-by-verse: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are be..." Original language, context & application.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
The Plain Meaning
Paul describes the radical transformation that occurs when someone trusts in Christ. Believers become new creations—their old identity passes away and everything becomes new.
Word Study
'Kainē' means new in quality (not 'neos,' new in time)—fresh, unprecedented. 'Ktisis' means creation—the same word used for God's original creation. In Christ, God performs a new creation of the same magnitude as Genesis 1—something entirely new in kind.
Living It Out
Your past doesn't define you. In Christ, you have a new identity, a fresh start, and a transformed nature. Old patterns can be overcome because you are new.
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