New Creation Living (2 Corinthians 5:16–6:2)

C. K. Barrett observed concerning this passage, “Christian existence means that by faith one lives in the midst of the old creation in terms of the new creation that God has brought about through Jesus.” This new creation has everything to do with God reconciling sinners to himself, a major theme in this profound passage. In short, Paul is urging the Corinthian church to new creation living.

By God’s work of reconciliation, a new creation transformation takes place in the life of the believer, including how he evaluates the world and everything in it. But from the contents of this epistle, it is clear that this was a problem with the Corinthian Christians, who were being influenced by those who evaluated the world and the church according to old creation values. To parody Barrett, they were guilty of living in the midst of the new creation in terms of the old creation. Sadly, this is sometimes the case with us. We make superficial rather than scriptural evaluations of the world and everything and everyone in it. The result is that we fail to live as those who have been miraculously reconciled to the triune God. This passage, however, helps us to repent and to return to new creation living. But first, let me set the contextual stage for what Paul writes.

The Big Picture

Paul’s ministry was under attack by worldly and unscrupulous “apostles.” These false apostles have sought to undermine Paul’s influence on the Corinthian church by casting aspersion on his integrity (“he doesn’t keep his promises”), by questioning his claim to be an apostle (“he has no letters of commendation”), by criticising his giftedness (“he is a poor speaker and therefore does not get paid for his ministry”), and by insinuating that he must not have God’s favour (“he is always undergoing some hardship”). Because of this, they argued, the church should reject his ministry and rather follow them. After all, they purportedly came from Jerusalem with apostolic commendation; they were well paid; they were gifted rhetoricians; and they lived outwardly prosperous lives.

In other words, by all worldly, fleshly evaluation, Paul’s critics seemed better qualified than he for apostolic ministry. But, of course, just as God looks on the heart rather than on the superficial outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7), so should the Corinthians. They should evaluate Paul’s ministry in accordance with God’s work of new creation. When they considered Paul’s transformed life, Christ-centred message, and ministry of reconciliation, they should heed his urgent proclamation and be reconciled both to God and to the apostle.

In arguably one of the most profound passages of Scripture, Paul informs us of at least three aspects of new creation living:

1. New Creation Transformation (5:16–17)
2. New Creation Reconciliation (5:18–21)
3. New Creation Proclamation (6:1–2)

New Creation Transformation

By God’s gracious work, Paul had undergone a profound transformation resulting in both a profound re-evaluation of people and a profound reorientation of purpose. He points to this in these opening verses of this section.

When Paul was converted, his world and worldview were turned right side up. A change of heart (regeneration) resulted in a change of mind (renewal). Through the power of God, his spiritual blindness was lifted and he came to see Jesus Christ for who he truly is (4:3–6). This transformed the way he now viewed the world, including people. No more superficial evaluation of Christ, and no more superficial evaluation of others. The gospel has that kind of influence. And those influenced by this gospel are to influence the world similarly.

New Creation Re-evaluation

Verse 16 states the consequence flowing from vv. 14–15. Negatively, those who live for themselves (unbelievers) make fleshly value judgements when it comes to Christ, his people, and the world.

The words “we regard” speak of knowing someone in the sense of drawing informed conclusions about them. With the profound heart change experienced by the new birth, Paul’s conclusions about others were no longer like those of the unbelieving world. His value system was upended (turned right side up), and so he no longer evaluated either truth or people sinfully or shortsightedly, like a fallen mind “according to the flesh.”

Paul went from persecuting the church to joining it—all within one chapter (Acts 9)! He was transformed from a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” to the apostle to the Gentiles. He changed from “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel” to declaring that circumcision is irrelevant (Galatians 5:6) and that believing Jew and Gentile are now the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

Paul was quick to point out that the most fundamental mind-shift was regarding Christ.

The second half of v. 16 is much debated as to what particularly Paul is referring to. Did he know Christ physically when he was on earth? Did he encounter Jesus at the temple? Some have argued that his gospel view evolved after his conversion and change from being concerned about the historical Jesus to the more important “spiritual” Jesus. This can be easily dismissed.

Considering the larger context, Paul is saying that, before his conversion, he was as spiritually obtuse to the worth of Jesus Christ as others whose minds the devil had blinded (4:3–4). But once the Spirit of God enlightened his understanding, he was freed from fleshly evaluation. Now he saw the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (5:6). The Reformation Study Bible’s note captures the essence:

Paul’s spiritual transformation also transformed how he came to see the entire world. He now saw people from the “divine” viewpoint. He now saw the world, including its human inhabitants, as a part of God’s new creation. His worldview dramatically changed. The gospel has this kind of influence.

But why is Paul saying this now? Because the false teachers were quick to assess the value of a minister and ministry by externals, merely “according to the flesh.” Perhaps he was making a sanctified “dig” at those who boasted they were “of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Perhaps they were among those who physically saw him, and they assumed this gave them spiritual clout. Paul says, “No big deal. What matters is that we have been saved by him, reconciled to God through him.”

Do you really, truly know Christ, or merely about him? Do you really, truly know Jesus Christ, or are you merely familiar with him? Be careful of adopting the value and evaluation system of the unbelieving world. Christians see things differently. Though we live in the same world, we interpret and evaluate things very differently.

For example, we vote and hope for the best, but our ultimate hope is in our Triune God. We listen to the State of the Nation Address while also listening to God’s word. We hear the dreaded diagnosis and are sorrowful, and we weep, yet we do so looking at what is ultimate (4:16–5:10). We hear of wars and rumours of wars and are grieved, yet we see the opportunity for the spread of the gospel. We see a person paralysed from the neck down and, where the world sees a futile existence, we see Joni Eareckson Tada glorifying God. We see a drug addict, homeless and humanly hopeless, and we see someone made in the image of God who could become a new creature.

This mindset is the result of the gospel and is the expectation of all Christians and of every biblical local church. I would go as far as to say that someone who is a conscientious racist has never experienced the new birth. According to Paul, the gospel tears down walls of hostility (Ephesians 2:11–22); it does not build them.

How do you see younger members of your church? How do you view older members? Those who are frail? How do you view the poor? Those who are struggling with sin? How do you view and practically engage those who are ethnically or culturally different? I am asking, are you a new creation? Paul goes there in the next verse.

New Creation Reorientation

Verse 17 is one from which a whole series of sermons could be preached. But for now, consider the connection and the application.

Because of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done (vv. 14–15), those who died and rose with him are a whole new creation. The old man has died, and the new man now lives. But what does Paul have in mind speaking of a new creation with old things having passed away?

This verse has been used to encourage Christians that old sinful proclivities have been dealt a death blow. This is true. By God’s grace, sinful habits, including the most awful sinful addictions, have passed, and continue to pass, away. But, contextually, I don’t believe this is Paul’s main concern. Rather, he is saying that, with regeneration by and reconciliation to God, the Christian experiences a radically, newly-created faculty of evaluation. As mentioned earlier, the Christian, by virtue of the new birth, no longer looks at people the same way he did before conversion. Being reconciled to God, Paul will argue, means that we are concerned that others also be reconciled with God. The reason? Because the new birth has reoriented us from living for ourselves to living for Christ Jesus, who lived for others (v. 15).

We can conclude that being “in Christ” means, among a host of changes, that we now live with Christ’s outlook. We evaluate people according to his perspective. Old, fleshly, superficial evaluations of others have passed away and continue to pass away, and a fresh way of evaluating people is the new normal.

Unlike when Samuel was sent to anoint Israel’s second king, the regenerate are not mesmerised by the temporal and external but rather they share God’s perspective and are concerned with the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

In ministry, seeing the glory of Jesus Christ is the motivating issue, not being impressed with the superficial glory of the minister. On a personal note, I have repeatedly been blessed by “no-name” ministers through whom I have experienced the truth of God’s word while being often disappointed by the “big-named” ministers. Though it is possible, of course, to be both, we must learn to evaluate “greatness” by how God does: Spirit-filled, Christ-driven faithfulness to the glory of God.

This matter of a transformed mindset cannot be overemphasised. Those who are gospel-influencers are those whose view of people has been radically altered by the gospel. That is, they have been converted! Newness of life means newness of look and a newness of love.

When Jesus died and rose again, he inaugurated a new creation. Though at present we see “through a glass dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12), we experience a foretaste of a perfectly reconciled and therefore harmonious society by how we evaluate the value and potential of one another because of the dynamic of the gospel. And, of course, the local church is the arena or theatre where this renewed mindset is on display for others to see. In a real sense, the world will evaluate our message by observing how we evaluate one another.

Is the metric of our evaluation of one another any different than the metric of those who do not believe the gospel? Do we seek to helpfully and spiritually influence everyone we can with the gospel or merely those who are like us? On a related note, are we willing to be negatively evaluated by unbelievers because our zeal for gospel influence is deemed odd, unconventional, or countercultural (vv. 12–13)?

New Covenant Reconciliation

Paul’s worldview, his gospel-influenced mindset, motivated his ministry of reconciliation. Regeneration of heart resulted in renovation of mind, driving his ministry of reconciliation. In 5:18–21, Paul provides insight into why he did what he did and hence why his behaviour might seem “mad” to observers (Acts 26:24–25).

The Means of Reconciliation

We see in v. 18 that “all this [reconciliation] is from God.” The reason for his changed perspective, and hence the reason he was willing to be labeled “mad” (v. 13), is because of what God had done in enacting such amazing reconciliation.

“Reconciled” and its derivatives are mentioned five times in the space of three verses. To be reconciled to God means a radical change of relationship from estrangement (rebellion on our part and just wrath from God’s side) to one of peace and harmony (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:17). Reconciliation fixes what was broken, makes friends of enemies, and turns prodigals into children. And “all this is from God.” If someone is to be “blamed” for Paul’s “crazy” behaviour, it is God, whose “crazy love” for sinners—like himself, like the Corinthians, and like you and me—radically changed him.

Reconciliation is completely from God’s side. Sinners don’t seek to be right with God unless he initiates it. We seek him because he seeks us first. We love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:10). While we clung to our wicked weapon of rebellion against God, he nevertheless responded with grace to disarm us. He did this “through Christ.”

Paul’s autobiographical testimony was that, when Jesus died on the cross (though at the time Paul was oblivious), he did so in his place, satisfying the Father’s just wrath (v. 14). By rising from the dead (again, while Paul was obstinately oblivious), he was given new life (v. 15), including a reconciled relationship with God. Of course, this reconciliation would need to take place in space-time history in his life. It did on the road to Damascus. From that moment of actual existential reconciliation, he was given a ministry of proclaiming the message of reconciliation (Acts 9:15; 26:15–18).

The Ministry of Reconciliation

There is much thematic overlap in vv. 18–20, where Paul conflates his ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation. This is understandable because, without the message, there is no ministry and, without the ministry, the message remains hidden.

“Us” probably emphasises Paul and his co-workers, though it would seem to legitimately include all believers. Though not all are gifted like Paul, and obviously not all are called to be evangelists, missionaries, and teachers, nevertheless every new creation in Christ has the privilege, and I would argue the responsibility, to view others as made in the image of God who have been marred by sin and therefore in need of the same experience of a gospel-empowered new creation. That is, everyone needs to be reconciled to God, and those who have been can and should and must tell others, “Be reconciled to God!” (v. 20).

Verse 19 is sometimes translated, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” Regardless, the meaning remains that Christ Jesus was the instrumental means of “the world” being rescued from estrangement from God. Perhaps we can read “the world” in place of the “all” in vv. 14–15. That is, “all throughout the world for whom Jesus Christ died and rose again.” We must not miss that God’s reconciliation has cosmic implications. The world was impacted by Christ on the cross. Phillip Hughes puts it well: “Since man, as the crown of God’s creation, in his fall brought a curse upon the subordinate realm also, so in man’s restoration the whole created order (cosmos) will also be restored. What the first Adam dragged down, the second Adam raises up.”

Paul is not teaching universal salvation, but neither is he limiting the atonement to a parochial group of people. Rather, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ had and has global implications. The fallen creation was included in his cross work. A literal new creation has come about. It may at this stage be “already but not fully yet,” but one day it will fully arrive. Paul’s mindset was cosmic, not only focused on the church. This cosmic mindset shaped his commitment to a “cosmic ministry.” As Tasker helpfully notes, “Each man regenerated by the Spirit of God is a new creation, and a world in which such new creations exist is potentially at least a new world. So Menzies translates, ‘What is old is passed away, see! A new world has come.’”

Again, Barrett’s words are helpful: “Christian existence means that by faith one lives in the midst of the old creation in terms of the new creation that God has brought about through Jesus.” In other words, Christians evaluate the seen by the promised unseen. One day, the lion will lie down with the lamb, and all destructive weapons of warfare will be turned into productive ploughs in a whole new world.

Christians should practice this promised future now. Having been reconciled to God, our lives should serve this truth well. Our children need to see the practice of a ministry of reconciliation. People need to see this in our church. Our neighbours need to witness this in our homes. What do they hear?

At work or school, do you live with a ministry mentality of reconciliation? That is, do you think, “Is my behaviour testifying that I am reconciled to God?” The vertical is revealed in the horizontal. We see this clearly in what follows.

The Message of Reconciliation

Having introduced the message of reconciliation in describing his ministry of reconciliation, Paul here explains the message of reconciliation. Verse 21 is a summary of the message of reconciliation. Of this verse, Phillip Hughes comments, “There is no sentence more profound in the whole of Scripture, for this verse embraces the whole ground of the sinner’s reconciliation to God and declares the incontestable reason why he should respond to the ambassadorial entreaty.” Indeed.

The message of reconciliation is the good news that God initiated a change of relationship from one of hostility to one of friendship. As Bruce writes, “In all the action of the gospel, the initiative is his; the new order, like the old, is his creative work.”

God took the initiative to make peace by “addressing the cause of the separation” (Casto). He took the initiative to address the cause, our unrighteousness. “God takes the initiative to reconcile human beings to himself: it is human beings who are in need of an act that will reconcile them to God” (Guthrie).

Rather than holding repentant believing sinners to account for our sins (“trespasses”), God put our sins on the account of his sinless Son in exchange for us having his Son’s righteousness put on our account (v. 21).

Words fail. Like John 3:16, how can anyone do justice to such an amazing truth? All we can do is respond: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all” (Watts). The message of reconciliation compels both a manner and ministry of reconciliation. And this is precisely Paul’s point! The Corinthian church needed to heed this message and repent and respond accordingly (v. 20).

Our trespasses deserve damnation; God chose reconciliation. Our trespasses demand death; God decreed life. Our rebellious record condemns us; God chose to forgive us. Our unrighteousness earned death; God gave us Christ’s righteousness and therefore life. Our sins call for eternal banishment; God gives eternal blessing.

The glory of v. 21 is found in the words “in him.” “It is precisely because he is Righteousness-Itself that the sinner is made the righteousness of God” (Hughes).

But as Paul makes clear in v. 21, this reconciliation does not occur merely by sovereign fiat. Rather, there was an indescribable cost. God’s justice had to be satisfied. “We are set free by no mere act of sovereignty, but by the judicial decision of the infinitely just” (Hodge). Seifrid summarises, “Christ was made what we are—in order that we might become what he is in his resurrected life.” The great exchange, indeed!

New Creation Proclamation

Paul saw himself as an “ambassador” for God (5:20). He was aware that he was not the author of the message, and therefore did not speak on his own authority. However, he knew his fearful responsibility to represent God accurately, for he would give an account for how he fulfilled his assignment (vv. 10–11). In fact, he knew that God was “working together” with him!

Paul clearly was concerned that his hearers be persuaded to believe the message of reconciliation so that they might also experience God’s work of new creation. Hence his “appeal” (6:1) that the Corinthians not “receive” the message of God’s gracious reconciliation “in vain.”

Quoting Isaiah 49:8, Paul urges his readers to respond now to God’s proffered salvation as a result of his initiative of reconciliation. The offer must be taken seriously, for it will not always be on the table.

“But wait,” you say. “Paul is writing to a church. Why then this gospel invitation? Aren’t they already reconciled to God?” Apparently not. Guthrie helpfully observes,

When professing Christians are hostile towards one another, when they are hostile to God’s apostolic teaching, such horizontal alienation may well indicate vertical alienation and thus the need for salvation.

If that is you, then examine yourself to see whether you are truly in the faith or whether you are guilty of taking the grace of God in vain. Are you truly a new creation. Can you pass the test (13:5)?

Church member and non-church member, have you been reconciled to God? How do you evaluate the world and everything and everyone in it? Do you look at people with the same fleshly prejudices and partiality and hostility as the unbelieving world?

Do you keep a record of wrongs, and thus do you carry about, as Chap Bettis puts it, an “anger with a long history”? Are you even seething with hostility right now? How will you approach the Lord’s Table? With a new creation spirit of reconciliation or fleshly attitude of rejection, rebellion?

If you feel the weight of trespasses and sin, repent, turn to Christ, and be reconciled to God. Today is an opportunity to experience God’s favour. Be reconciled to God. Be reconciled today, while it is still called today (Hebrews 3:15–17).

May each of us receive the grace of God to experience new creation living.

AMEN