Meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:21

This pivotal verse in 2 Corinthians 5:21 articulates the profound theological concept of substitutionary atonement, a cornerstone of Christian belief. It declares that God, in His divine plan, identified the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, with the sin of humanity. This was not an imputation of sin to Christ in the sense that He became a sinner, but rather that He was treated as if He were sin, bearing its full penalty and consequence on the cross. In exchange, believers, through faith in Christ, are declared righteous before God, not by their own merit, but by Christ's imputed righteousness. This exchange is the very essence of salvation, enabling reconciliation between a holy God and sinful humanity.

Context and Background

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, addressing issues of division and the need for spiritual maturity. Within this broader discussion of ministry and reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), he introduces the core of the gospel message. The Corinthian church, like many early Christian communities, was grappling with understanding the implications of Christ's death and resurrection. Paul emphasizes that through Christ, God has been actively reconciling the world to Himself, and this verse explains how that reconciliation is achieved.

Key Themes and Messages

• The Sinlessness of Christ: The verse begins by affirming Jesus' perfect, sinless nature ("him who had no sin"). This is crucial because only an innocent party could serve as a perfect sacrifice.
• The Imputation of Sin: "to be sin for us" signifies that Christ was treated as the embodiment of sin, bearing its guilt and penalty. This is often referred to as the "kenosis" or "emptying" of Christ in a salvific sense, where He took upon Himself what was not His by nature.
• The Imputation of Righteousness: The reciprocal action is that believers "might become the righteousness of God." This means that Christ's perfect righteousness is credited to the believer's account. We are seen by God as righteous because Christ is righteous, and He has been made "sin" for us.
• The Divine Initiative: The active agent in this transaction is God ("God made him"). Salvation is not a human achievement but a divine provision.

Spiritual Significance and Application

This verse is the bedrock of the doctrine of justification by faith. It means that believers are no longer defined by their sin but by Christ's righteousness. This provides assurance of salvation and a foundation for a transformed life lived in gratitude and obedience. The implication is that sin has been dealt with at its root through Christ's sacrifice, and a new status of righteousness has been granted to all who believe. This liberates believers from the condemnation of sin and empowers them to live in freedom and peace with God.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

2 Corinthians 5:21 is a profound summary of the unfolding plan of redemption that begins in Genesis and culminates in Revelation.

• Old Testament Foreshadowing: The sacrificial system of the Old Testament, particularly the Passover lamb and the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), foreshadowed a perfect sacrifice that would ultimately atone for sin.
• Prophetic Fulfillment: Prophets like Isaiah spoke of a Suffering Servant who would bear the iniquities of many (Isaiah 53).
• Gospel Fulfillment: The Gospels record Jesus' sinless life, atoning death on the cross, and resurrection, fulfilling these prophecies.
• New Testament Application: Paul, in Romans and Galatians, extensively elaborates on the implications of Christ's atoning work and justification by faith.

Analogies

• A Legal Exchange: Imagine a person deeply in debt, unable to pay. A wealthy benefactor pays off the entire debt, and the debtor is then legally free and considered solvent. Christ's righteousness is the "payment" that covers our "debt" of sin.
• A Transfer of Identity: It's like a person being stripped of a criminal's identity and given the identity of a noble and honored citizen. Through Christ, our sinful identity is exchanged for His righteous one.
• A Medical Cure: A person suffering from a fatal disease is given a life-saving antidote. The antidote (Christ's sacrifice) eradicates the disease (sin), restoring health (righteousness).

Relation to Other Verses

• Romans 3:23-24: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." This echoes the theme of universal sinfulness and God's gracious provision of redemption through Christ.
• Romans 5:17-19: "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all men, so also one righteous act resulted in justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." This passage directly parallels the "one man" (Adam, Christ) paradigm, highlighting the contrast between sin and righteousness.
• 1 Peter 2:24: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." This verse directly addresses Christ bearing our sins and the resulting life of righteousness.
• Philippians 3:9: "...and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." This emphasizes that our righteousness is a gift from God, received through faith, not earned by personal effort.