2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Paul defends his ministry by pointing to its source: the reconciling work of Christ that makes people new and entrusts them with the message of reconciliation.
What Does 2 Corinthians 5:17 Mean?
In one sentence: union with Christ makes a person genuinely new -- not merely improved, but re-created. "New creature" can be read "new creation," echoing Genesis: the God who once spoke light into darkness now makes new life in a person.
The change is decisive -- "old things are passed away" -- yet also unfolding, as the believer grows into what God has already made them. Identity comes first; transformation follows.
In the Original Language
The Greek "kainos" (new) means new in kind and quality, not merely recent. "Ktisis" (creature/creation) is the same word used for what God brings into being.
Cross References
Application
Base your identity not on your past or failures, but on who you now are in Christ -- a new creation -- and live into it.
Related Verse Explanations
Topics