2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10 Lesson 346

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10
Lesson 346

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Reconciliation with God comes through Jesus Christ.
A new person (5:17).
"We own nothing, and yet we have everything." (NLT 6:10)
Ambassadors (6:20).

The scourged and beaten Jesus.

By Zapista OU Digital Creative Agency

Study Tip:

Use the investigative journalist's five W's approach when you study the Bible.
As you read each passage, ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why.

The Second Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Corinthians

The King James Bible

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10
Reconciled

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 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 6:1-10
Paul's hardships

1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Margin notes:

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God." (5:11) - "Because we fear the Lord (on judgment day), we convert others, our good intentions are known to God."

"That ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart." (5:12) - "So you will have something to answer those who brag about their preaching but are not sincere at heart."

"For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause." (5:13) - "If it seems we are out of our minds, it is for God, if we are of sound minds it is for you."

"The love of Christ constraineth us." (5:14) - "The love of Christ controls us."

"We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." (15:14) - "We have reached the conclusion, that if Christ died for all, then all must have been dead."

"He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him." (5:15) - "Christ died for all, so those who believe will no longer live for themselves, but for Him." Christians "live by the faith of the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20). Who are you living for?

"Henceforth know we no man after the flesh." (5:16) - "From now on we don't see peoples outside appearances."

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." (5:17) - Once we accept Jesus, we become a new creature (Galatians 6:15). Verse 5:15 tells us we do this by not living for ourselves, but for Jesus. Verse 5:16 teaches us not to evaluate others from a secular point of view.

"Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (5:17) - This world will pass away. We are promised a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1; 21:5).

"All things are of God." (5:18) - When we accept Jesus as our Savior our identity is in Him. We are new creatures with our past left behind. Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20).

"God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." (5:18) - "God reconciled us to Him, through (the sacrifice of) Jesus Christ." Since Adam and Eve's sin (Genesis 3), the world has been alienated from God.  By dying on the cross, Jesus made reconciliation possible (Romans 5:10; Galatians I:4; Ephesians 2:13-19; Colossians 1:20).

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." (5:19) - "That is, God was in Christ to reunite mankind to Him, and (He) no longer holds our sins against us." Remember, we needed to be reconciled with God; God did not need to be reconciled to us.

"We are ambassadors for Christ." (5:20) - Christians are God's ambassadors, representatives, envoys, and emissaries carrying His message here on earth. Believers can be good ambassadors by living their faith. They are role models for unbelievers.

"God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead." (5:20) - "God begs you through us (to believe), we pray for you on behalf of Christ."

"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." (5:21) - "God made Jesus, who was without sin, take the punishment for our sins so we could be reconciled with our heavenly Father (Isaiah 53:6; 53:11)."  To save us, the Son of God died a cursed sinner. "Jesus Christ rehabilitated the human race; He put it back to where God designed it to be, and anyone can enter into union with God on the ground of what Our Lord has done on the cross" (Oswald Chambers). This is the essence of the Christian faith (Romans 3:21-26; 5:12-21).

"The grace of God." (6:1) - "The gift of God." Giving His Son to die for our sins was a gift from God.

"I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (6:2) - This is a paraphrase from Isaiah 49:8, meaning now is the time, today is the day to accept God's gift of salvation.

"Giving no offence." (6:3) - Be a good ambassador, a good role model. Do nothing that keeps someone from believing. See Romans 14:13.

"In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God." (6:4) - In everything we do, we show that we are servants of God."

"In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings." (6:5) - "We were whipped (Acts 16:22-24), imprisoned (Acts 24:22-27), faced angry mobs (Acts 14:1-7; 17:5-9; 19:28-34), worked, and gone without sleep and food." Paul is giving examples of how he proved his legitimacy.

"By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned." (6:6) - "By purity, understanding, patience, kindness by the Holy Ghost, and by sincere love." More examples of Paul's legitimacy.

"The armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." (6:7) - A reference to the weapons of righteousness used to defeat Satan (2 Corinthians 10:4). In ancient warfare, offensive weapons were held in the right hand and defensive weapons in the left. See Ephesians 6:10-18 for more on the metaphor of weapons and armor.

"As deceivers." (6:8) - "As liars."

"Unknown, and yet well known." (6:9) - "Ignored, yet well known."

"Sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing." (6:10) - "Even when sad, always rejoicing."

New Living Translation

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10
We Are God's Ambassadors

11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.

13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.

14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

21 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 6:1-10

1 As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it.

2 For God says,

  "At just the right time, I heard you.
      On the day of salvation, I helped you."

  Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Paul's Hardships

3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.

4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.

5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.

6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.

7 We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.

8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors.

9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.

10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What does it mean to be "a new creature?" (5:17)

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. To be "a new creature" is to be a new person enjoying a fresh start "created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).  It means to look at things through new eyes and a new heart. Thanks to God's grace, believers renew their minds (Romans 12:2) and replace their old lives with a new existence (Colossians 3:9). This "new creature" seeks the future treasures of heaven (Colossians 3:1) rather than the poverty of their past.



Application thought for the day:

Re-read 5:15-19.
What would you have given for a second chance the last time you made a mistake?

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2026 evolke

Subscribe for Free Bible Lessons