2 Corinthians 5:16 (GNV)

Passage

Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though wee had knowen Christ after the flesh, yet nowe henceforth know we him no more.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:14 For that loue of Christ constraineth vs,

2 Corinthians 5:15 Because we thus iudge, that if one be dead for all, then were all dead, and he died for all, that they which liue, shoulde not henceforth liue vnto themselues, but vnto him which died for them, and rose againe.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though wee had knowen Christ after the flesh, yet nowe henceforth know we him no more.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, let him be a newe creature. Olde things are passed away: beholde, all things are become newe.

2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, which hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ, and hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "henceforth", "after", "flesh", "though", "knowen", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "henceforth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Because we thus iudge that if one..." into verse 17's "Therefore if any man be in Christ...", so "wherefore" and "henceforth" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wherefore" and "henceforth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.