2 Corinthians 5:16 (LSB)

Passage

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.

2 Corinthians 5:15 And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "recognize", "flesh", "even", "though", "known", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "recognize", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And He died for all so that..." into verse 17's "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he...", so "therefore" and "recognize" 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 "therefore" and "recognize" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.