2 Corinthians 5:11 (WEB)

Passage

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God; and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God; and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.

2 Corinthians 5:12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.

2 Corinthians 5:13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knowing", "therefore", "fear", "lord", "persuade", "revealed", and "hope". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knowing" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "For we must all be revealed before..." into verse 12's "For we are not commending ourselves to...", so "knowing" and "therefore" 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 "knowing" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.