2 Corinthians 5:16 (WEB)

Passage

Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.

2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Study Lenses

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

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