For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJ
Im confused on the word “might” here. I have understood that if you are “in Christ”, you are then made righteous. It seems as though there is an option or condition to become righteous when you are already in Christ, seeming to make salvation conditional? Thank you.
In other words, @jstalez, Jesus made it possible for us to be new creations by his life, death, and resurrection.
Hi,
“Might” can be used as the past tense of may.
So you are not off-trac.
Blessings
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: ton me gnonta (AAPMSA) hamartian huper hemon amartian epoiesen, (3SAAI) hina hemeis genometha (1PAMS) dikaiosune theou en auto.
Amplified: For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. (Lockman)
Barclay: He made him who had no acquaintance with sin to be sin for us, that through him we might become the righteousness of God. (Westminster Press)
ESV: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)
HCSB: He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (Holman Christian Standard Bible - Study notes available online free)
KJV: 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.
NEB: Christ was innocent of sin, and yet for our sake God made him one with the sinfulness of men, so that in him we might be made one with the goodness of God himself. (New English Bible - Oxford Press)
NET: God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. (NET Bible)
MH: How did that reconciliation come about? Christ was totally devoid of sin. Yet God caused him to be sin on our behalf and in our place, so that as a result of being united with Christ we might become righteous before God. (Murray Harris’ expanded paraphrase of 2Corinthians).
NLT: 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. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God. (Phillips: Touchstone)
Weymouth: He has made Him who knew nothing of sin to be sin for us, in order that in Him we may become the righteousness of God.
Wuest: He who did not know sin in an experiential way, on behalf of us and instead of us, was made [the representative of] sin, in order that, as for us, we might become a righteousness of God in Him. (Eerdmans)
Young’s Literal: for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.
HE MADE HIM WHO KNEW NO SIN TO BE SIN ON OUR BEHALF, SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM: ton me gnonta (AAPMSA) hamartian huper hemon hamartian epoiesen, (3SAAI) hina hemeis genometha (1PAMS) dikaiosune theou en auto.:
he: Isa 53:4-6,9-12 Da 9:26 Zec 13:7 Ro 8:3 Ga 3:13 Eph 5:2 1Pe 3:18 1Jn 2:1,2)(who: Isa 53:9 Lk 1:35 Heb 7:26 1Pe 2:22-24 1Jn 3:5
we: 2Co 5:17 Isa 45:24,25 53:11 Jer 23:26 33:16 Da 9:24 Ro 1:17 3:21-26 Ro 5:19 8:1-4 10:3,4 1Co 1:30 Php 3:9
The confusion here is because in English “might” often sounds like hesitation or uncertainty, but in 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul is not expressing doubt about the outcome of being in Christ. The issue is in the translation of the Greek word γινώμεθα (ginōmetha, “we might become”) which is in the aorist subjunctive. In Koine Greek, the subjunctive here does not carry our modern English sense of “maybe,” but expresses purpose or result. Paul is using a hina clause — “ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ” — which literally means “so that we become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The logic of the sentence is not “if we do our part, we may become righteous” but “God made Christ to be sin for us with the intended result that those who are in Him are made righteous.” The “might become” is a relic of older English usage where “might” could simply mark purpose without implying uncertainty. The NKJV kept the KJV’s old wording, but modern translations often clarify the sense:
ESV: “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (still retains “might,” but in context it is purpose)
NASB: “so that we might become” (same Greek purpose force)
NET: “so that in him we would become” (brings out the certainty)
Also, righteousness here is positional before it is practical. The moment you are “in Christ” you are justified — declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ’s work (Romans 5:1, Philippians 3:9). However, Paul often speaks of righteousness both as a completed reality (justification) and an ongoing transformation (sanctification). In this verse, the focus is on the exchange, Christ bears our sin, we receive His righteousness, and the verb form is expressing the divine intent behind the cross, not a conditional offer hanging in uncertainty.
So the structure is this: The Father made (aorist active indicative, ἐποίησεν) the sinless Son to be sin (to bear our sin in our place), so that (ἵνα) the definite result follows, those in Him are made righteous (γενώμεθα) before God. The certainty is grounded in the completed act of God, not in our performance after coming to Christ.
That we might become (hina hēmeis genōmetha). Note “become.” This is God’s purpose (hina) in what he did and in what Christ did. Thus alone can we obtain God’s righteousness (Rom_1:17).
J.
AMEN to Johann’s elucidation.
“For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. “
One “might” notice that Paul uses a similar phrase in the context (above) of this passage; his explanation of being “ministers of reconciliation” when he says: “…that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.” (5:12). In this context, the words “may” and “might” convey the idea that God did something to open the way of something else for you (us). The misunderstanding over the word “might” lies not in the original words chosen by the author, but in the attenuated usage of the translated English word “might” over the past few centuries. The modern “vulgar” use of the word “might” implies “accidental”, “unsure” or “a possibility”; it conveys something that is opposing certainty, as in “I might go to the store” means it is uncertain if I will go to the store. The original English translators chose the word “might” to convey the idea “so a way could be opened”; “God made Jesus, who was without sin, to be sin, so a way could be opened for us to becoming the righteousness of God in Jesus.”
Thanx again @Johann
KP
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2Co 5:21 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.
How do I delete the “summary” brother?
J.
How do I delete the “summary” @KPuff ?
Wow.. Thank you so much! This is incredibly helpful. I have had certain hold ups around language like this, this answers a lot for me…Thanks for the time
Thank you for expounding on this!… Very helpful for me while im working it out.
Only a pleasure brother.
J.
Sounds like it’sa condition , “might”