SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:16
¶ De manera que nosotros de aquí en adelante a nadie conocemos segn la carne; y si aun a Cristo conocimos segn la carne, ahora sin embargo ya no le conocemos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 5:16
Verse 16. Know we no man after the flesh] As we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and as we know that all are alienated from God, and are dead in trespasses and sins; therefore we esteem no man on account of his family relations, or the stock whence he proceeded, because we see all are shut up in unbelief, and all are children of wrath. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh] We cannot esteem a man who is a sinner, were he even allied to the blood royal of David, and were he of the same family with the man Christ himself; nor can we prize a man because he has seen Christ in the flesh; for many have seen him in the flesh to whom he will say; Depart from me, for I never knew you. So we: nothing weighs with us, nor in the sight of God, but redemption from this death, and living to him who died for them.
We know that the Jews valued themselves much in having Abraham for their father; and some of the Judaizing teachers at Corinth might value themselves in having seen Christ in the flesh, which certainly St. Paul did not; hence he takes occasion to say here that this kind of privilege availed nothing; for the old creature, however noble, or well descended in the sight of men, is under the curse; and the new creature only is such as God can approve.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh . etc..] Since the death and resurrection of Christ, which has broken down the middle wall of partition, and has took away all distinction of men, we know, we esteem, we value no man on account of his carnal descent, and fleshy privileges, as being of the Jewish nation, a descendant of Abraham, and circumcised as he was; or on account of their outward state and condition, as being rich and honourable among men, or on account of their natural parts and acquirements, their learning, wisdom, and eloquence; nor do we own any man to be a Christian, that lives after the flesh, to himself, and not to Christ; nor do we make account of the saints themselves as in this mortal state, but as they will be in the resurrection, in consequence of Christ's having died for them, and rose again. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh : some of them had seen him in the flesh; others valued him on account of his being of the Jewish nation, and of his relation to them according to the flesh; and all of them had formerly entertained carnal apprehensions of him, and his kingdom, as though it would be a temporal one: yet now henceforth know we him more ; no more in this mortal state, being risen from the dead; nor do we value ourselves upon having seen him in the flesh; for though such a sight and knowledge of him was desirable, yet a spiritual knowledge is much more preferable; and many there were who knew him in the flesh, who neither enjoy his spiritual presence here, nor will they be favoured with his glorious presence hereafter. Moreover, we do not judge of him as we did before we had a spiritual knowledge of him, and as our countrymen did, by his outward circumstances, by his parentage and education, his poverty and afflictions, his company and conversation, that he could not be the Messiah, the Son of God, and therefore was worthy of death; we have quite other thoughts and apprehensions of him now, believing him to be the Christ of God, a spiritual Saviour and Redeemer, whose kingdom is not of this world; we have relinquished all our national prejudices, and former notions, concerning the Messiah, his kingdom, and people. Some copies add, after the flesh; and the Arabic version, yet now know we him no more in that.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-21 - The renewed man acts upon new principles, by new rules, with new ends and in new company. The believer is created anew; his heart is no merely set right, but a new heart is given him. He is the workmanshi of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Though the same as man, he is changed in his character and conduct. These words must an do mean more than an outward reformation. The man who formerly saw n beauty in the Saviour that he should desire him, now loves him abov all things. The heart of the unregenerate is filled with enmity agains God, and God is justly offended with him. Yet there may be reconciliation. Our offended God has reconciled us to himself by Jesu Christ. By the inspiration of God, the Scriptures were written, whic are the word of reconciliation; showing that peace has been made by the cross, and how we may be interested therein. Though God cannot lose by the quarrel, nor gain by the peace, yet he beseeches sinners to la aside their enmity, and accept the salvation he offers. Christ knew n sin. He was made Sin; not a sinner, but Sin, a Sin-offering, Sacrifice for sin. The end and design of all this was, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, might be justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Can an lose, labour, or suffer too much for Him, who gave his beloved Son to be the Sacrifice for their sins, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ωστε 5620 CONJ ημεις 2249 P-1NP απο 575 PREP του 3588 T-GSM νυν 3568 ADV ουδενα 3762 A-ASM οιδαμεν 1492 5758 V-RAI-1P κατα 2596 PREP σαρκα 4561 N-ASF ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ εγνωκαμεν 1097 5758 V-RAI-1P κατα 2596 PREP σαρκα 4561 N-ASF χριστον 5547 N-ASM αλλα 235 CONJ νυν 3568 ADV ουκετι 3765 ADV γινωσκομεν 1097 5719 V-PAI-1P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. After the flesh (kata sarka). "He who knows no man after the flesh, has, for example, in the case of the Jew, entirely lost sight of his Jewish origin; in that of the rich man, of his riches; in that of the learned of his learning; in that of the slave, of his servitude" (Alford). Compare Gal. iii. 28.Yea though (ei kai). Not with a climactic force, as A.V., and not with the emphasis on Christ, but on have known. The proper sense will be brought out in reading by emphasizing have. We know no man henceforth after the flesh: even if we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, etc. Paul refers to his knowledge of Christ before his conversion, a hearsay knowledge, confined to reports of His personal appearance, His deeds, His relations to the Jews, His alleged crime and punishment. When the glorified Christ first spoke to him out of heaven, he asked, "Who art thou?" Compare to reveal His Son in me, Gal. i. 16.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:16 {Henceforth} (apo tou nun). From the time that we gained this view of Christ's death for us. {After the flesh} (kata sarka). According to the flesh, the fleshy way of looking at men. He, of course, knows men "in the flesh (en tei sarki), but Paul is not speaking of that. Worldly standards and distinctions of race, class, cut no figure now with Paul (#Ga 3:28) as he looks at men from the standpoint of the Cross of Christ. {Even though we have known Christ after the flesh} (ei kai egnwkamen kata sarka criston). Concessive clause (ei kai, if even or also) with perfect active indicative. Paul admits that he had once looked at Christ kata sarka, but now no longer does it. Obviously he uses kata sarka in precisely the same sense that he did in verse #15 about men. He had before his conversion known Christ kata sarka, according to the standards of the men of his time, the Sanhedrin and other Jewish leaders. He had led the persecution against Jesus till Jesus challenged and stopped him (#Ac 9:4). That event turned Paul clean round and he no longer knows Christ in the old way kata sarka. Paul may or may not have seen Jesus in the flesh before his death, but he says absolutely nothing on that point here.
