2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Paul means that a person joined to Christ by faith is not merely improved but newly created by God. The old life, ruled by sin and lived for self, has passed away, and a new life has begun, lived for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). The verse does not mean a believer never struggles with sin again. It means his deepest identity has changed, and God, who began the work, will finish it.
2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of the most quoted verses for new believers, baptisms and new beginnings, and it is often read at New Year. Its first word, Therefore, tells us it is a conclusion. In the verses before it Paul explains what drives his ministry: the love of Christ constraineth us. Christ died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him. Paul says he no longer looks at anyone, not even Christ, from a merely human point of view. Then comes the verse: if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. And in the verses after it Paul explains where that new creation comes from: all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ. Below are 12 KJV passages in three groups: the verse in its own setting, what the new creature is, and how the new life is lived.
If any man be in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5 in context
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Look at each phrase. If any man be in Christ: the condition is union with Christ by faith, open to anyone. He is a new creature: the word creature means creation. Some translate, there is a new creation. Either way, God is doing something as new as Genesis 1. Old things are passed away: the old life, with its guilt and its slavery to self, is gone. Behold, all things are become new: Paul says behold, as if pointing to something he can see. This is not a feeling or a resolution. It is a fact God has accomplished in everyone who belongs to Christ.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
The reason for the new creation is the cross. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. Constraineth means presses on, controls. Paul's whole life is driven by Christ's love. When Christ died, all who are joined to Him died with Him, so their old life ended. Then the purpose: that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. The new creature has a new center. He lives for Christ, not for himself. That is the clearest mark of the new life.
3. 2 Corinthians 5:16
"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more."
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh. After the flesh means by worldly standards: background, status, appearance, success. Paul admits that he once judged Christ that way, as a failed teacher who died on a cross. Now he sees Him as the risen Lord. The new creation changes how a believer sees everyone. He no longer sizes people up by the world's measures, because he knows that anyone, however unlikely, can be made new in Christ. Paul himself, once a persecutor, was proof of it (1 Timothy 1:13).
4. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
Where does the new creation come from? And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. God is the author from start to finish. Paul explains how: God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. To impute is to count or charge to someone's account. God does not count believers' sins against them, because He counted them against Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then God gives the reconciled a job: the ministry of reconciliation. New creatures become messengers, telling others that they too can be made new.
He is a new creature: born again by God
5. John 3:3
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Jesus told Nicodemus, a respected teacher of the law, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was moral, religious and sincere, yet Jesus said he needed a new birth. Being born again and being a new creature are two ways of describing the same work of God. Notice that no one can cause his own birth. Jesus says it is the work of the Spirit, who blows where He wills (John 3:8). This is why 2 Corinthians 5:17 is good news. We are not told to make ourselves new. We are told that God does it in Christ.
6. Galatians 6:15
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
Paul writes, in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. The Galatians were arguing about religious rituals and whether Gentile believers had to keep them. Paul says that outward marks, whether you have them or not, are not what matters. What matters is the new creation. The same is true today of church background, denomination or religious habits. They cannot make anyone new. Only union with Christ can. Paul then pronounces a blessing on all who walk according to this rule (Galatians 6:16).
7. Ezekiel 11:19
"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:"
Centuries before Paul, God promised through Ezekiel, I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh. A heart of stone cannot respond to God. A heart of flesh can. This is what happens in the new creation. God does not just forgive the old heart; He gives a new one. The promise continues: that they may walk in my statutes (Ezekiel 11:20). The new heart produces a new way of life. The new creature of 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the fulfilment of the new heart promised here.
8. Romans 6:4
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Paul uses baptism to picture the change: we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In baptism the believer is pictured as dying with Christ and rising with Him. The old man is buried; a new person rises. That is why 2 Corinthians 5:17 is so often read at baptisms. Notice the phrase walk in newness of life. The new creation is not a single moment only. It becomes a new way of walking, day after day.
Old things are passed away: living the new life
9. Ephesians 4:22-24
"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
How does a new creature live? Paul tells the Ephesians to put off ... the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. The picture is changing clothes. The new man has already been created; now the believer is to wear him. This explains why Christians still struggle. The old habits must be taken off, and the mind must be renewed, often slowly. But the believer fights from victory, not for it, because the new man is already his.
10. Colossians 3:9-10
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:"
Paul gives a practical example: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. The reason not to lie is not just that lying is wrong. It is that lying belongs to the old self, and the believer is no longer that person. The new man is being renewed after the image of the Creator, made more like Christ. Ordinary choices, like telling the truth, are where the new creation shows itself.
11. Isaiah 43:18
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
God told Israel, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. The next verse says, Behold, I will do a new thing. God was promising a new exodus, so great that it would make the first one seem small. For a believer, old things are passed away means he is not defined by his past. His sins are forgiven, and his failures do not have the last word. He may remember them to give thanks, but he does not have to live in them. See our Isaiah 43:19 meaning.
12. Revelation 21:5
"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
At the end of the Bible, he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. The new creation that begins in a believer's heart will one day fill the universe: a new heaven and a new earth, with no more death, sorrow or pain. 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the first instalment. Each person made new in Christ is a preview of what God will do with everything. Notice that John is told to write it down, for these words are true and faithful. The promise of a new life is as sure as the promise of a new world.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that anyone who is in You is a new creature. Thank You for dying for me so that I would no longer live for myself, but for You. Where old habits still cling to me, help me to put off the old man and put on the new. Renew my mind and make me more like You. Help me to see other people not by the world's standards but as people You can make new, and use me to tell them about Your reconciliation. Thank You that one day You will make all things new. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Get the free New Year Scripture plan · Print the free baptism certificate · Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17 with Scripture memory cards
Frequently asked questions
What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 mean?
It means that anyone who is united to Christ by faith has been newly created by God. The old life ruled by sin and self has passed away, and a new life has begun, lived for Christ. It is God's work, not self-improvement, and it will be completed when Christ makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).
What is a new creature in Christ?
A new creature (or new creation) is a person whom God has made new through faith in Jesus Christ. He has a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), a new standing before God (2 Corinthians 5:21), a new purpose (2 Corinthians 5:15) and a new future. Jesus called this being born again (John 3:3).
If I am a new creature, why do I still sin?
The new creation is real, but it is not yet complete. Scripture tells believers to put off the old man and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24), which means a lifelong struggle against sin. The difference is that sin no longer rules the believer (Romans 6:14), and God promises to finish what He has begun (Philippians 1:6).
Is 2 Corinthians 5:17 a good verse for baptism or New Year?
Yes. It is one of the most popular verses for baptisms, because baptism pictures dying and rising with Christ (Romans 6:4), and for New Year, because it speaks of old things passing away. Our free baptism certificate and New Year Scripture plan use verses like it.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Isaiah 43:19 Meaning · Romans 12 KJV · John 3:16 Meaning · Ephesians 2:8-9 Meaning · Amazing Grace · New Creation · New Beginnings · Identity in Christ
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
