Most-likely author (evangelical perspective)
– The author of 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). Evangelical scholarship overwhelmingly accepts Pauline authorship of 2 Corinthians and treats it as an authentic letter written by Paul to the church in Corinth.
Who Paul was (brief)
– A Jew from Tarsus, educated as a Pharisee under Gamaliel (Philippians, Acts).
– A Roman citizen who once persecuted the church but was converted on the Damascus road (Acts 9).
– An apostle who launched missionary journeys across the eastern Mediterranean, planted churches, and wrote many New Testament letters.
– Traditionally believed to have been martyred in Rome under Nero (mid-60s AD).
Context of 2 Corinthians and 2:17
– 2 Corinthians was written by Paul (from Macedonia, mid-first century) in response to a complex situation in Corinth: strained relationships, critics challenging his authority, and issues about giving money for the Jerusalem collection.
– The immediate context of 2 Corinthians 5:17 is Paul’s theme of reconciliation and new identity: 2 Corinthians 5:14–21 emphasizes God’s reconciling work in Christ and the believer’s new role as God’s ambassador.
Meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:17 from an evangelical viewpoint
– The verse (often translated, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”) expresses core Pauline and evangelical convictions:
– “In Christ” points to union with Christ — believers are spiritually united to Christ by faith.
– “New creation” refers to regeneration: God gives a new nature (spiritual rebirth), so the believer’s fundamental identity is changed.
– The phrase signals both a decisive break with the old sinful way of life and the beginning of progressive sanctification — Christians are newly made and are being renewed more and more until glorification.
– It is tied to God’s reconciling work: because God has reconciled us through Christ, believers now belong to God’s renewed order and are called to live and proclaim that reconciliation.
Why evangelicals emphasize Pauline authorship here
– Doctrinally important: Paul’s doctrine of justification, union with Christ, regeneration, and mission are central to evangelical theology; 2 Corinthians 5:17 is a succinct statement of those themes.
– Historical and textual grounds: early church attestation, internal style and theology consistent with Paul’s other undisputed letters, and the book’s place in the canonical tradition support Pauline authorship.
Pastoral implications often drawn by evangelicals
– Assurance: believers can be confident that their status before God truly changes in Christ.
– Identity and ethics: Christians should live out their new identity (putting off the “old” life, growing in holiness).
– Mission: as new creations reconciled to God, believers are commissioned to be ambassadors of reconciliation.
Further reading (evangelical resources)
– The book of Acts (especially Paul’s conversion and missionary journeys).
– Paul’s letters (Galatians, Romans) for related theology of new creation and justification.
– Commentaries/resources: Gordon D. Fee, The Message of 2 Corinthians (John R. W. Stott), and standard evangelical commentaries like Fee’s NICNT on 2 Corinthians.
If you’d like, I can:
– Give a short devotional reflection on 2 Corinthians 5:17,
– Summarize how other New Testament writers use the “new creation” idea,
– Recommend one or two specific commentaries or sermon resources.
