2 Coríntios 5
A.T. Robertson · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 5:14-16
Robertson - According to the flesh, the fleshy way of looking at men. He, of course, knows men “in the flesh”, but Paul is not speaking of that. Worldly standards and distinctions of race, class, cut no figure now with Paul (Gal. 3:28) as he looks at men from the standpoint of the Cross of Christ. When Jesus comes into our life and in fact now even becomes our life according to Colossians 3:4-+, He changes every aspect of the way we evaluate people, so that now human standards are no longer adequate for judging others. When we come to know Christ, He changes everything about us. We see this "divine vision" regarding people also alluded to in a number of other passages… But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1Sa 16:7). And He (referring to Messiah ruling and reigning on earth from Jerusalem in the Millennium) will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see (Isa 11:3). (Jesus declared) “Do not judge (present imperative with a negative = stop doing this, implying they were judging others this way and "implies that they were guilty of wrong judgment and urges them to mend their ways" [Leon Morris]) according to appearance, but judge (aorist imperative = Jesus use of this command conveys a sense of urgency.) with righteous judgment.” (Jn 7:24). NLT paraphrase: Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. Williams paraphrase: Stop judging superficially. You (Jesus addressing the Pharisees complaint in Jn 8:13) judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. (Jn 8:15+) Comment: Recall that before his conversion, Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees (Acts 23:6, 26:5, Php 3:5-+), constantly judging men according to the flesh, but now in Christ, controlled by the radical love of Christ which was made possible by His co-crucifixion and co-resurrection with Christ, he counted that manner of living as loss for the sake of Christ (Php 3:7-+), even considering such thinking and living as rubbish in order that he might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of (his) own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Php 3:8, 9-+). The ancient writer Chrysostom commented that… Even if believers are still in their earthly bodies, we do not relate to them in that way, because the life according to the flesh has been transcended. We have been born again by the Spirit and have learned a different kind of behavior, which is that of heaven. It is Christ who has brought about this change. (Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians) Flesh (4561) (See word study on sarx) Newton feels that Paul is using flesh in a negative way - flesh as opposed to Spirit; flesh that sees things only from human thoughts but fails to understand anything transcendent, majestic, eternal. (Ref) To know Christ "according to the flesh" means to know Him only as a human being in history, but not to know him as Savior and Lord. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh- Paul admits that at one time (Saul the Pharisee) in the past (before his conversion), he viewed Christ in this way and he sought to persecute His followers (Acts 9:1, 2, Acts 26:9, 10, 11), but no longer (Paul the Apostle) views Him according to the standards men judge other men. Phil Newton asks… What did Paul (Saul of Tarsus) know about Jesus Christ prior to his conversion? • A popular teacher, deemed a disturber of the peace and tranquility in Israel • A native of Nazareth but lived in Galilee most recently • Followed by a band of uneducated fishermen and despised tax collectors, along with sinners such as prostitutes and other profligates of society • Esteemed by the poor, common man in Israel • Disrupts synagogues, criticizes and pronounces woes upon scribes and Pharisees • Able to quote the Law with authority, even speaks with authority as though He spoke for God Himself • Questionable birth; rumor has it that his mother was pregnant before she was married; so he may be illegitimate • Claims to be God, calls himself "Son of Man" and is called "Son of God" by some • Rumored that He has multiplied bread on two occasions to feed thousands, healed lame and infirmed, gave sight to blind, delivered demon possessed, and even rumors that he had raised the dead • Blameless in His conduct and speech; no one can corner Him successfully As Philip
2 Coríntios 5:17
Robertson comments that… The high doctrine of Christ’s atoning death carries a correspondingly high obligation on the part of those who live because of Him. Selfishness is ruled out by our duty to live “unto Him Who for their sakes died and rose again.” (cp 1Co 6:19-+, 1Co 6:20-+) Rose again on their behalf - This emphasizes His resurrection, the same power that brought about His resurrection is now available to believers [cp Paul's prayer for power in Ep 1:18, 19-+, Ep 1:20-+] and is the only power by which a believer can fulfill the charge to not live for themselves but to please God [cp 2Co 5:9-+] and love as He loved us 2Cor 5:16-+ Therefore (Based on the truth of 2Co 5:14,15, the Gospel) from now on (from the time he understood and believed Christ's death and resurrection, the way Paul viewed people changed radically - cp "old things passed away"-+) we recognize no one according to the flesh (the way the world views men - reputation, externals, class, wealth, etc as Paul's opponents evaluated men); even though we have known Christ according to the flesh (before Saul came Paul the believer in Christ, he knew Christ according to the standards of unbelievers, even considering Him a "false Messiah", see Ac 26:9, 10, 11), yet now (After his Damascus Road experience, his conversion - Acts 9:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 26:15,16, 17, 18) we know Him in this way no longer. Henry Alford commenting on after the flesh - 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 (cp Col 3:11-+, Gal 3:28) Malcolm Tolbert comments that - When we view others according to the flesh, we evaluate them from an egocentric perspective, in terms of what they can mean to us and do for us. Therefore, position, wealth, race, sex, etc. become the dominating criteria. When we view people from a Christocentric position, the perspective is radically altered… To be Christocentric is to be constrained by the love of Christ, for that is exactly what 2Co 5:16 and 2Co 5:17 show. To be Christocentric is now interpreted in the broadest possible way. There is a radical change in attitude toward and relationship to all of humanity (2Cor 5:11-21 Theology and Ministry in Faith and Mission. Vol 1:1, Fall, 1983) Broomall adds the quotable comment that - Spiritual insight had changed Paul’s center of gravity; eternity had become the yardstick of all measurement. (Wycliffe Bible Commentary. 1981. Moody) THEREFORE WHAT'S IT THERE FOR? Therefore (5620) (hoste) is used to introduce independent clauses and is often translated so, for this reason or therefore expressing consequence or result. Therefore - This conjunction should always force us to ask the 5W/H questions of the context. Furthermore, recognizing that therefore is a term of conclusion, it should specifically cause us to ask the natural question -- "What's the "therefore" there for?" Paul's conclusion in 2Co 5:17 is based on the preceding truths in 2Cor 5:14, 15, 16 specifically the truths concerning Christ's Death, Resurrection and Supernatural Life (In essence the truths about the "Gospel" -1Co 15:1-+, 1Co 15:2-+, 1Co 15:3, 4, 5-+). R B