by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n
Sometimes I am struck with the beauty of a passage while, at the same time, humbled by the fact that its fullness and depth are out of my reach. The passage becomes a never-ending source of thought, ideas, and encouragement.<\/p>\n
Such is the case for me with II Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.<\/em>“<\/p>\n Who can understand the depths of this? Who can explain all that this passage sums up? I cannot. Even so, I often dwell on it, seeking to know and understand more of what it says. So brief a passage packs more power than I can fathom.<\/p>\n Jesus knew no sin. He was never guilty of sin. One becomes guilty of sin by commission, and Jesus did not commit sin (I Peter 2:22). Ever. He was the innocent suffering Servant, a perfect sacrifice with no blemish.<\/p>\n Yet he was “made to be sin.” Given that He was never guilty of sin, we should not think that Jesus, in some way, became “lawlessness” (I John 3:4) or fell short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). While, again, I do not fully understand what or how it all happened, I do not believe we are looking at a concept that turns Jesus into a sinner. I do not pretend to know what all happened on the cross with Jesus. Yet here are some additional thoughts that might shed some light:<\/p>\n “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh<\/em>” (Romans 8:3). Jesus became sin in that He took on the likeness of sinful flesh and, through His life and sacrifice, condemned sin.<\/p>\n “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us-for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’ – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith<\/em>” (Galatians 3:13-14).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In the context of one who is cursed by hanging on a tree, Deuteronomy 21:22 says, “if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree …<\/em>“<\/p>\n Jesus did not commit any crime punishable by death, yet He still hung on the cross as if He had. The curse here is death, and certainly, by looking at Jesus on the cross, any would esteem Him “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted<\/em>” (Isaiah 53:4). One would see the effects of sin in Jesus hanging on the cross, particularly as His body went limp and He breathed His last.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, I believe that the phrase (to be sin) means He became our sin sacrifice, an offering made on our behalf in order to display God’s righteousness in bringing about His promises and to provide forgiveness for us so that we may be righteous. I find this passage interesting in this light:<\/p>\n “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required<\/em>” (Psalms 40:6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Note the phrase, “… sin offering you have not required<\/em>.” The term here for “sin offering” is the term for an offense, for sin, and is so used in other passages (e.g., Exodus 32:21, 30-31; Psalms 32:1). Here, “sin” stands for an offering for sin. I believe that is the essence of what II Corinthians 5:21 teaches us. Christ is our offering for sin. This agrees with what Peter wrote: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed<\/em>” (I Peter 2:24).<\/p>\n Yet, what do I really know? As I reflect upon the death and resurrection of Jesus, I find that I know little to nothing, for this is not a plan that I would have ever dreamed up. It is not a display of my wisdom, power, or righteousness. Yet it displays God’s in ways that we can hardly grasp.<\/p>\n Praise God for His wisdom, power, and righteousness. “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God<\/em>” (I Corinthians 1:23-24).<\/p>\n The point, though, of II Corinthians 5:21 is not to be a source of theological dispute over matters that we can hardly understand. Rather, it is meant to be an encouragement for being reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:20 is an appeal by the apostle, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.<\/em>” Then, II Corinthians 6:1 is an appeal not to receive God’s grace in vain. While containing some deep theology, the message is meant to be practical. We may never fully understand the depths of what happened on the cross, but what we do know should be sufficient enough to evoke a response of submission to God’s will. Jesus died for us. What will we do now?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Doy Moyer Sometimes I am struck with the beauty of a passage while, at the same time, humbled by the fact that its fullness and depth are out of my reach. The passage becomes a never-ending source of thought, ideas, and encouragement. Such is the case for me with II Corinthians 5:21 – “For…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[73,272,179],"class_list":["post-54294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-jesus","tag-sacrifices","tag-sin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14278,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-adams-sin-isnt-inherited-why-do-all-women-experience-pain-during-childbirth\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":0},"title":"If Adam\u2019s sin isn\u2019t inherited, why do ALL women experience pain during childbirth?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I disagree with your teaching that Adam\u2019s sin is not inherited. If Adam\u2019s sin isn\u2019t inherited, why do all women experience pain during childbirth? Why do all men have to work hard to feed their families? We all share the punishment of Adam and Eve, so we all inherit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20773,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-adulterous-woman\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":1},"title":"The Adulterous Woman","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:2-11 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0People rarely want their sins pointed out. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It should be understandable. We want to think well of ourselves and have others think well of us also. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The common response to rebuke is to attack the messenger - Proverbs 15:32 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You\u2019ll hear people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39449,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/total-hereditary-depravity-and-ezekiel-1820\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":2},"title":"Total Hereditary Depravity and Ezekiel 18:20","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bryan Sharp \"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself\" (Ezekiel 18:20). Guilt\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55618,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-consequences-of-imputed-righteousness-per-calvinism\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":3},"title":"The Consequences of \u201cImputed Righteousness\u201d per Calvinism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dudley Ross Spears \"Imputed righteousness\" is an integral part of classic Calvinism. It is the doctrine affirming that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ is instantly transferred to a sinner at the point of \"saving faith.\" Accordingly, the believer ceases to be the old vile sinner he was and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54054,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bearing-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":4},"title":"Bearing Sins","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer I was reading in Matthew and this caught my attention and my mind began to chase the rabbit down the hole. Maybe others have made this point: \"That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88566,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-there-a-difference-between-original-sin-and-actual-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":54294,"position":5},"title":"Is there a difference between original sin and actual sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Jeffrey I am combing through reading material around the subject of Original Sin. I am critiquing a book written by a popular proponent of this doctrine, \"Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle\" by French theologian Henri Blocher. Amongst his discussions, there are two arguments he made to support his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54294\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}