The Meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:15 Explained

2 Corinthians 5:15

KJV: 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.

YLT: and for all he died, that those living, no more to themselves may live, but to him who died for them, and was raised again.

Darby: and he died for all, that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and has been raised.

ASV: and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Corinthians 5:15 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Corinthians 5:11-19 - Constrained By The Love Of Christ
It was of small importance in Paul's eyes what his critics thought of him. He desired only to please his supreme Lord, whether he lived or died, was considered cold and staid or hot and impassioned. He was overmastered by his love of Christ. This may have been the sense of Christ's love to his unworthy self, or the emotion that burned in his soul toward Christ, or the very love of Christ received into his heart, as a tiny creek on the shore receives the pulse of the ocean tide.
The Apostle had arrived at the deliberate conclusion and judgment that the "all" who realized what Christ had done for them (and he among them) must live with as much devotion toward Him as others toward themselves. A new world had been opened by Christ's resurrection. All things had become new. Let us live in daily touch with that world of faith and glory, refusing to be judged by the old standards. It is clear that the reconciliation of the world is as complete as God can make it, but it is for us to urge men to fall in with and accept God's proposals. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Corinthians 5

1  That in his assured hope of immortal glory,
9  and in expectation of it, he labors to keep a good conscience;
12  not that he may boast of himself,
14  but as one that, having received life from Christ,
17  endeavors to live as a new creature to Christ only,
18  and by his ministry of reconciliation, to reconcile others also in Christ to God

Greek Commentary for 2 Corinthians 5:15

Should no longer live unto themselves [ινα μηκετι εαυτοις ζωσιν]
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.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Corinthians 5:15

2 Corinthians 5:14 The love of Christ [η αγαπη του Χριστου]
Subjective genitive, Christ‘s love for Paul as shown by 2 Corinthians 5:15. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:16 After the flesh [κατα σαρκα]
According to the flesh, the fleshy way of looking at men. He, of course, knows men “in the flesh Concessive clause (ει και — ei kai if even or also) with perfect active indicative. Paul admits that he had once looked at Christ κατα σαρκα — kata sarka but now no longer does it. Obviously he uses κατα σαρκα — kata sarka in precisely the same sense that he did in 2 Corinthians 5:15 about men. He had before his conversion known Christ κατα σαρκα — 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 (Acts 9:4). That event turned Paul clean round and he no longer knows Christ in the old way κατα σαρκα — 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. [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Corinthians 5:15 mean?

And for all He died that those living no longer to themselves should live but to the [One] them having died having been raised again
καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν ἀλλὰ τῷ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι ἐγερθέντι

ἀπέθανεν  He  died 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποθνῄσκω  
Sense: to die.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ζῶντες  living 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ζάω  
Sense: to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead).
μηκέτι  no  longer 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μηκέτι  
Sense: no longer, no more, not hereafter.
ἑαυτοῖς  to  themselves 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
ζῶσιν  should  live 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ζάω  
Sense: to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead).
τῷ  to  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀποθανόντι  having  died 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποθνῄσκω  
Sense: to die.
ἐγερθέντι  having  been  raised  again 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.