2 Corinthians 5:14

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
love	ἀγάπη agapē	G26	love · noun — nominative singular feminine
Christ	Χριστοῦ Christou	G5547	anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
constraineth	συνέχει sunechei	G4912	to hold together · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμᾶς hēmâs	G2248	us
because	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
judge	κρίναντας krinantas	G2919	by implication · verb — aorist active participle, accusative plural masculine
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
if	εἰ ei	G1487	if
one	εἷς heis	G1520	one · adjective — nominative singular masculine
died	ἀπέθανεν· apethanen	G599	to die off (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
for	ὑπὲρ huper	G5228	"over" · preposition
all	πάντων pantōn	G3956	all · adjective — genitive plural masculine
then	ἄρα ara	G686	a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive… · conjunction
were	ἀπέθανον. apethanon	G599	to die off (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural
all	πάντες pantes	G3956	all · adjective — nominative plural masculine
dead	ἀποθνήσκω apothnḗskō	G599	to die off (literally or figuratively)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by th…
Romans 14:7-9 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Matthew 10:37-38 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift b…
Ephesians 3:18-19 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
John 14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 5:12-15

Here observe, I. The apostle makes an apology for seeming to commend himself and his fellow-labourers (Co2 5:13), and tells them, 1. It was not to commend themselves, nor for their own sakes, that he had spoken of their fidelity and diligence in the former verses; nor was he willing to suspect their good opinion of him. But, 2. The true reason was this, to put an argument in their mouths wherewith to answer his accusers, who made vain boastings, and gloried in appearances only; that he might give them an occasion to glory on their behalf, or to defend them against the reproaches of their adversaries. And if the people can say that the word has been manifested to their consciences, and been e…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 5:14

For--Accounting for his being "beside himself" with enthusiasm: the love of Christ towards us (in His death for us, the highest proof of it, Rom 5:6-8), producing in turn love in us to Him, and not mere "terror" (Co2 5:11). constraineth us--with irresistible power limits us to the one great object to the exclusion of other considerations. The Greek implies to compress forcibly the energies into one channel. Love is jealous of any rival object engrossing the soul (Co2 11:1-3). because we thus judge--literally, "(as) having judged thus"; implying a judgment formed at conversion, and ever since regarded as a settled truth. that if--that is, that since. But the oldest manuscripts omit "if.…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 5:14

For the love of Christ constraineth us - We have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, and this causes us to love God intensely, and to love and labor for the salvation of men. And it is the effect produced by this love which συνεχει ἡμας, bears us away with itself, which causes us to love after the similitude of that love by which we are influenced; and as God so loved the world as to give his Son for it, and as Christ so loved the world as to pour out his life for it, so we, influenced by the very same love, desire to spend and be spent for the glory of God, and the salvation of immortal souls. By the fear of God the apostles endeavored to persuade and convince men, and the love of C…

The Church Fathers

Paul explains that although he is beside himself, the love of God controls him.
— Didymus the Blind, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Because of the love of Christ the apostles were not silent about the gifts they received from him. Those who love him are surrounded by such gifts. They were not boasting about them but inviting their hearers to become Christ's disciples.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

But how is it that "one died for all," one who is worth all others, if the suffering is considered simply that of some man? If he suffered according to his human nature, since he made the sufferings of his body his own.… The death of him alone according to the flesh is known to be worth the life of all, not the death of one who is as we are, even though he became like to us, but we say that he, being God by nature, became flesh and was made man according to the confession of the Fathers.
— Cyril of Alexandria, LETTER 50

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Depravity Of Man · 7:17;12:34,35;15:19; — 7:17;12:34,35;15:19;
Holiness · Motives to: The love of Christ — Motives to: The love of Christ
Love · 21:13; — 21:13;
Love Of Christ, The · Constraining. — — Constraining. —
Love To Christ · His love to us a motive to — His love to us a motive to
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · The principle on which — The principle on which
Selfishness · The love of Christ should constrain us to avoid — The love of Christ should constrain us to avoid
Suffering · OF CHRIST — OF CHRIST
Unselfishness · 9:19-23;10:24,33;13:4,5; — 9:19-23;10:24,33;13:4,5;

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Corinthians 5:14

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 5:12-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 5:14

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 5:14

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Corinthians 5:14

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 5:12-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 5:14

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 5:14

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 5:14

John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 5:13-17

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 5:14-17