BT24: A Christian student was studying the psychological effects of conversion. In his study of II Corinthians 5:17 ("If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation"), he looked up other biblical uses of the word creation (ktisis) and found that this word is almost always used of the creation of the world, implying the creation of something out of nothing (ex nihilo). If this is so, he reasoned, the psychological characteristics of the new Christian are something that did not exist before. However, in studying the psychological literature he could find no evidence of a new personality dimension in Christians that is not present in non-Christians. (There does seem to be in some cases, a reorganization of the preexisting personality patterns, but no newly created personality dimension has been detected.) How would you help him reconcile the psychological data with his understanding of II Corinthians 5:17?

The Apostle Paul began II Corinthians, Chapter Five, by talking about the struggles of being in an earthly body. In II Corinthians 5:8, he indicated his desire to be out of the body and with the Lord. In Verse Nine, he said that he had tried to do good works so that he could please Christ. In Verse Ten, he said that each Christian would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and be judged for their works, whether they be good or bad. In II Corinthians 5:11-13, he seemed to be defending himself against those that had criticized him.

II Corinthians 5:14-17 says, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Verses Fifteen and Seventeen are the key verses in this passage. Paul was compelled to live for the One that had died and resurrected for him, and he was determined to teach others to do the same. In Verse Seventeen, he told the people at the Corinthian church that all in Christ are new creatures and that the old is replaced by the new. He was not saying that a new personality dimension was created within new Christians. He was referring to a new attitude that takes over inside the person upon their conversion. The unconverted person is controlled by their sin nature, but the indwelling Holy Spirit influences and works to control the converted person. Personality does not change, but attitudes and actions do. New attitudes and actions replace the old attitudes and actions.