Why God made Christ to be sin (2 Cor 5, 21)?

Abstract

The article consists of two parts referring to Paul’s argumentation in 2 Cor 5 : 21. The first one presents an extensive analysis of the enigmatic Paul’s statement ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν in the broader context of the Apostle’s disquisition. Paul’s statement that ‘God made Christ to be sin’ may be interpreted in various ways. The most probable background for understanding the Apostle’s statement seems to be the sacrifice cult of the Old Testament. God made Christ a sacrifice for the sins (ἁμαρτία) of the world in the act of His martyr death on the cross. The aim of God’s actions (issue discussed in the second part of the article) was to make people the “righteousness of God” (δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ). It can either mean the participation of believers in the righteousness of God or having a new identity of being righteous/justified in front of God.