Paul wrote, He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again for them (2 Corinthians 5:15).
He died for all repeats what Paul said in verse 14 in order to expand the idea of Christ's substitutionary death to our purpose for life in verse 15. Some have argued that the preposition ὑπὲρ cannot be equated with the preposition ἀντί (Meyer, 1-2 Corinthians, p.530). The latter means "instead of" while the former means "on behalf of" so here Jesus died on our behalf and not in our place according to some. The idea that the preposition ὑπὲρ can never carry a substitutionary sense is erroneous (Hughes, 2 Corinthians, p.193, fn.24). The context determines the usage of the preposition, and here the context clearly makes the preposition substitutionary. Paul says, One died for all, so then all died (v.14). Christ's love for us motivates us by His death in our place. The "all is the "us!"
The atonement is effective only for those who are regenerated to new life.They who died are they who live. All who died Christ's death, live Christ's life. Jesus died so that (ἵνα) the living ones (οἱ ζῶντες) might no longer live (ζῶσιν) for themselves. The present tense subjunctive verb is used to express continuing purpose (Rienecker & Rogers, Linguistic Key, p.469). Believers (the living ones) no longer live for themselves (ἑαυτοῖς). The pronoun is a dative of advantage. We no longer live for the advantage or benefit of ourselves once we have died to live again. We died to life for our benefit and live now for His benefit.
Regenerated people live for the one who died and rose again (τῷ ἀποθανόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι) for them (ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν). It is possible that the prepositional phrase "for them" (ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν) should only be connected to the dying (ἀποθανόντι) and not the rising (ἐγερθέντι) because of word order. However, it is best to take both Christ's death and resurrection for us (Hughes, 2 Corinthians, p.196, fn.33). The article (τῷ) governs both participles. He died our death and rose again for our life. Our sanctification is built on a substitutionary foundation just as much as our justification.
The "one who died and rose again for us" is also a dative of advantage. The two datives are parallel in the structure. Regenerated people no longer live for the advantage of themselves but live for the advantage of Christ who died and rose again for us. We live for His benefit. Life's purpose is bound up with life's origin.
The words on my coffee mug remind me of my purpose.
Lord, I have nothing to do today but to please you!
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