How does Matthew 9:17 connect with 2 Corinthians 5:17 about becoming a new creation? Setting the Scene - Matthew 9 records Jesus’ response to those questioning why His disciples did not fast. - He paints three word-pictures. The third says: “Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills, and the wineskins are ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:17) - Later, Paul proclaims: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Why Wineskins? - In the first century, wine expanded during fermentation. - An old, brittle skin could not stretch; it would split and waste everything. - A fresh skin was supple, made to expand with the living, active wine. - Jesus’ point: His gospel is alive and expanding; it demands a vessel made new, not patched-up religion. Linking the Two Passages 1. Same principle, different imagery: • Matthew 9:17—new wine needs a new container. • 2 Corinthians 5:17—new life needs a new person. 2. The gospel is not an add-on; it recreates. 3. Old forms and fallen nature cannot house resurrection power. What “Old Wineskins” Represent - Trust in rituals to earn favor (cf. Galatians 2:16). - Self-reformation apart from grace (Isaiah 64:6). - Sin-shaped identities (Ephesians 2:1–3). What “New Wineskins” Look Like - Hearts replaced, not repaired (Ezekiel 36:26). - Minds renewed (Romans 12:2). - The “new self” created to be like God (Ephesians 4:24). Practical Takeaways • Conversion is a miracle, not a makeover. • Ongoing growth flows from that newness; fresh wine keeps stretching us. • We abandon “patches” of legalism or self-effort and depend on the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18). Living as the New Creation - Walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). - Keep in step with the Spirit so the wineskin stays supple (Galatians 5:25). - Display the fragrance of Christ, the aroma of fresh wine to the world (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). |
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