The God-breathed Scriptures teach that Jesus became sin for us so that we might become righteous in God’s sight:  

“that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin (hyper hemon hamartian epoiesen) who knew no sin (ton me gnonta hamartian), so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

The question before us is, what exactly does it mean for Christ to have been made sin seeing that he remained absolutely sinless and impeccable before, during, and after his sojourn on earth?

The Scriptures are clear that there was never a moment when Jesus’ moral constitution ever became defiled or corrupted:

“And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’” Mark 1:23-24

“He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” John 7:18

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him… Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?’” John 8:28-29, 46

“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.” Acts 3:14-15  

“Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,” Acts 7:52

“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth;” Acts 22:14

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning.” Hebrews 4:14-15

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.” Hebrews 7:23-28

“how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:14

“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Peter 1:18-19  

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;” 1 Peter 3:18

“And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure… You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin… Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.” 1 John 3:3, 5, 7  

Therefore, the text cannot be saying that Jesus became morally polluted by becoming sin.  

The answer lies in the word for sin itself, namely, hamartia. This Greek term can mean moral impurity but can also refer to a sin offering, i.e., the offerings which God prescribed to make atonement for sins.

In fact, this is precisely how the phrase is used in the following verses from both the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint [LXX]) and the New Testament:

“‘in burnt offerings and sin offerings (hamartias) thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, “Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,” as it is written of me in the roll of the book.” When he said above, ‘Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings (hamartias)” (these are offered according to the law),” Hebrews 10:6-8

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin (hamartias).” Hebrews 10:14-18

“For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin (hamartias) are burned outside the camp.” Hebrews 13:11

“and all the fat of the calf of the sin-offering (tes hamartias) shall he take off from it; the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards… and the sin wherein they have sinned should become known to them, then shall the congregation bring an unblemished calf of the herd for a sin-offering (tes hamartias), and they shall bring it to the doors of the tabernacle of witness… And he shall do to the calf as he did to the calf of the sin-offering (tes hamartias), so shall it be done; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and the trespass shall be forgiven them. And they shall carry forth the calf whole without the camp, and they shall burn the calf as they burnt the former calf: it is the sin-offering (tes hamartias) of the congregation. And if a ruler sin, and break one of all the commands of the Lord his God, [doing the thing] which ought not to be done, unwillingly, and shall sin and trespass, and his trespass wherein he has sinned, be known to him,– then shall he offer for his gift a kid of the goats, a male without blemish. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the kid, and they shall kill it in the place were they kill the [victims for] whole-burnt-offerings before the Lord; it is a sin-offering (tes hamartias). And the priest shall put some of the blood of the sin-offering (tes hamartias) with his finger on the horns of the altar of whole-burnt-offering; and he shall pour out all its blood by the bottom of the altar of whole-burnt-offerings… And he shall lay his hand on the head of his sin-offering (tes hamartias), and they shall slay the kid of the sin-offering in the place where they slay the [victims for] whole-burnt-offerings… And if he should offer a lamb for his sin-offering (tes hamartias), he shall offer it a female without blemish. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin-offerings (tes hamartias), and they shall kill it in the place where they kill the [victims for] whole-burnt-offerings. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering(tes hamartias) with his finger, and shall put it on the horns of the altar of whole-burnt-offerings, and he shall pour out all its blood by the bottom of the altar of whole-burnt-offering.” Leviticus 4:8, 14, 20-25, 29, 32-34 LXX

“And he shall bring for his transgressions against the Lord, for his sin which he has sinned, a ewe lamb of the flock, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering (tes hamartias); and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and his sin shall be forgiven him. And if he cannot afford a sheep, he shall bring for his sin which he has sinned, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the Lord; one for a sin-offering (hamartias), and the other for a burnt-offering. And he shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall bring the sin-offering (tes hamartias) first; and the priest shall pinch off the head from the neck, and shall not divide the body. And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering (hamartias) on the side of the altar, but the rest of the blood he shall drop at the foot of the altar, for it is a sin-offering (hamartia)… And if he cannot afford a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then shall he bring as his gift for his sin, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering (hamartias); he shall not pour oil upon it, nor shall he put frankincense upon it, because it is a sin-offering (hamartia). And he shall bring it to the priest; and the priest having taken a handful of it, shall lay the memorial of it on the altar of whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord; it is a sin-offering (hamartia).” Leviticus 5:6-9, 11-12 LXX

“It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as a portion to them of the burnt-offerings of the Lord: it is most holy, as the offering for sin (tes hamartias), and as the offering for trespass… Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin-offering (tes hamartias);– in the place where they slay the whole-burnt-offering, they shall slay the sin-offerings (tes hamartias) before the Lord: they are most holy… And no offerings for sin (tes hamartias), of whose blood there shall be brought any into the tabernacle of witness to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten: they shall be burned with fire.” Leviticus 6:10, 18, 23 LXX

“and the Lord spoke to Moses after the two sons of Aaron died in bringing strange fire before the Lord, so they died. And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory (tou hilasteriou), which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory. Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering (hamartias), and [having] a ram for a whole-burnt-offering… And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering (hamartias), and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering. And Aaron shall bring the calf for his own sin-offering (tes hamartias), and shall make atonement for himself and for his house… And Aaron shall bring the calf for his sin, and he shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and he shall kill the calf for his sin-offering (tes hamartias)…  and he shall kill the goat for the sin-offering (hamartias) that is for the people, before the Lord; and he shall bring in of its blood within the veil, and shall do with its blood as he did with the blood of the calf, and shall sprinkle its blood on the mercy-seat (to hilasterion), in front of the mercy-seat (tou hilasteriou). and he shall make atonement for the sanctuary on account of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and for their trespasses in the matter of all their sins (pasas tas hamartias); and thus shall he do to the tabernacle of witness established among them in the midst of their uncleanness… and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat, and he shall declare over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their unrighteousness, and all their sins (pason ton hamartion); and he shall lay them upon the head of the live goat, and shall send him by the hand of a ready man into the wilderness… And he shall offer the fat for the sin-offering (ton hamartion) on the altar… And the calf for the sin-offering (tes hamartias), and the goat for the sin-offering (tes hamartias), whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, they shall carry forth out of the camp, and burn them with fire, even their skins and their flesh and their dung… For in this day he shall make an atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins (pason ton hamartion) before the Lord, and ye shall be purged.  And this shall be to you a perpetual statute to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins (pason ton hamartion): it shall be done once in the year, as the Lord commanded Moses.” Leviticus 16:1-3, 5-6, 11, 15-16, 21, 25, 27, 30, 34 LXX

The final example is most relevant since it is a prophesy of the Messianic Servant suffering death for the sins of the nations:

“O Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? We brought a report as [of] a child before him; [he is] as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty. But his form was ignoble, and inferior to that of the children of men; [he was] a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for his face is turned from [us]: he was dishonoured, and not esteemed. He bears our sins (tas hamartias hemon), and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering [by God], and in affliction. But he was wounded on account of our sins (tas hamartias hemon), and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; [and] by his bruises we were healed. All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins (tais hamartiais hemon). And he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In [his] humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death. And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practised no iniquity, nor craft with his mouth. The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin (hamartias), your soul shall see a long-lived seed: the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form [him] with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins (tas hamartias). Therefore he shall inherit many, and he shall divide the spoils of the mighty; because his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins (hamartias) of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities (tas hamartias).” Isaiah 53:1-10 LXX

The following NT references either cite or directly allude to the foregoing prophecy in respect to Christ’s healing ministry, death, resurrection and glorification:

“That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’” Matthew 8:16-17  

“For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with transgressors’; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.’” Luke 22:37

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’… The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’” John 1:29, 35-36

“Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’ Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.” John 12:37-41

“So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless some one guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: ‘As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.’ And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus.” Acts 8:30-35

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25

In light of the foregoing, what the inspired Apostle may be saying is that God made his sinless Son the sacrifice/offering of atonement for the sins of the whole world.   

The following translations all reflect this particular understanding and interpretation of the inspired text:

“for he has made him, who knew no sin, a sin-offering for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” H. T. Anderson’s New Testament (Anderson(i))

“God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

“For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God’s righteousness in Him.” Concordant Literal Translation ( CLV(i)) 

“For he hath made him, who knew no sin, to be a sin offering for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” Thomas Haweis New Testament (Haweis(i))

“For he has made him, who knew no sin, a sin-offering for us; that we might become the justified of God, by him.” Living_Oracles(i) New Testament

“for you see, He made (or: formed; makes) the One not at any point knowing failure (sin; error; mistake) by intimate experience [to take the place of; to be] failure over us and our [situation] (or: He constructed [as] a sin [offering], for our sake, the Person who was not at that point having an experiential knowledge of missing the target or making a mistake), to the end that we may be birthed (come into existence being; come to be) God’s rightwised qualities (God’s right relationship with fair and equitable dealing which accords to the Way pointed out; God’s justice; God’s way it should be, with well-ordered living and right thinking; also: = participants in a covenant from God), within Him and in union with Him.” Jonathan Mitchel New Testament (JMNT(i))

“He made him who knew no sin to be a sin-offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” William Mounce Reverse New Testament (MOUNCE)

“for he hath made him who knew no sin to be a sin-offering for us, that we might be justified by God thro’ him.” Daniel Mace New Testament (Mace(i))

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” New Living Translation (NLT)

“For he has made him who knew no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that we, by means of him, should be that righteousness which is accepted before God.” New Matthews Bible (NMB)

“The one who in his person had no da’as of chattat (sin) [Ac 3:14; Yn 8:46; MJ 4:15; 7:26; 1K 2:22; 1Y 3:5], this one Hashem made a chattat sin offering [Ga 3:13; YESHAYAH 53:10; VAYIKRA 4:24 TARGUM HASHIVIM] on our behalf that we might become the Tzidkat Hashem [DANIEL 9:24] in Moshiach. [1C 1:30; Pp 3:9]” Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

“for he hath made him who knew no sin, a sin offering for us, that by him we may be made the righteousness of God;: Charles Thomson Translation (Thomson(i))

“For he hath made him, who knew no sin, a sin-offering for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him.” John Wesley New Testament (Wesley(i))

“For He hath made Him, who knew no sin, to be a sin-offering for us, that in Him we might be made righteous before God.” John Worsley New Testament (Worsley(i))

“He made Him who personally knew nothing of sin to be a sin-offering for us, so that through union with Him we might come into right standing with God.” Charles B. Williams New Testament (Williams(i))

Christ, therefore, did not become morally tainted or polluted as a result of being our sin-bearer. Rather, the Son became the atoning sacrifice for sins committed against God in order to procure God’s forgiveness and everlasting life for all those who would put their trust in him:

“even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” Matthew 26:26-28

“whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11

“But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will proclaim thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Here am I, and the children God has given me.’ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:9-18

“Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Hebrews 5:8-9

“but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

“My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2  

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth.’” Revelation 5:8-10

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” Revelation 7:9-17

Unless indicated otherwise, scriptural references taken from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE).

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