2 Corinthians 5:16

Henceforth (apo tou nun). From the time that we gained this view of Christ's death for us. After the flesh (kata sarka). According to the flesh, the fleshy way of looking at men. He, of course, knows men "in the flesh (en th sarki), but Paul is not speaking of that. Worldly standards and distinctions of race, class, cut no figure now with Paul ( Galatians 3:28 ) as he looks at men from the standpoint of the Cross of Christ. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh (ei kai egnwkamen kata sarka Criston). Concessive clause (ei kai, if even or also) with perfect active indicative. Paul admits that he had once looked at Christ kata sarka, but now no longer does it. Obviously he uses kata sarka in precisely the same sense that he did in verse Galatians 15 about men. He had before his conversion known Christ kata sarka, according to the standards of the men of his time, the Sanhedrin and other Jewish leaders. He had led the persecution against Jesus till Jesus challenged and stopped him ( Acts 9:4 ). That event turned Paul clean round and he no longer knows Christ in the old way kata sarka. Paul may or may not have seen Jesus in the flesh before his death, but he says absolutely nothing on that point here.