There is a further aspect to newness that needs to be considered here. Not only does kainos speak about something that can be said to be brand new, yet identifiable as something that has already existed, but it also speaks about freshness. Kainos speaks of something new in a qualitative sense. It is used in this sense in Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:38 where the Lord is comparing two wineskins. The one is old and the other new (kainos). The sense is not the sense in the word néos that refers to something that is new in time (for example; look at my new car, I have just driven it off the showroom floor.) In that case the car is new because the owner has very recently bought it. It can be said to be brand new.

The difference is not in the age of the item referred to by kainos but its qualities of newness. Let’s go back to the wineskins cited above. What distinguishes the old from the new here is the quality of newness rather than age. Regardless of how old the two wineskins are respectively, it is obvious that the one is hard, dry, cracked, brittle and useless while the other is moist, supple, soft, pliable and useful. The new one exudes the quality of freshness, kainos, while the old one declares its worn-out quality as it lies there.

The thing I find thrilling about this word is the way it relates to believers. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul declares that if anyone is in Christ he is a new (kainos) creation. The old has passed away, the new (kainos) has come. Believers in the Lord Jesus can be said to be new, we have the quality of freshness about us. We have the quality of newness about us that is a direct result of being in Christ. In people, because this newness relates to a quality and not age, newness speaks of youthful vigour. It speaks of the freshness of being young and vibrant and energetic and enthusiastic regardless of your age.

This youthful vigour is not something that belongs to the young, it is a quality that belongs to God’s people at any age. Paul said that while he was wasting away in his physical body, inwardly he was being renewed day by day. He was developing more youthful vigour in his heart every day regardless of the fact that his body was getting old and worn out. Even under the most severe trials, Christian’s hearts can overflow with fresh (and refreshing) youthful vigour, vibrance, joy and energy.