In II Corinthians 5, Paul explains how he was reconciled by God, to Himself, through Christ and how God gave Paul the ministry of reconciliation (vs. 18). In Paul 's writings, God is always the reconciler. Those in need of reconciliation are hostile human beings (II Cor 5:18-19; Rom 5:10-11). God is the one who changes a relationship of enmity to one of friendship. This is accomplished through Christ, that is, through his death on the cross (Rom 5:10). The text can read, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself" or "God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ." The emphasis in the former is on the incarnation ("God in Christ"), with Christ as the focus of divine revelation. God used Christ 's death on the cross
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20-21 with this idea that God uses men to bring forth the new creation through reconciliation. He concludes by saying: “Now Then, we are ambassadors for Christ.” An ambassador is a messenger sent to deliver a message from someone in authority. When an ambassador speaks, he does so in the place of the one who sent him. Likewise, we read that Paul was an ambassador “for Christ,” he was sent in the place of Jesus Christ—in the stead of Jesus Christ—but with the knowledge and authority to speak the truth of Jesus Christ to mankind. Jesus sent His apostles out as ambassadors of His kingdom into the nations and kingdoms of the world—pleading and imploring men to be reconciled to God. Paul is imploring—begging, in fact—to the Corinthians on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God. The ministry of reconciliation is the work of speaking the word of reconciliation – the gospel: pleading and imploring men to turn from their unbelief, their sin and rebellion to God and be reconciled to God and be made new creations in Christ Jesus. As Paul said in II Cor. 5:14-15, the love of God compelled him to preach the message that if “One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose …show more content…
1-12), Paul then proceeds to in chapter thirteen to famously declares that love is the prerequisite for working for God; for until we experience divine love, not only will we not labor with the proper motivation, we will lack power. In the second Corinthian epistle, Paul says it’s a warm living faith that issues forth in action, building Christ’s Kingdom. And though often rejected, in spite of it all, love labors long, guiding the work of faith, enabling believers, as mediating priests, to be self-squanders in Christ service, seeking the recovery of the lost, Christ’s own supply of love being the means of motivation (II Cor.
20-21 with this idea that God uses men to bring forth the new creation through reconciliation. He concludes by saying: “Now Then, we are ambassadors for Christ.” An ambassador is a messenger sent to deliver a message from someone in authority. When an ambassador speaks, he does so in the place of the one who sent him. Likewise, we read that Paul was an ambassador “for Christ,” he was sent in the place of Jesus Christ—in the stead of Jesus Christ—but with the knowledge and authority to speak the truth of Jesus Christ to mankind. Jesus sent His apostles out as ambassadors of His kingdom into the nations and kingdoms of the world—pleading and imploring men to be reconciled to God. Paul is imploring—begging, in fact—to the Corinthians on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God. The ministry of reconciliation is the work of speaking the word of reconciliation – the gospel: pleading and imploring men to turn from their unbelief, their sin and rebellion to God and be reconciled to God and be made new creations in Christ Jesus. As Paul said in II Cor. 5:14-15, the love of God compelled him to preach the message that if “One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose …show more content…
1-12), Paul then proceeds to in chapter thirteen to famously declares that love is the prerequisite for working for God; for until we experience divine love, not only will we not labor with the proper motivation, we will lack power. In the second Corinthian epistle, Paul says it’s a warm living faith that issues forth in action, building Christ’s Kingdom. And though often rejected, in spite of it all, love labors long, guiding the work of faith, enabling believers, as mediating priests, to be self-squanders in Christ service, seeking the recovery of the lost, Christ’s own supply of love being the means of motivation (II Cor.