2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Summary for 2Cor 5:18-21: 5:18-21 a God entrusts to his servants the message and ministry of reconciliation through Christ.• God has given us this task of reconciling people: Paul is speaking of his own ministry, but sharing this wonderful message is the responsibility of all believers. Christ’s ambassadors call people to accept what God has done so they can be made right with God through Christ.
• Christ paid the penalty for people’s sins—to take away all that stood between God and humans and to make us right with God.
5:20 b The great privilege of believers is to be Christ’s ambassadors (cp. Eph 6:20 c).
• God is making his appeal through us: Paul doesn’t say that he speaks for God; rather, God speaks his word through us.
• Christ’s redeeming work for sinners opens the way for them to “Come back to God!” and be reconciled with him (see Rom 5:1-11 d; Eph 2:11-22 e; Col 1:15-23 f). Christian witness has this appeal at its heart. Paul was also appealing to the rebellious Corinthians to come over to his side (see 2 Cor 6:1 g).
5:21 h Christ became the offering for our sin on the cross when he took sin’s penalty on himself and died a criminal’s death. He did this, though he himself never sinned (John 8:46 i; 1 Pet 2:22 j; 1 Jn 3:5 k), so that we might be made right with God—i.e., set in right relationship with God and accepted by him (see Gal 3:13 l).
Copyright information for
TNotes