Aug 9
Divine Service
2 Corinthians 5:20
Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
Where are we in the Bible?
In 2 Corinthians, Paul uses the word “ministry” to defend and describe his being an apostle - the ministry of “the new covenant” (3:6). In chapter 3, he creates dichotomies between “ministries” of Spirit and death (3:6-7), and of righteousness and condemnation (3:8- 9) for emphasis. Overall, Paul is attempting to explain apostolicity to the community in Corinth, who have misunderstood the nature of his ministry. In chapter 5, he gets to the heart of this apostolic ministry - it is a ministry of reconciliation, which requires both a message and a messenger. It is a ministry that reveals the true nature of God’s love, showing who God truly is based on His desire to reconcile with mankind by equipping the apostles to work towards this reconciliation through the Holy Spirit.
At the beginning of chapter 5 (5:1-8), Paul speaks to the future, and to the eternal destiny of the believer that comes from the assurance of Christ’s resurrection. In light of this future glory, and future judgement (5:10), Paul highlights the aim of all believers - to be well-pleasing to the Lord (5:9). In the subsequent verses, specifically starting at verse 18, he focuses on something that is not only well-pleasing to the Lord, but also necessary for the believer to have their eternal destiny realized—to be reconciled to God (5:18-20). As an ambassador for Christ, Paul makes it clear that this was the message and he was the messenger.
Summary:
All those who follow Christ have been reconciled to God in Christ through the sacraments, yet because of our ongoing sin, we must continually be reconciled to Him through repentance and grace. Rather than trusting our own standards of goodness or attempting to “do-it-yourself,” we are called to hear and respond to the message proclaimed by Christ’s ambassadors—a message that exposes our need for grace, calls us to depart from evil, and leads to genuine repentance. Because Christ sent apostles to proclaim salvation, and the apostolic message continues in His Church today, the ministry of reconciliation remains essential for leading believers toward eternal life.
Foundational Reading
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-21
Catechism: 2.4.3, 6.4.1.4, 6.4.2.3