2 Corinthians 4 discusses the worth of suffering for the cause of Christ’s doctrine. Paul and his preaching companions had feared death in some situations, 2 Corinthians 1:8. No matter how dangerous the situation, Paul was determined to preach the truth to others that they may be saved, 2 Corinthians 4:15.
The things which he suffered could in no way compare to the eternal glory that awaited him and all others who take such a stand, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Paul knew, by faith, that in the resurrection, men would be clothed with an eternal abode for the spirit, Psalms 132:9 / 1 Corinthians 15:38.
Hughes, in his commentary, says the following concerning 2 Corinthians 5:1.
‘As a tentmaker, Paul compared the human body to a tent. Jesus referred to His body as a temple, and He predicted that God would raise it up, Mark 14:58 / John 2:19-22. Since God had raised up Jesus’ ‘temple,’ Paul believed that He would also raise our ‘tents.’ In ancient times, a tent was a familiar symbol of what was transitory.’
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Our physical bodies are only temporary structures, but God is preparing new bodies for us that are superior to anything that human hands can produce and maintain.’
We suffer sickness, disease, fatigue, pain, sorrow, anguish, distress, over life, false brethren, etc., and hunger in the flesh. Such living causes the faithful to ‘long to be clothed’ with the heavenly ‘spiritual body’, 1 Corinthians 15:44. The word ‘clothed’, 2 Corinthians 5:2, indicates the past action of obedience to the Gospel without the completion of the rewards that come along with that.
Paul had a divine way of saying, ‘if we die without proper preparation for our eternal abode, it is as being naked because we will not be ‘clothed’ with our eternal spiritual body,’ 2 Corinthians 5:1-2.
Therefore, Paul hoped that no one would die unprepared to meet the judgment of God. If the said event happens, we will be ‘naked,’ 2 Corinthians 5:3, that is, without our spiritually clothed body fit for eternal existence with God in heaven.
Again, Paul mentioned the current ‘groan’, 2 Corinthians 5:2, of our present state in the flesh. This state is a state of ‘burden.’ The word ‘groan’, in Greek, is ‘stenazo’, and it means to sigh often, sigh deeply, or moan. We often sigh due to exhaustion, frustration, pain, and mental anguish that accompany earthly life.
The sighing and mental anguish are not directed at the unclothed body, a state not prepared to meet God in judgment, but we sigh deeply due to our earthly pain that looks vigorously at the end when we shall be clothed with a spiritual body, 2 Corinthians 5:4.
The immortal state ‘swallows’, ‘consumes’ up the body of mortal flesh by the victory offered in Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:54. The physical earthly body, which is mortal and subject to death, is consumed and no longer exists in the heavenly realm.
The word ‘fashioned’, 2 Corinthians 5:5, in Greek is ‘katergazomai’, and it means to effect by labour, to achieve, accomplish. God ‘achieved or accomplished’ our eternal salvation through the work of His Son, Jesus, Luke 4:18-22.
This salvation and eternal spiritual body are sure to be accomplished that man may know for sure that God ‘gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee,’ 2 Corinthians 5:5.
The Spirit as a guarantee, 2 Corinthians 5:5. Paul uses the Greek word ‘arrabon’ for ‘guarantee’, and it’s a word that has an interesting significance, the meaning of which becomes plain when we think about how farm labourers would have been hired when the A.V. was translated.
In farming communities throughout the land, there was a special time in the farming calendar when farmers went out to hire workers for the new season. The men who were seeking work would gather in the village marketplace or some similar place, waiting for the farmers to come looking for farmhands.
A farmer would look at those who had gathered, and, if he saw a man whom he thought would be a good worker, he would question him about his experience, his family circumstances, and the degree of enthusiasm he had for the job, and, if he was satisfied with the man’s replies, he ‘would tell him what he was prepared to offer him’. ‘I can offer you a cottage and so much a week!’
If the man accepted the offer, the farmer would take a penny out of his pocket, place it in the palm of his right hand, and shake hands with his new worker, so that the penny passed from one hand to the other! That was called ‘the fee penny’. It was the farmer’s pledge and guarantee that the man was employed, and the farmer would keep his part of the agreement.
Paul states that God’s promise to redeem the whole man is guaranteed by the ‘arrabon’, ‘the free penny’ of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit assures us of God’s intention to complete the salvation which entered when we obeyed the Gospel.
Hence, John could write, ‘We are NOW the children of God, but what we shall become has not yet been revealed,’ 1 John 3:2. God has promised the faithful a heavenly, eternal body and gave as ‘earnest-money’, the Holy Spirit, to assure us of His pledge, 2 Corinthians 1:22.
1. Making known the mind of the Father to man, 2 Peter 1:21 / John 16:13-14.
2. Convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, John 16:8.
3. Converting souls, Romans 1:16.
4. Sanctification, 1 John 1:1-6.
The faithful Christian is ‘confident’ because while we live in these earthly bodies that groan in pain, we are not without hope, 2 Corinthians 5:6. We will be resurrected from the dead one day, stand before the Lord in judgment, and live with the Lord forever if we have lived faithfully.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Since we have the promise that we will obtain a glorified body, 2 Corinthians 5:1, and since we have a pledge of that promise in our present transformation, 2 Corinthians 5:5, we can feel consistently confident.’
Such hope motivates us to ‘walk by faith, not by sight,’ 2 Corinthians 5:7. The word ‘sight’, in Greek, is ‘eidos’, and it means that which is seen, form, shape, figure. It is used in other passages of the New Testament, 1 John 5:21.
Due to God’s promise of eternal salvation and an eternal spiritual body, Paul and his preaching companions, as well as all of us, made it their ‘aim’, that is, ‘philotimeomai’ in Greek, in life to live by the divine standard of truth and thereby be well-pleasing to the Father, 2 Corinthians 5:9 / 2 John 9.
These words indicate a set goal to achieve. Reaching said goal is the aspiration of an individual’s life. The life of such a one is filled with ambition to achieve this goal as though one were competing with others to be the victor. Here is a word that indicates an individual is consumed with interest and passion to achieve the goal of life.
In Greek, it says, ‘we are Ambitious to be well-pleasing to Him, whether away or at home.’ Paul’s consciousness of being a ‘citizen of heaven’, Philippians 3:20-21, is so deep that, as long as he is in his ‘physical body’, he is ‘away from home’! And he speaks about dying as ‘coming home’ to the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:9.
The theology of the translators in 1611 when the A.V. was produced, was responsible for the rather frightening and ominous-sounding translation of 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Many Christians believe that the Day is coming when Christ will return to ‘judge the world in righteousness’, Acts 20:31. For those who are ‘in Christ’, i.e., those who have obeyed the Gospel, Mark 16:16 / Acts 2:38, this is not a Day to fear because they have already been judged.
Having already been judged and acquitted in the person of the Lord Jesus as righteous, John 3:18, they will not again stand trial for their life, Romans 8:1. This verse quite literally says, ‘There is no sentence or condemnation to be served’, ‘katakrima’, for those who are in Christ Jesus.’
As long as Christians continue to walk in the light and confess their sins to God, 1 John 1:5-7, and as long as they remain faithful to death, Revelation 2:10, Christians have nothing to fear on Judgment Day, Psalm 103:10-12 / Micah 7:19.
Near the end of Paul’s life, He says that Jesus, the righteous Judge, will award him with the crown of righteousness on that day, 2 Timothy 4:7-8. Is he speaking about judgment day or another day?
When we consider the ‘Day’ mentioned in Acts 17:31, ‘Judgment Day’ and contrast it with the ‘day’ that Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, we soon discover that the word ‘day’ is used in two very different contexts.
There is a difference between the two days which is important to understand. The ‘day’ mentioned in Acts 17:31 relates to sin and salvation, and therefore, concerns ‘those who are not in Christ’. The ‘day’ mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 specifically concerns the saints, and only the saints, believers, and the relationship they have with their Lord.
There was a ‘bema’, that is, a judgment seat, in every Roman city, and it would be a place where the Roman authority in charge would judge the day-to-day matters brought before him.
Pilate sat on the judgment seat when Jesus was on trial, Matthew 27:19 / John 19:13. The apostle Paul was taken to the judgment seat of Gallio when the Jews complained against him, Acts 18:12 / Acts 25:6 / Acts 25:10 / Acts 25:17.
There are two times in the Scriptures where we read about the ‘judgment seat of Christ’, Romans 14:10 / 2 Corinthians 5:10, and as we shall see, on both occasions, when taken in their context, they are not dealing with non-Christians or salvation.
I’m sure you would have noticed that the context of Romans 14 is all about Christians judging other Christians. They were judging people because of what they ate, and because some kept special days, Romans 14:1-9. The reason we cannot judge our brethren in such matters and are encouraged to stop doing so is that Christ Himself is the judge, Romans 14:10-13.
Notice that Paul is not addressing non-Christians but Christians. This cannot be applied to all matters of judging, and it cannot refer to sinful practices or doctrinal differences, for it would contradict Jesus, John, and Paul himself, John 7:24 / 2 John 9-11 / 1 Corinthians 5:10-13.
It will be Christians who will stand before God’s judgment seat. Note that some translations have ‘Christ’s judgment seat’. The judgment will be conducted by the Lord Jesus, Matthew 25:31-46 / Acts 17:31. All judgment is committed to the Son, John 5:22 / John 5:27.
It is true to say that we will give an account to God, since Jesus is God, John 1:1 / John 1:14. Romans 14:11 is a quote from Isaiah 45:23. Christians, in some sense, have already bowed down to the Lordship of Christ and declared Him Lord of their lives, Romans 10:9-10 / Philippians 2:9-11.
Only Christians will stand at the judgment seat of God. Non-Christians will stand before an entirely different judgment, the judgment where all non-believers will be judged for rejecting Jesus as their Saviour, Revelation 20.11-15.
Remember, Christians have already been judged; the text doesn’t say we must all be ‘judged’ before the judgment seat of Christ. It says we will stand before God’s judgment seat, and we will give an ‘account’ of ourselves to God, Hebrews 4:13.
In the context of 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Paul says that the faithful Christian is ‘confident’ because while we live in these earthly bodies, we groan in pain, but we are not without hope, 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.
We will be resurrected from the dead one day, stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and live with the Lord forever if we have lived faithfully. Such hope motivates us to ‘walk by faith, not by sight,’ 2 Corinthians 5:6-7.
The Holy Spirit is given to us as a free gift at our baptism, Acts 2:38, and stands as God’s promise of eternal salvation and an eternal spiritual body, 2 Corinthians 5:5. Paul and his preaching companions made it their ‘aim’ in life to live by the divine standard of truth and thereby be well-pleasing to the Father, 2 John 9.
Paul’s consciousness of being a ‘citizen of heaven’, Philippians 3:20, is so deep that, as long as he is in his ‘physical body’, he is ‘away from home’! And he speaks about dying as ‘coming home’ to the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:6-9.
2 Corinthians 5:10 is very often mistakenly applied to the life of the ordinary Christian, when, in fact, a correct understanding of the problem with which Paul was dealing was one which was affecting the church in Corinth at that time.
The words ‘good or bad’ convey a mistaken impression. The word good is ‘agathos’, which means ‘benefit’, and the word for bad is ‘kakos’, which is more accurately translated as ‘worthless’.
The contrast isn’t between actions that are morally ‘good or evil’ but between that which abides in time of testing, i.e. ‘of benefit’, and that which perishes, i.e. ‘is worthless’. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he referred to work as being ‘tested’, 1 Corinthians 3:9-13.
Paul says that there will come a time when the work of every teacher and preacher will be tested. Here, the truth that is brought out primarily relates to the teachers and preachers. On that Day, the effectiveness of their work, i.e., the work of the preachers and teachers, will be tested ‘as by fire’.
If a teacher’s work has been effective and has produced lasting results, it will be as though it has survived the fire, and he will receive the Lord’s ‘Well done’, Matthew 25:23. But, if his work is shown to have been ineffective, he will receive no commendation. God will not be able to commend him.
This testing time will not affect a teacher’s salvation, because ‘works’ have nothing to do with salvation, since salvation does not depend on works of any kind, but on faith in the grace of God. Therefore, regardless of what happens to the work that has been done, those who serve God will still be saved, 1 Corinthians 3:15.
It’s very important to remember that Paul isn’t discussing the salvation of Christians or the destiny of the non-Christian, but service. And it’s equally important to remember that in this section of his letter, he’s dealing particularly with the responsibility and accountability of those who, along with himself, share the office of ‘apostle’.
Notice how in 1 Corinthians 3, he makes use of the personal pronouns ‘you’ and ‘your’ when referring to the Corinthians themselves, and ‘we’ and ‘us’ when referring to the apostles and other preachers. He also reveals this distinction when he says, ‘You’ are God’s Field’, ‘We’ are His co-workers’, 1 Corinthians 3:9, etc.
Paul is saying that it’s the work of these servants of God that will be tested. The passage isn’t discussing the service of the ordinary Christian but preachers and teachers. In the context of 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, he uses the word ‘we’ again, and he uses the word to speak about himself and the other apostles.
So, he’s speaking about those who have the responsibility of preaching and teaching; however, as all Christians are commanded to teach others and preach the good news to others, Matthew 28:19-20 / 2 Timothy 2:2, the overall application applies to Christians.
Again, we must note that 2 Corinthians 5:10 doesn’t say we must all be ‘judged’ before the judgment seat of Christ. It says, ‘for we must all ‘appear’ before the judgment seat of Christ’. The word ‘appear’ in Greek is ‘phaneroo’, and it means to show, declare, manifest. This means that the Lord will make us see our lives as He sees them.
Romans 14:10-12 clearly implies that the judgment seat of Christ will be an occasion of accounting. 2 Corinthians 5:10 provides even more insight into this future accounting.
Standing and appearing before the judgment seat of Christ in both passages has nothing to do with being judged for salvation; it has nothing to do with non-Christians being judged. They both speak about Christians and Christians only giving an account.
The judgment seat of Christ will be an occasion where the Lord Jesus Christ will hold all Christians accountable for the things we have done in the body, whether good (beneficial) or bad (worthless).
Different Christians have different gifts and different opportunities to serve others, but each one of us is expected to be faithful, 1 Corinthians 4:2. Good works are works of righteousness, and bad works are works of unrighteousness, Matthew 6:1-2 / James 2:17-26 / 1 John 2:29 / 1 John 3:7.
When we do our work here on earth, people can see what we have done, but they may not know why we did these works. Our heart, which is the source of our motive and attitude, is hidden from them.
At the judgment seat of Christ, the ‘motives of the heart” will be brought to light. That which might have been hidden before men will then be fully seen and known, 1 Corinthians 4:5.
If Christians are already saved, then why are Christians to give an account to God? The fire of Christ’s judgment will determine the quality and durability of each Christian’s service, not for the purpose of punishing sin but for the purpose of determining the reward to be given. The judgment seat of Christ does not determine whether we are saved or not, but rewards believers based on their service for the Lord, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The idea is not that God will reward us for the good things we did and punish us for the bad things we did. He will rather reward us for the worthwhile things we did and not reward us for the worthless things we did, Matthew 6:19-21 / 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. The worthwhile things are those that contribute to the advancement of God’s mission and glory in the world. Worthless deeds are those that make no contribution to the fulfilment of God’s good purposes, Matthew 25:14-30 / Luke 19:11-27.’
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ on that day, the work we have done will become clear i.e., evident, known. God will test each one’s work and reveal, i.e., uncover, unveil, every aspect of the work to determine what sort it is.
Any work that endures will be rewarded. Any work that is burned up will not be rewarded, and thus the person will ‘suffer loss’ of that reward; he would suffer the loss of joy and glory, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 / Galatians 4:11, but the person himself will be saved.
Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount tells us over and over again that Christians will be rewarded, Matthew 5:11-12 / Matthew 6:1-6 / Matthew 6:16-18 / Matthew 6:20.
Jesus also tells us that He will reward each person according to what He has done, i.e., based upon what Christians did while they were still alive, Matthew 16:27.
In Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the Tenants, Jesus clearly tells His followers that the Kingdom of Heaven would be a place where individual saved believers would be rewarded according to their deeds.
If Christians do a lot with what God has given them, then they will get a greater reward in Heaven. If Christians don’t do anything with what God has given them, then they shouldn’t be surprised if what they have is taken from them, Matthew 25:29.
Paul knew his work here on earth was important because it produced believers who would then someday join him in Heaven, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. Paul understood what Daniel taught hundreds of years before: the more people you bring to Christ, the greater your reward in heaven will be.
Jackson says the following concerning Daniel 12:3.
‘Note the term ‘many,’ as compared to fewer. There is clearly implied a level of reward commensurate with one’s evangelistic labours.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The suggestion is that the righteous will ‘be honoured in proportion to their toils, their sacrifices, and their success.’
H. C. Leupold says the following.
‘The glorious reward of the righteous ‘is in proportion to the works that are done.’
When we take everything we’ve looked at into consideration, it’s clear that God loves to reward His children for their faithfulness and the rewards which He gives appear to be different roles of responsibility.
Jesus told His disciples that their reward would be increased, and they would have more responsibilities. He told them they would be rewarded with roles as the ‘judges’ over the twelve tribes of Israel, Luke 22:28-30.
In the parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus says the rest of us Christians will also earn greater responsibilities as a result of our efforts here on earth, along with the ‘well done’. Since we have been faithful with a few things, we will be put in charge of many things, Matthew 24:21 / Matthew 25:23.
If God has given us different gifts and responsibilities while we are still alive, Ephesians 4:11 / Romans 12:3-8, then it shouldn’t surprise us if God wants to utilise those gifts in heaven to serve Him, Revelation 22:3.
‘Judgment Day’ will be the day when those who are not ‘in Christ’ will be condemned, but those who are ‘in Christ’ will appear before the judgment seat of Christ for commendation.
In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul wasn’t referring to Judgment Day, as he, like all Christians, had already been judged and saved in Christ, but the day when he would stand before the judgment seat of Christ at his death to give an account of his work and deeds.
As we have shown in this study, the judgment seat of Christ has nothing to do with salvation and nothing to do with non-Christians; it is the place where saved Christians will give an account to God for judging any other Christians inappropriately, and they will give an account concerning their good or bad acts of righteousness, Matthew 6:1-2. Note that we will answer for what we have done, not for what others do.
We must learn to keep things in their context so that we don’t use these texts to mean something they don’t mean or to apply to people they weren’t meant to be applied to, that is, non-Christians, 1 Corinthians 4:6.
Many Christians have built up a great reward in heaven, but we must ensure that we don’t forfeit those rewards, 2 John 4-10. John does not want any of us to lose our ‘full reward’.
He doesn’t want anyone to get to heaven and receive only a portion of what could have been theirs. He wants us to get all the rewards God wants us to have, 2 John 4:8.
Paul asks, ‘What is it to FEAR the Lord?’ 2 Corinthians 5:11. The word ‘fear’ is the rendering of the word ‘phobos’, and originally, it refers to ‘flight’, a flight caused by fear.
However, the kind of ‘fear’ to which Paul refers is not ‘terror’, nor the fear of suffering punishment, but the reverential respect for God, which every creature should feel. It does not refer to fearing God’s righteous judgment, but it is the healthy, wholesome fear of disappointing or displeasing Him.
Unfortunately, the theology of the church of Rome created a ‘Christendom’, in which God was a stern, hard being who looked down on mankind dispassionately, threatening punishment whenever a soul displeased or disobeyed him. It was in this way that the rulers of the so-called ‘church of Rome’ kept control over its flock.
But godly fear is very different from the fear experienced by a criminal who expects punishment because of his offences. It is the emotion felt by a son who fears nothing more than offending a loving Father. Acts 9:31 shows the right kind of ‘fear’ in action in the church in Jerusalem.
Paul says, ‘what we are is plain to God’, 2 Corinthians 5:11. This is a statement that is both awesome and inspiring, reminding us of the wonderful statement of the psalmist in Psalm 139, the opening verses of which are worth committing to memory!
Remember that Paul had defended himself and his preaching brethren in 2 Corinthians 3:1 / 2 Corinthians 4:5 / 2 Corinthians 4:7, regarding their having ‘commended’ themselves to the brethren.
The word ‘commend’, 2 Corinthians 5:12, in Greek is ‘sunistao’, and it means to recommend favourable attention. Paul had no desire for self-attention or glorification through a message he concocted of his own.
Paul’s desire was for God to be given all glory for His message of salvation. To find ‘glory in appearance’ KJV, is to walk by sight rather than faith, 2 Corinthians 5:7. The Corinthians had been guilty of this, 1 Corinthians 1:12, yet now were to change.
Apparently, some in Corinth, those who sought to discredit Paul and his preaching brethren by accusing them of having personal agendas, were accusing Paul and his preaching brethren of being ‘out of their mind’, that is the Greek word ‘existemi’, 2 Corinthians 5:13.
The Greek word ‘existemi’ means to put out of its place, to change or alter utterly, metaphorically to drive one out of his senses. We recall that while Paul was giving his defence to Festus, the governor replied, ‘You are out of your mind, Paul! he shouted. Your great learning is driving you insane,’ Acts 26:24.
Paul’s reply to the accusing brethren is that if we have been deranged or lost our senses, it is unto the glory of God, 2 Corinthians 5:13. Paul was happy to have his own senses driven out and the knowledge of Christ to replace them. If some wanted to refer to Paul as out of his senses, Paul wanted them to know what senses he had been driven to and by what means.
If the brethren in Corinth so chose to view Paul and his preaching companions as ‘in our right mind’ as opposed to ‘out of our mind’, then the same principle applied.
Paul’s thinking was dictated by divine revelation. Whether one viewed him as sober or deranged, he would bring glory to God with his preaching. Paul says, ‘the love of Christ compels us,’ 2 Corinthians 5:14. The Greek text says, ‘controls us’.
Barnett, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Thus there emerge from 2 Corinthians 5:11, and 2 Corinthians 5:14, two motives for apostolic evangelism, the ’fear of the Lord’ and the ’love of Christ.’ The one relates to Jesus’ role as Judge, the other to his role as Saviour.’
The question is, what motivates you? Because motivation is everything! Do I preach because I think I am ‘good at it’? Do I preach because I want people to admire me?
Do I preach because it’s a way of earning a living? Do I preach because the Love of Christ compels me? Some are driven by the desire for fame, wealth or power, by pride, or self-esteem. Paul said, Christ died for all, so that we may live longer for ourselves but for Christ who died for us and rose again, 2 Corinthians 5:15 / 1 Corinthians 9:16.
At one time in Paul’s life, he let human reason dictate his thinking on the coming Messiah; however, now he views Christ through divine revelation, Galatians 1:11-24.
Though it hurt Paul deeply to think back on his past dealings with Christians and his sinfulness through human reasoning, 1 Corinthians 15:9 / Galatians 1:13-24 / Philippians 3:6, he realised that now Christ had forgiven him, 2 Corinthians 5:16.
To be ‘in Christ’, 2 Corinthians 5:17, is to be in fellowship with the Lord, abiding in His truths, 1 John 1:3 / 1 John 1:5-6 / 1 John 2:6 / 1 John 2:24 / Galatians 3:27. Christians today need not dwell on their past sins.
We must realise that the old man of sin has passed away and we are not to let that return. Baptised Christians are ‘new creations’ as opposed to those ‘after the flesh,’ 2 Corinthians 5:17. The ‘old man’ died when we obeyed the Gospel.
What do we do with dead bodies? We bury them. We do not repeatedly dig them up to inspect them! What we were is history! Past! Let the old man stay dead. Don’t carry the burden of a guilt that God has already forgiven and forgotten!
Because Christ died for all, it stands that ‘all things are of God’, 2 Corinthians 5:18, all things that lead to eternal life and a resurrected spiritual body. Through Christ are the blessings of remission of sins, Genesis 22:18 / Acts 3:25-26 and thereby reconciliation to God, i.e., fellowship, Colossians 1:20 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 3:3.
This message of ‘the ministry of reconciliation’, 2 Corinthians 5:18, was entrusted to the apostles so that all in the world may have the hope of reconciliation and fellowship with God.
This is a testimony of Bible unity. To be reconciled to God is to be one with God and one with brethren, John 17:20-26 / 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 / Ephesians 4:1-6 / 1 John 1:5-7.
Paul says, ‘He has committed US to the ministry of reconciliation’, 2 Corinthians 5:19 / Matthew 28:19-20 / Mark 16:15-16. This does not refer to believers in general, as a priesthood it does, Exodus 19:3-6 / 1 Peter 2:9, but in the context here it’s referring to this special ministry of the apostles, as is proved by the words, ‘Now then, WE as ambassadors for Christ, implore YOU, on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God’, 2 Corinthians 5:20.
The word ‘ambassador’, in Greek, is ‘presbeuomen’, and it is defined as a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by one government to another. Who were the ambassadors represented by the plural pronoun ‘we’? The antecedent to the pronoun ‘we’ is Paul and the other apostles.
Why did Paul refer to himself and these other apostles as ‘ambassadors on behalf of Christ’? To truthfully answer this question, we must examine nothing but the context in which the statement is made. Much of 2 Corinthians is Paul’s proof of preaching a divine message with divine origins.
Paul was being accused by some brethren of preaching a message that would ‘commend’ himself to the brethren so that he could have personal gain, 2 Corinthians 3:1.
Some went so far as accusing Paul, and his preaching companions, of scamming the brotherhood for money under the guise of there being a need in Judea for the saints, 2 Corinthians 12:16-18. Paul, hearing that his motives and message preached were under attack, set out to prove the divine origin of his message.
The ambassadors’ objective was to reconcile the Corinthians to God, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. These men were divinely armed with revelation to accomplish this task. They had no personal agenda of gaining a following or getting rich. Their work involved the souls of men.
We do not have inspired men today to serve as ambassadors of Christ, yet we do have the command to use the power of the Gospel to save souls, Romans 1:16. Paul and his preaching companions did not have a monopoly on preaching, 2 Timothy 2:2.
God forbid that you or I would ever preach with an agenda to gain from brethren. Our preaching is to have its origins in divine revelation alone. Our motives are to love for man’s souls alone. When men preach their opinions or personal convictions, they have left the one true faith.
Reconciliation has been affected by God Himself. John reminds us that ‘it is not that we loved God, but that God loved us,’ 1 John 4:10. We could never reach up to Him. He reached down to us!
That is the meaning of the incarnation, God becoming man. ‘God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself’, 2 Corinthians 5:19. This is why salvation could only be by grace, Colossians 1:20 / Ephesians 2:16 / Romans 5:10.
Notice also that there are Christians who are to be reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:20. Aren’t Christians already reconciled to God? Reconciled is the Greek word ‘katallasso’, and it means to change mutually or be at peace with. In other words, the Corinthians were at peace with God again.
Herein is the love of God made manifest. Notice ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin’, 2 Corinthians 5:21, but note the footnote because it says, ‘Or be a sin offering’.
This is important because there’s a huge difference between Jesus being sin and Him being a sin offering. He does not say Jesus was made to be a sinner; he says that Christ became a sin offering, Leviticus 4:1-5:13 / Leviticus 6:24-30 / John 1:29 / Hebrews 9:29 / Hebrews 10:10.
God gave both His only begotten Son to die for man’s reconciliation and divine instructions for man to hear, learn, study, and apply that all may be reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:21 / Isaiah 53:6 / 1 Peter 2:24. When one is in Christ, his sins are forgiven and God does not ‘reckon’, put to one’s account, sin to that person any longer!
Paul is not preaching any type of self-proclaimed message to cause glory to himself. Paul and his preaching brethren preached Christ crucified that the world may be reconciled unto God and have an eternal abode with the Father.
Paul’s desire for people was God’s desire, to become the righteousness of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30 / Philippians 3:9. Paul’s desire for people was God’s desire, and that is that no man perishes in sin, 2 Peter 3:9.
Paul said, ‘So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it’, 2 Corinthians 5:9. The word ‘goal’ or ‘ambition’ indicates a passionate quest to achieve a set goal. The goal of every Christian has its roots in the resurrection of the body, 2 Corinthians 4:14.
Man’s eternal body will be ‘clothed’ with a heavenly, immortal, existence, 2 Corinthians 4:2 / 1 Corinthians 15:42. Paul’s aim, as ours ought to be, was directed at the eternal spiritual and immortal body that shall rest with God for eternity, 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
Paul aimed to be the aim of all. Paul was not only immersed in the idea of personal resurrection and eternal existence with the Lord but also in helping others make it to heaven, too, 2 Corinthians 4:15.
The reality of hell caused Paul to preach to others that they would escape these eternal torments, 2 Corinthians 5:11. A spiritual aim demands that we deny self-reason and trust divine revelation.
The theme of 2 Corinthians is found in this principle. Preachers and members of the body of Christ are to have no personal agendas as their motivation to preach, 2 Corinthians 1:12 / 2 Corinthians 2:16 / 2 Corinthians 3:1 / 2 Corinthians 3:5 / 2 Corinthians 4:2-7 / 2 Corinthians 5:11 / 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. Paul said, ‘We walk by faith, not by sight’, 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Furthermore, the apostle states that men’s glorying is to be in the truth as opposed to ‘appearance’, 2 Corinthians 5:12. So Paul said, ‘And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again’, 2 Corinthians 5:15.
Such an aim takes into consideration Jesus. Paul’s preaching was the ‘ministry of reconciliation’, 2 Corinthians 5:18. God’s aim has ever been to reconcile mankind to Himself through the blood of His righteous Son, 2 Corinthians 5:19 / 2 Peter 3:9.
Such an aim demands that the forgiven sinner forget his past and move ever closer to the goal. Paul had done many sinful deeds in his past, just as you and I have, 1 Corinthians 15:9 / Galatians 1:13-24 / 1 John 1:8.
When he became a Christian, he was redirected in life through repentance and baptism, Acts 22:16. Each individual who now obeys the gospel must redirect their lives as well, Romans 12:1-2.
We could dwell on our past mistakes to the point of it causing lethargy, complacency, and pessimism in our service to God; however, this is not what the Lord wants.
Paul said, ‘Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!’ 2 Corinthians 5:17 / Philippians 3:13-14. To pine away in sin would be to falter in our aim!
The resurrection of the body and eternal judgment demand an act in life. Whether we choose to preach and or represent divine revelation alone, 2 Corinthians 1:12, or Satan’s doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:1 / 2 Corinthians 2:11, is our choice.
Those who make it their aim to serve God, as did Joshua and a host of Godly men and women in history, will not be disappointed, 1 Corinthians 15:58. Those who will not give up their personal agendas of opinions and personal convictions will forever suffer in hell.