2 Corinthians 5:11-21

“Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart. For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.”

— ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭21‬‬

 Fear of the Lord stems from v. 10 where all stand before judgment seat of Christ. Present tenses in v. 10-11 are “conative,” therefore the translation of “trying.”

V 12-13 make sense in context of 2 Corinthians as whole. Opponents have infiltrated Corinthian church and have turned the church against Paul. Attack his ministry and apostleship and message. He doesn’t care about himself or defending who he is. He doesn’t attack the opponents until ch 10-13. He can simply defend the message. He shows his own weakness as a sign of power.

V 14. Love of Christ could be his love for Christ or Christ’s love for him, but in light of talking about Jesus’ death in next phrase, it’s probably Jesus’ love for him. Christ died “for” all. The preposition is used for substitution in at least one soteriological passage, so this is not just advantage or benefit. However, substitution or representation makes most sense in the grander narrative of Israel. He is the representative of the nation, doing what they never could.

“All” is tricky here. All has to have the same referent in each case, so is it just believers or all humans? Is it all humans, while “those living” is spiritual life/ believers? Those who live cannot be humans and “all” be humans, too. “All” could be humans and “those who live” could be believers with spiritual life. “All died” could be physical death. Or “death” could be death to sin and the world through identification with Christ (if the “all” is simply believers). No conclusions here yet.

Old things have passed. This speaks to the new age breaking into the present. Not technically that believer is a new creature, but behold, new creation! It’s just an exclamation that the new age has come quickly. It’s overlap of the old and new. 

The purpose of Christ’s life and ministry was reconciliation. Paul’s mission was to explain this and to offer reconciliation. God was reconciling the world to himself. World could be entire creation or the humans. Of course, Romans will talk about all creation groaning for redemption. Here, we have personal pronouns so humans may be in view. 

Not sure who Paul is addressing with this plea. No explicit mention of unbelievers in the Corinthian church. Could be the opponents, but there’s no “you” in the sentence, and he’s not asking them to accept him but God. Could be any audience in general.

Through Christ, God forgives trespasses. Sin was taken care of through Christ. Lots of theories as to why that is and we need to take a deep dive into the story of the gospels and OT to understand it. 

V 21 is probably a causative verb. Jesus is not just a sinner or sin bearer. Often used Exod 29, Lev 4, 5 as sin offering, but Paul does not use this word for sin offering. We would probably expect a more “sacrificial” verb for offerings. Probably more like sin personified. 

“Righteousness of God” is debated. Either we not possess God’s righteousness or share in it, we do what He now expects, we have a righteous standing, or something like we participate in His covenant faithfulness in sharing that message of reconciliation to the world (more New Perspective.) This seeks to flow with the other phrases of reconciliation in the passage.