2 Corinthians 5:20

Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ. First with emphasis. On behalf of Christ, therefore, we are acting as ambassadors, as though God were intreating by us (2 Corinthians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 9:11). Comp. for the construction of the last clause ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου μου (1 Corinthians 4:18); also Hebrews 13:17 and James 2:14 : and for the meaning of the whole ὑπὲρ οὖ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει (Ephesians 6:20) and Lightfoot’s note on Philemon 1:9.

δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ θεῷ. We beseech on behalf of Christ, Become reconciled to God. We have the change from παρακαλῶ to δέομαι again 2 Corinthians 10:1-2 : comp. 2 Corinthians 8:4. As in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, ὑπέρ is ‘on behalf of’: ‘in Christ’s stead’ (A.V.) is probably wrong in both places; and both must be translated alike. ‘Become reconciled’ is better than ‘be ye reconciled’ (R.V.), as (1) expressing the tense, (2) as avoiding the emphasis on ‘ye,’ which is not in the Greek at all.