2 Corinthians 5:18

Comprehensive View of the Christian Ministry, 18-21.

2 Corinthians 5:18. And to express in brief the whole Divine plan all things (in this matter) are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ [1] Those who take this to mean ‘induced us to give up our enmity to Him,' go entirely against what the very next verse shews to be meant that, by putting away the cause of His enmity to us, which lay in sin, He has brought about peace between Himself and us sinners. Meyer, whose testimony here is most valuable, refers to Romans 5:10-11; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20-21, where men are represented as God's “enemies,” their uncancelled sin bringing upon them God's holy wrath, only removed by Christ's death as a “propitiation.” It is exactly that kind of reconciliation of which our Lord says, “If thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught (any good ground of displeasure) against thee ... go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother (not, dismiss thy bad feeling towards him, but get him to put away his bad feeling towards thee) and then... offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24), [2]

[1] The word “Jesus” before “Christ” here is an addition to the true text.

[2] Though the compound forms of the same word used in the two passages are different, Fritzsche (who will not be thought unduly biassed by orthodox leanings) has shewn by an elaborate collection of examples that there is no real distinction in the use of them by classical writers (Aa Rom. Epist. I. pp. 276 280).

and gave unto us th e ministry of reconciliation the office of proclaiming this great fact to the world;