Presentation
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Hailemelekot Berhanu
Mr Tessema Forisdo
Greek VI
Evangelical Theological College
May 2/2023
Text: 2 Cor 5:11-21
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade men, and we have been made manifest, I
hope now also in the conscience of you.
12 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.
13 For if we are beside ourselves to God, or if we are sober-minded for you.
14 For the love of Christ controls us since we have concluded that Christ died for all; therefore all have
died.
15 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.
16 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, we no longer know him that way.
17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new
has come!
18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us
the ministry of reconciliation.
19 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.
20 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!”
21 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.
Main Idea
Paul tries to remind the Corinthian Christians of what God has done through Christ in making us new
creations, reconciling our relationship with him, and offering us the ministry of reconciliation as God's
ambassadors.
Structure
Paul ministry scope for all people (2 Cor 5:11-15)
Persuade men (1 Cor 5:11-13)
Jesus died for all (1 Cor 5:14-15)
One died for all (the punishment of sin required to die each person but instead
of each person Jesus died)
All died (Jesus died for all means all people died)
The Ministry of Reconciliation revealed through Christ (2 Cor 5:17-21)
New creation by Christ (2 Cor 5:17)
God who reconciled us to himself (2 Cor 5:18-19)
Ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20)
The righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21)
Theological reflection on God’s reconciliation
New Creation ( 2 Cor 5:17)
Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18)
Ambassador (2 Cor 5:20)
To be sin for us (2 Cor 5:21)
Righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21)
Exegetical issues
εἴτε γὰρ ἐξέστημεν, θεῷ· εἴτε σωφρονοῦμεν, ὑμῖν.
Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν (how?we are ambasader)
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν (to be sin?)
δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ. (righteousness of God)
Life lesson
Are we a new creation, reconcile with God and ambassador?
Do we try to reconcile other with God?
