2 Corinthians 5:11–21

¹¹Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,^ae we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. ¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. ¹³For if we are out of our mind,^af it is for God; if we are in our right mind,^ag it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,^ah and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all^ai so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,^aj but for the one^ak who died for them and was raised.

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

¹⁶From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.^A Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,^B yet now we no longer know him in this way. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;^al the old has passed away, and see,^am the new has^C come!^{an 18}Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.^{ao 19}That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world^ap to himself,^aq not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors^ar for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,^as “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹He made the one who did not know sin^at to be sin^D for us,^au so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.