2 Corinthians 5:11–21

¹¹Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, ^wwe seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. 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 the outward appearance ^xrather than in the heart. ¹³For if we are out of our mind, ^yit is for God; if we have a sound mind, ^zit is for you. ¹⁴For Christ’s love compels ^aus, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, ^bthen all died. ¹⁵And He died for all ^cso that those who live should no longer live for themselves, ^dbut for the One ^ewho died for them and was raised.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹⁶From now on, then, we do not know ^fanyone in a purely human way. ^gEven if we have known ^hChrist in a purely human way, ⁱyet now we no longer know ^jHim in this way. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; ^kold things have passed away, and look, ^lnew things ^mhave come. ⁿ¹⁸Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ^o19That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world ^pto Himself, ^qnot counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors ^rfor Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ^s“Be reconciled to God.” ²¹He made the One who did not know sin ^tto be sin ^ufor us, ^vso that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.