2 Corinthians 5:11–21

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^d we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^{e 12}We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,^f but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,^g so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³If we are “out of our mind,”^h as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.^{i 15}And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^j but for him who died for them^k and was raised again.

¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^l point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^m the new creationⁿ has come:^a The old has gone, the new is here!^{o 18}All this is from God,^p who reconciled us to himself through Christ^q and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^r And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^s as though God were making his appeal through us.^t We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{u 21}God made him who had no sin^v to be sin^b for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^w