Paul has been implicitly defending his ministry by demonstrating how true apostles conduct themselves (2:14-5:10). They speak with sincerity, confidence and boldness (2:14-3:18). They do not lose heart but persevere despite suffering (4:1-5:10). Now, Paul brings this section to its theological high point explaining that he has received the ministry of reconciliation from God (5:11-6:2). Because Paul knows that eternity is coming, he urges people to be reconciled to God as an ambassador of Christ himself. 

Translation

11 Therefore, we persuade people, because we know the fear of the Lord. And we are made manifest to God, and I also hope that we are made manifest in your consciences. 12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving to you a reason to be proud of us so that you have an answer for those who boast in the face and not in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, but if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us. 15 For we have concluded this: Since one died for all, all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live no longer live for themselves but they live for the one who died for them and was raised. 16 So then, from now on, we do not know anyone according to the flesh. Even though we had known Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him in that way. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold! The new has come. 18 And all these things are from God. He has reconciled us to himself through Christ. And he gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 For God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, as if God were making an appeal through us. And we implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God! 21 For he made the one who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 6:1 And we, as God’s co-laborers, urge you to not receive the grace of God in vain. 6:2 For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and I helped you on the day of salvation” (Isa. 49:8). Behold, now is the favorable time! Behold now is the day of salvation! 

Commentary

The passage has two sections: Paul’s motivation for ministry (5:11-17) and his appeal to the Corinthians (5:18-6:2). Paul urgently tries to persuade people to believe the gospel (5:11a). In an aside, Paul explains that he hopes the Corinthians will take pride in his ministry so that they will tune out the imposters in their community (5:11b-13).  Returning to his argument, the reason why Paul seeks to share the gospel is the powerful love of Christ (5:14-16). As a consequence of Christ’s death and resurrection, anyone who believes in him becomes part of the new creation (5:18).  The literary structure of the passage is as follows:

• Paul seeks to persuade people (5:11a) 
  • (Aside: He’s not saying all this to praise himself; he wants the Corinthians to see the value of his ministry and shun the false apostles (5:11b-13)
• Because Christ’s love is powerful and brings life (5:14-16)
• Therefore, if anyone believe in Christ, they will become part of the new creation (5:18)

Paul not only tries to persuade people, but he also an appeal to make to the Corinthians (5:18-6:2). Paul has received the ministry of reconciliation (which means passing on the message) because God has reconciled the world through Christ (5:18-19). Since Paul has this ministry now, he begs the Corinthians to be reconciled to God (5:20). It’s urgent the Corinthians are reconciled to God because God has done all the work, he has made the way through Christ (5:21). Paul again urges the Corinthians to receive God’s grace (6:1). They should receive it because God has fulfilled his promise to provide salvation (6:2). 

• Paul has been entrusted with the message of reconciliation (5:18-19)
• Therefore, be reconciled to God! (5:20)
  • Because Christ took on our sins so that we can receive God’s righteousness (5:210
• Therefore, again: don’t receive his grace in vain; be reconciled to God! (6:1)
  • Because God has fulfilled his promise and now is the day of salvation (6:2) 

11 Therefore, we persuade people, because we know the fear of the Lord.

Paul connects this passage back to the previous argument he has made about persevering in ministry due to eternal hope (4:1-5:10). Because of the hope he has despite suffering, Paul seeks to persuade people to accept Christ and be reconciled to God. Pau alsol seeks to persuade because he knows that judgment is coming. The “fear of the Lord” probably connects back to 5:10 where believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Paul knows he will be held accountable for how he conducted his ministry. 

11b And we are made manifest to God, and I also hope that we are made manifest in your consciences. 

He then launches into an aside about his relationship with the Corinthians in 5:11b-13. Paul has been “made manifest” or revealed to God. In other words, God sees and knows everything about Paul and his ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 4:4-5). Therefore, Paul conducts himself with sincerity and openness (2:17; 4:2). Paul wants the Corinthians’ to also know of his sincerity and character. He wants them to “absorb” who he is into their very heart/conscience.

12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving to you a reason to be proud of us so that you have an answer for those who boast in the face and not in the heart. 

Paul assures them that he is not talking about his ministry to praise himself again. He earlier explained that he had no reason to praise himself because the Corinthians were the proof of his ministry (3:1-3)! Paul knows he is qualified and equipped for ministry, not because he is so great but because God is (3:4-6). The real reason why Paul gives the details of his ministry is because he wants to equip the Corinthians. He wants them to take pride in his ministry so that they can shun those who boast “in the face,” i.e. outward appearances. The super-apostles looked the part. They had their lives together. They were probably good-looking unlike Paul who suffered so many hardships, it was probably reflected in his body. But Paul’s ministry has nothing to do with external appearances. In fact, God himself is pretty clear that outward appearances do not indicate eternal significance: “Man looks on outward appearance but the Lord looks upon the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). So the best answer to the question, “How effective is your ministry?” is to examine the life-change effected in the people through the gospel. 

13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, but if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Paul explains that he doesn’t parade his ecstatic experiences around in public. If Paul is “beside” himself, it is only between him and God. If Paul has these profound spiritual experiences between himself and God, he keeps it private. He only reluctantly shared one of his visions (12:1-6). Instead, Paul conducts himself in his public ministry with a “sound mind.” He is serious, sober-minded, and calm. Paul has always desired the ministry of the church to be done “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). Wild and out-of-control charismatic displays in public are not helpful for the mission of the church and only lead unbelievers to disparage the gospel (1 Cor. 14:23). While the super-apostles may have relied on these supposed “spiritual experiences” to validate their ministry, Paul relies upon something: the power of the gospel. 

14 For the love of Christ compels us.

Picking up his arguments from 5:11a, Paul explains that it is Christ’s love that motivates him to preach the gospel. While Paul is very aware of the reality of God’s judgment (5:10), he also knows that Jesus loved sinners and willingly went to the cross out of love (Gal. 2:20). As the apostle John famously explained, “For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son…” (John 3:16). Because Paul had been a recipient of Christ’s love, he seeks to minister to others in love. 

 15 For we have concluded this: Since one died for all, all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live no longer live for themselves but they live for the one who died for them and was raised. 

The shining example of Christ’s love is that he “died for all.” Most likely, Paul means here that Christ died for all those who are being saved and all (who are saved) have died in Christ (cf. Rom. 6:3; Gal. 2:20; 6:14). Of course, Paul recognizes the universality of all people dying in Adam in other passages (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22). But Paul probably defines those who died as “those also who live,” that is, made alive through Christ’s resurrection (Rom. 6:4-5; Eph. 2:4-6). Those who are made spiritually alive now “no longer live for themselves.” Believers are no longer captured by their selfish aims and desires (Rom. 6:11; 14:7-6; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 4:2). Instead, believers live to do all things for the glory of Christ (1 Cor. 10:31).   

16 So then, from now on, we do not know anyone according to the flesh. Even though we had known Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him in that way. 

Through the new spiritual life that comes from Christ, Paul’s spiritual “vision” has changed. Before coming to Christ, Paul did not understand who Jesus really was. He saw Jesus as a mere man—even as a dangerous man—who was leading people astray. Therefore, Paul sought to stamp out the Jesus movement (Acts 8:3; 26:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:8; Gal. 1:13, 23; Phil. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1:13). But when Paul encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, everything changed (Acts 9:1-20). Paul now realized that instead of a deceiver, Christ was the truth. Instead of seeing Jesus as a blasphemer making himself equal to God (John 5:18), Paul recognized that Jesus was God (Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13). God’s salvation not only reveals the proper way of understanding who Christ is but also provides a new paradigm for realizing who other people are. We do not view people “according to the flesh” any longer. The super-apostles judge things based on outward appearances (5:12). But true believers do not. They see past the worldly accolades, success, and wealth of others and realize that all people are in need of Jesus.   

17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold! The new has come. 

Christ’s powerful love has raised believers from the spiritual death to newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 2:4-6). Those who are now united to Christ (“in Christ”) become part of the new creation. In the Old Testament, God promised that a new creation would come on the last day to displace the world filled with death, violence, and sin (Isa. 11:6-9; 35:1-10; 65:17; 66:22; Hosea 2:18-23; Amos 9:11-14). The shocking message of the New Testament is that the new creation has broken into this old creation through Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23; Eph. 2:4-6; Rev. 1:5; 3:14). In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul contrasts Adam (head of the old creation) with Christ (head of the new creation): “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit… Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Cor. 15:45, 49). Jesus’ resurrection provides the model for which believers will be resurrected. As theologian Stephen Wellum explains Jesus is the “first man of the new creation.” And, now, connected to him, believers become part of that new creation. Paul explains further the significance of being a new creation: “The old has passed away. Behold! The new has come!” Even though believers still struggle with sin, Paul wants believers to anchor their identity in the newness Christ has brought. Christ does not merely add some newness to the soul of the believer; but completely renovates the heart. The “old man” has been crucified and done away with (Rom. 6:6-7; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10-11). Paul also probably ties the coming of the new creation with the superiority of the new covenant (3:7-18). Just as the coming of the new covenant displaced the old covenant, so now, the coming of the new creation displaces the old (Barnett, 298). Think about how our lives might change if we lived in light of the reality that we are now a new creation! 

18 And all these things are from God. He has reconciled us to himself through Christ. And he gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. 

Paul recognizes that God has done all the work in salvation, particularly work of reconciling people to himself. Reconciliation is the act where God brings peace between himself and sinners through the work of Jesus on the cross (Rom. 5:1, 10-11). All people were once alienated from God, at enmity with him because of their sin (Rom 5:10; Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:21). But now, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God is able to make his enemies, his friends. Now only has God provided Christ to reconcile sinners to himself, he also commissioned Paul for the ministry of reconciliation. Paul was given the task of proclaiming the message that people can be reconciled to God through Jesus. 

19 For God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the word of reconciliation. 

Paul explores God’s work of reconciliation and commissioning of himself with the ministry of reconciliation in more depth in 5:19. Through Christ, God made it possible for anyone in the world to be reconciled to himself (Col. 1:20). God reconciles people to himself through forgiveness (Psa 32:1-2; Isa 43:25; Isa 44:22; Rom 4:6-8). Therefore, Paul affirms that the deepest need people have is for their sin to be dealt with. It is the only way for people to be made right with God. Just as God had given Paul a “ministry” of reconciliation, here, Paul is entrusted with the “word of reconciliation.” Paul amplifies the fact that his apostolic ministry has to do with proclaiming the message of God. As important as meeting physical needs are (Jas. 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17-18), Paul’s primary concern was to share the message that people could be reconciled to God. But the work of stewarding the word of reconciliation does not end with the apostles. Paul passes it on to his protegees and they are supposed to pass it on other qualified men (2 Tim. 2:2). 

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, as if God were making an appeal through us. And we implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God!

Paul’s ministry creates his identity: he is an ambassador of Christ (Eph. 6:20). Just like ambassadors today, Paul represented another authority in a “foreign” land. Paul was commissioned by Christ to take his word to the Gentiles and people of Israel (Acts 9:14; 26:17-18). The commissioning of God is so powerful that it is like God himself is speaking through Paul, even though Paul is a mere man (cf. Luke 10:16). Certainly, Paul represents Christ among the unbelieving peoples. Yet the shocking twist of this passage is that the people who need to be reconciled to God are the Corinthians themselves! Paul urges the Corinthians to both be reconciled to God and not receive his grace in vain (6:1). Most likely, the Corinthians need to come back to the Lord because they have been led astray by the super-apostles. To reject the true apostles of which Paul was one was to reject Christ himself (Luke 10:16; 1 John 4:6). 

 21 For he made the one who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

The Corinthians can ultimately come back to God because of the person and work of Jesus. Paul affirms with all the other Scripture writers that Jesus never sinned; he “knew no sin” (Isa 53:9; Luke 1:35; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22-24; 1 John 3:5). As the author of Hebrews explained, Christ was “tempted in all points yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Because of Jesus’ sinlessness, he was able to be offered as the perfect sacrifice, like a sacrificial lamb with defect (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 7:26-27; 9:14). Paul highlights Christ’s work as our substitute as being made sin “on our behalf” or “for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:2; 1 Thess. 5:10; Heb. 9:24). Peter uses a similar expression when he says that Christ died, “ the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18). Paul speaks of the great exchange that takes place in the gospel: on the cross, Jesus really took on our sin so that we could really receive his righteousness. “Righteousness” is the state of being righteous, which means always doing the right thing. Believers are counted as being in the right with God through Christ. The crucial phrase is that becoming God’s righteousness happens “in him,” that is, in Christ. By virtue of a believers union to Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1), we are credited with receiving his righteousness. 

In just one verse, Paul is able to capture the whole story of the gospel. Why did Christ need to be “made sin” on our behalf? Because we are sinners, under the wrath the God. How did Christ achieve our salvation?  By substituting himself in our place on the cross. He died and received the wrath of God so that we don’t have to. What is the result of Christ’s work? We receive his righteousness and thus right standing before God. 

 6:1 And we, as God’s co-laborers, urge you to not receive the grace of God in vain. 

Just as Paul urges the Corinthians to be reconciled to God, he now urges them not to throw away God’s grace. Paul realizes that he is “working together” with God to bring the message of reconciliation and grace to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:9). But he doesn’t want the Corinthians to have received God’s grace and yet it does not prove fruitful in their lives. Paul had previously exhorted the Corinthians that they would be saved “if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:2). Paul includes exhortations to persevere in faith in many of his letters (Rom. 11:22; 1 Cor. 15:1-2; 2 Cor. 13:5; Col. 1:22-23; 1 Thess. 3:8; 1 Tim. 1:19; 2 Tim. 2:12). Does this mean that Paul believed that Christians can lose their salvation? This is actually probably the wrong question to ask, for such a question does not take into account how warnings and exhortations work. People are not robots. And so the New Testament authors regularly used strong exhortations—warnings even—to motivate believers to stand fast. It is like a parent sternly warning their children away from the edge of a cliff. Moreover, church communities are “public” organizations, and any number of people can be around and even part of the community. But that doesn’t mean that everyone in the community is a genuine believer. Therefore, those who heed warnings prove themselves to have been genuine believers. 

6:2 For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and I helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the favorable time! Behold, now is the day of salvation! 

Paul supports his exhortation by pointing out that God has fulfilled his promise of a day of salvation. He quotes Isaiah 49:8 in which God promises a coming day where a coming Servant would restore God’s people. Paul sees the promise of Isaiah fulfilled in the coming of Christ. While the Old Testament was the era of promise, the coming of Christ ushered in the era of fulfillment (Luke 4:18-21; Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 13:11; Gal. 3:24-26; Heb. 3:7-8, 15; 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:9). According to the New Testament, the new covenant has been made, the new creation has broken into the old, and now salvation is exploding outward from Jerusalem to cover the whole world. A certain urgency for the Corinthians to be reconciled to God and persevering in God’s grace seems to have existed in Paul’s mind. The very use of the verb “urge” (5:20; 6:1) speaks to urgency and the fact that the day of salvation has come. Paul nows that this “day” and “time” won’t last forever. Therefore, the Corinthians should make haste to cast off the interlopers in the community, repent, reconcile with Paul, and, ultimately, be reconciled to God. 

Excursus: Do these words apply today?

Since Paul speaks directly about his own apostolic ministry and also speaks directly to a specific congregation (the Corinthians), do his words apply to ministry and ministry-leaders today? The answer is “yes and no.” In some ways, Paul’s apostolic ministry is utterly unique. The original twelves apostles served as “foundational pieces” of the church that no later leaders would serve as (Eph. 2:20; cf. Peter as the “rock,” Matt. 16:18). Paul was also uniquely commissioned as an apostle, having seen the risen Christ (Acts 9:15-16; Gal. 1:1). Paul also wrote Scripture under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. His thirteen canonical letters possess divine authority as they are also God’s very word. In some sense, the apostles also faced extreme suffering in their ministry to build the church. 

Yet Paul also realizes that part of his ministry must be passed on to the next generation, who will pass it down to the next generation as well (2 Tim. 2:2). The gospel message does not change; it is still a message of reconciliation to God through the sacrifice of Christ. Moreover, the church still exists in the “day” of salvation until Christ returns. So it is appropriate for pastors and other believers to urge sinners to be reconciled to God. We may not be able to claim the same divine authority as Paul did as an apostle, but we proclaim the same apostolic message: the gospel of Jesus Christ.