⁴ But God, being ^(A)rich in mercy, because of ^(B)His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were ^(C)dead ^[a]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together ^[b]with Christ (^(D)by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and ^(E)raised us up with Him, and ^(F)seated us with Him in ^(G)the heavenly places in ^(H)Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the ^[c]boundless ^(I)riches of His grace in ^(J)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one ^[a](A)by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is ^(B)in Christ, this person is ^(C)a new ^[b]creation; ^(D)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ Now ^(E)all these things are from God, ^(F)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(G)ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that ^(H)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ^(I)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and ^[c]He has ^[d]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ^(J)ambassadors for Christ, ^(K)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be ^(L)reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who ^(M)knew no sin to be ^[e](N)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the ^(O)righteousness of God in Him.