¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(A) the new creation^(B) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(C) 18} All this is from God,^(D) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(E) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(F) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(G) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(H) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(I) 21} God made him who had no sin^(J) to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(K)

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork,^(A) created^(B) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(C) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(D) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(E)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(F) to the covenants of the promise,^(G) without hope^(H) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(I) were far away have been brought near^(J) by the blood of Christ.^(K)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(L) who has made the two groups one^(M) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(N) the law with its commands and regulations.^(O) His purpose was to create in himself one^(P) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(Q) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace^(R) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(S) 18} For through him we both have access^(T) to the Father^(U) by one Spirit.^(V)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(W) but fellow citizens^(X) with God’s people and also members of his household,^{(Y) 20} built^(Z) on the foundation^(AA) of the apostles and prophets,^(AB) with Christ Jesus himself^(AC) as the chief cornerstone.^{(AD) 21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AE) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AF)

⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(A) the firstborn from the dead,^(B) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(C)

To him who loves us^(D) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^(E)