The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences.^{(A) 12} We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart.^{(B) 13} For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.^{(C) 14} For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.^{(D) 15} And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;^[a] even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,^[b] we no longer know him in that way.^{(E) 17} So if anyone is in Christ, there^[c] is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!^{[d](F) 18} All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;^{(G) 19} that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,^[e] not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.^{(H) 20} So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.^{(I) 21} For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(J)

6 As we work together with him,^[f] we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.^{(K) 2} For he says,

Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!^{(L) 3} We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,^{(M) 4} but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: in great endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;^{(N) 6} in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷ truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;^{(O) 8} in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, ⁹ as unknown and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not killed,^{(P) 10} as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. ¹² There is no restriction in our affections but only in yours. ¹³ In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.^(Q)