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16 So hōste from apo now nyn on we hēmeis · ho regard oida no one oudeis according kata to the flesh sarx. Even kai though ei we once regarded ginōskō Christ Christos according kata to the flesh sarx, yet alla now nyn we regard ginōskō him in that way no longer ouketi. 17 Therefore hōste if ei anyone tis is in en Christ Christos, there is a new kainos creation ktisis; what ho is old archaios has passed parerchomai away ; behold idou, what is new kainos has come ginomai! 18 · ho And de all pas this is from ek · ho God theos, who ho has reconciled katallassō us hēmeis to himself heautou through dia Christ Christos and kai given didōmi us hēmeis the ho ministry diakonia of ho reconciliation katallagē; 19 that is hōs, God theos was eimi in en Christ Christos reconciling katallassō the world kosmos to himself heautou, not counting logizomai their autos trespasses paraptōma against them autos. · ho And kai he has entrusted tithēmi us hēmeis with en the ho message logos of ho reconciliation katallagē. 20 Therefore oun we are ambassadors presbeuō for hyper Christ Christos, as hōs though · ho God theos were making parakaleō his appeal through dia us hēmeis. We implore deomai you on behalf of hyper Christ Christos, “ Be reconciled katallassō to ho God theos.” 21 He made poieō him ho who knew ginōskō no sin hamartia to be a sin-offering hamartia for hyper us hēmeis, so that hina in en him autos we hēmeis might become ginomai the righteousness dikaiosynē of God theos.

Thus de as coworkers synergeō with him, · kai we urge parakaleō you hymeis not to receive dechomai the ho grace charis of ho God theos in eis vain kenos. For gar he says legō, “ In the time kairos of my favor dektos I heard epakouō you sy, · kai in en the day hēmera of salvation sōtēria I helped boētheō you sy.” Behold idou, now nyn is the acceptable euprosdektos time kairos; behold idou, now nyn is the day hēmera of salvation sōtēria!

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[a] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

As God’s partners,[b] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
    On the day of salvation, I helped you.”[c]

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Footnotes

  1. 5:21 Or to become sin itself.
  2. 6:1 Or As we work together.
  3. 6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version).