1 We know that when our earthly dwelling, or rather our tent, is destroyed, we may count on a building from God, a heavenly dwelling not built by human hands, that lasts forever.
2 Therefore we long and groan: Why may we not put on this heavenly dwelling over that which we have?
3 (Indeed, are we sure that we shall still be wearing our earthly dwelling and not be un clothed?)
4 As long as we are in the field-tent, we indeed moan our unbearable fate for we do not want this clothing to be removed from us; we would rather put the other over it, that the mortal body may be absorbed by true life.
5 This is God’s purpose for us, and he has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what we are to receive.
6 So we feel confident always. We know that while living in the body, we are exiled from the Lord,
7 living by faith, without seeing;
8 but we dare to think that we would rather be away from the body to go and live with the Lord.
9 So, whether we have to keep this house or lose it, we only wish to please the Lord.
10 Anyway we all have to appear before the tribunal of Christ for each one to receive what he deserves for his good or evil deeds in the present life.
We proclaim the message of reconciliation
11 So we know the fear of the Lord and we try to convince people while we live openly be fore God. And I trust that you know in your conscience what we truly are.
12 Once more, we do not try to win your esteem; we want to give you a reason to feel proud of us, that you may respond to those who heed appearances and not the real ity.
13 Now, if I have spoken foolishly, let God alone hear; if what I have said makes sense, take it for yourselves.
14 Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realize that if he died for all, all have died.
15 He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them.
16 And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard him in another way.
17 For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come.
18 All this is the work of God who in Christ reconciled us to himself, and who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.
19 Because in Christ God reconciled the world with himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ.
21 He had no sin, but God made him bear our sin, so that in him we might share the holiness of God.
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Comments 2 Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 5
• 5.11 There are many ways of understanding faith: for each one of us, one or other aspect of Christian life makes more of an impact. What Paul sees in Christ is the great messenger and artisan of reconciliation.
His first conviction is that, with the death of Christ, a new age has begun for divided humanity. If he died for all, all have died (v. 14), namely, the whole history and wisdom of people before him have been surpassed and now God works among us in other ways.
We do not regard anyone from the human point of view (v. 16). Paul confides something of his affective life. Those around him love him, even if they make difficulties for him, and in the Church each one has his friends, those on whom he may count. Paul loves them, but doubtless not all in the same way. To begin with, he accepts persons with different criteria and is not guided (as are many Corinthians) by the appearance of fine speakers (v. 12). And his affec tiv ity has been renewed in the measure that he has been possessed by Christ: he loves them as God loves them and as God would like them to be.
Even if we once knew Christ personally… (v. 16). (Paul says: “If we have known him in the flesh” or, as he was in his humanity.) He no longer sees Christ as a Galilean preacher, enclosed in the context of Jewish life, but rather dominating history. Without a doubt he is also alluding to certain adversaries who consider themselves superior to him because they have known Jesus or belong to his family. He says to them: “we must” (which means: you must) see him differently: do not see him as your cousin!
The one who is in Christ is a new creature (v. 17): first because the barriers that divide and separate people no longer exist for him (see Gal 3:27; Eph 2:14-16). Also because it is not human desires that guide him, but the Spirit of God who recreates him at every instant (Gal 5:13-21).
In Christ God reconciled the world with himself (v. 19). Many people like to say: Jesus is love. This is true, but let us not forget that this love is his response to the love of the Father who wishes to reconcile us; we must do away with the idea of an angry God whom Je sus tries to appease (Rom 3:25).
Who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation (v. 18). Christians are not satisfied with only singing the praises of God, and their supreme aspiration is not to find a likeable community. They do their part in the task of universal reconciliation that supposes a denunciation of injustice and sin, and the effort to overcome them. Today the Church says a great deal about this so that we may better understand our mission in the world and in the conflicts and tensions that tear our nations apart.
We present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ (v. 20). This is not only true of the apostles and Paul. It is also meant for us when we go to visit the sick or the needy; when, overcoming suspicion, we ap proach our brother or sister to create an at mosphere of confidence, so that, shortly, we may arrive at fraternal fellowship with others who have the same problems but who, in spite of that, often remain locked in their selfishness.
He had no sin (v. 21). It is difficult to translate Paul’s words: “He made sin him who did not know sin,” for obviously Paul here speaks according to Hebrew culture where the same word denotes both the sin and the victim who carries the sin. Paul recalls the mystery of the cross: reconciliation is not achieved without voluntary victims who take on themselves the hatred and the sin of humankind.