Friday 25 August 2017

Some Inspirational Christian Thoughts, Words for the Wise






"The first thing that impresses us about the call of God is that it comes to the whole man, not to one part of him. The majority of us are godly in streaks, spiritual in sections; it takes a long time to locate us altogether to the call of God. We have special days and religious moods, but when we get into contact with God we are brought in touch with Reality and made all of a piece. Our Lord's life was all one reality; you could never cut it into two--shallow here and profound there. My conception of God must embrace the whole of my life." –

Oswald Chambers


I’ve just started to read a book called ,  “ Follow Me” by David Platt, David quotes this in the above book,  it’s from “ My utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.


Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”

Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.








Oswald Chambers

It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”


Pope Paul John 11



What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer.”



E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer
 

Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time of waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God's Holy Name let us arise and build! 'The God of Heaven, He will fight for us', as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ.


C T Studd

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

— extra stanza —

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”


SOVEREIGN GOD,

Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,
      and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom
  to set up thy kingdom in every place
    where Satan reigns;
Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,
  for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire.
I adore thee that thou art God,
  and long that others should know it, feel it,
    and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise thee,
  that thou mightest have all glory
    from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting
    the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But thou canst accomplish great things;
  the cause is thine,
  and it is to thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as thou wilt,
  do with me what thou wilt;
    but, O, promote thy cause,
  let thy kingdom come,
  let thy blessed interest be advanced
    in this world!
O do thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
  let me see that glorious day,
  and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
  let me be willing to die to that end;
  and while I live let me labour for thee
    to the utmost of my strength,
    spending time profitably in this work,
    both in health and in weakness.
It is thy cause and kingdom I long for,
    not my own.

O, answer thou my request!


Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth




C.T Studd

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.

Should such men as we fear? Before the world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in man. 

“Some want to live within the sound Of church or chapel bell;I want to run a rescue shop, Within a yard of hell.”


C T Studd

Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world." William Booth.

“While women weep, as they do now,
I'll fight
While little children go hungry, as they do now,
I'll fight
While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now,
I'll fight
While there is a drunkard left,
While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets,
While there remains one dark soul without the light of God,
I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!”

William Booth

The Church is a movement for change and transformation but for many of us The Church has become a monument to our spiritual forefathers who were a movement for change and transformation !.

We, the Church are the visible representation of God’s Kingdom Rule and Reign here on Earth, we are his messengers of hope, love and compassion, salvation & restoration, the people we see every day are the people for whom Jesus died on the Cross for, we are the ones who are to bring hope and healing to our communities.


Blair Humphreys." The last two quotes are my own, and have  been previously posted on V3,  I want to be more than an echo of other christian writers."

Friday 14 July 2017

The Ministry of Reconciliation, Newness In Christ 2 Corinthians 5 NASB, The In-depth Series



2 Corinthians 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Temporal and Eternal

5 For we know that if [a]the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a [b]pledge.

6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by [c]sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for [d]his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we [e]are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one [f]according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ [g]according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [h]he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and [i]He has [j]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.



The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

Fear of the Lord Motivates Ministry (5:11-13)

A call to evangelistic ministry is increasingly becoming a rarity. In part this is because many churches no longer highly value or support this type of call. Street-corner preachers are regularly dismissed as crackpots. Revival meetings are becoming a thing of the past or are commonly redefined as occasions to boost the congregation's spirits or to push for recommitment. The developer pastor who seeks to plant a church through new converts is becoming a vanishing breed. Pastors and churches committed to outreach in their communities have become the exception rather than the rule.

This state of affairs was brought home to me recently in a conversation with a newly elected member of an evangelism committee who expressed frustration with the task's being defined primarily in terms of communal nurture rather than community outreach. Paul had no such illusions. He understood quite well what a call to preach the gospel involved. It was a lofty call to be one of "Christ's ambassadors," with God "making his appeal through us" (v. 20). It involved exhorting others to "be reconciled with God" (v. 20). And it arose out of a fear of the Lord (v. 11) and a knowledge of "Christ's love" (v. 14).

Pursuing such a lofty call necessitates having the right motives (vv. 11-15). In chapter 4 it was Paul's conviction that "the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus" that compelled him to preach (4:14). Now he adds too further reasons. The first is found in 5:11. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, he states, we try to persuade others. What is this fear of which Paul speaks? The Greek term phobos ranges in meaning from panic and fright to awe and reverence. Yet when we are faced with the divine, fright and awe more often than not coalesce. The genitive tou kyriou can be objective ("the fear that we feel toward the Lord") or subjective ("the fear that the Lord inspires"). But in reality, both amount to the same thing. Fear in itself is not necessarily bad. To fear the Lord is what God required of Israel (Deut 10:12). And it is through the fear of the Lord that a person avoids evil (Prov 16:6).

But what is it about the Lord that elicits Paul's fear? The answer is found in the opening oun (therefore), which points the reader back to verse 10 and the future judgment that all those who serve Christ must face. By fear Paul does not mean terror. In certain places on Alpine summits the way is peculiarly dangerous on account of frequent avalanches and the traveler walks in dread of instant destruction. The Christian does not stand in terror of divine judgment as the traveler does of the Alps. On the other hand, we need to have a healthy respect for the One who has the power to destroy both the soul and the body (Mt 10:28).

Fear can often result in paralysis; but not so with Paul. While the prospect of appearing before Christ's judgment seat provokes fear, it also prompts action. For the author of Proverbs 1:7, fear of the Lord meant "the beginning of knowledge." For Paul, it means the attempt to persuade men. The NIV men renders a Greek term that is gender-inclusive (anthropous). Paul attempts to persuade "people" (JB) or "others" (NRSV). The present tense carries a conative nuance—"we try to persuade." The term persuade means "to strive to convince" by means of argumentation (Becker 1975:590).





Of what does Paul seek to persuade? He does not explicitly say; but in light of his preceding reference to the judgment of the Christian worker, it is not too improbable to suppose that the judgment of the non-Christian is in mind. Judgment is an uncomfortable subject in most Christian circles. Yet it was not long ago that "hellfire and brimstone" preaching was a staple of the evangelical diet. Nowadays we tend to shy away from topics of this sort. But a substantial part of Jesus' preaching had to do with warning his audience of impending judgment. Peter pleaded with his audience to save themselves from "this corrupt generation" (Acts 2:40). And mention of "the coming wrath" was a regular component of Paul's evangelistic preaching (see Acts 17:31; 1 Thess 1:9-10).

Paul interjects the comment What we are is plain to God (v. 11). A healthy respect for Christ as judge motivates Paul to discharge his ministry with integrity, a fact that is plain to God and would be apparent to the Corinthians if they stopped and thought about it. Paul uses the perfect tense: "What we are has been and continues to be plain to God." While a person's motives and intentions can be hidden from others, they cannot be hidden from God. Paul, however, makes his ministry available to the scrutiny of all who would care to inspect it, including the Corinthians.

Paul momentarily slips into the first-person singular in an effort to express a deeply felt concern: "I hope it is also plain to your conscience" (v. 11; Furnish 1984:307). What he hopes is that if his apostolic legitimacy is not immediately apparent to the Corinthians, at least his integrity will be evident to their conscience. The conscience is that capacity of a person to determine right from wrong. Stoics saw the conscience as a watchman bestowed by God on individuals to guide them to live according to nature and to direct their moral progress (Hahn 1975:349). In much the same way, Paul appeals to the Corinthians' conscience to judge the sincerity of his motives. This assumes, of course, that their conscience has not been dulled through misuse, ignorance or disregard.

Although this may sound as if Paul is commending himself to them again, all he aims to do is to provide the Corinthians with the ammunition needed to answer his critics (v. 12). This is the second time that Paul has admitted saying something that could be taken as praising himself. In fact, nine out of thirteen Pauline uses of the verb synistemi (to commend) occur in this letter. Its frequent appearance shows that ministerial commendation was a bone of contention with the church. Four times in 2 Corinthians Paul is pushed by the Corinthians' expectations to commend himself. But in distinction from his rivals, he commends himself as a servant of God (4:2-5; 6:4) and on the basis of what God accomplished through him (3:5; 10:13), of which the congregation, it seems, needed to be reminded from time to time (5:12). They should have taken the initiative to defend Paul against his detractors. Perhaps they had become so taken with the current group of visiting preachers that they forgot the many reasons to be proud of their spiritual father.

In the second half of verse 12 Paul puts before the Corinthians the major distinction between himself and these intruders. His rivals take pride in the externals or what is seen. Paul takes pride in the internals or what is in the heart. To take pride in what is seen is literally "to boast in the face." The noun "face" (prosopon) originally meant that which struck the eye. Here it refers to the features or outward appearance of a thing or person. To boast "in the face," then, is to place great store in outward appearances, like letters of recommendations, polished oratory and flashy presentations. Perhaps Paul is thinking especially of boasting in ecstatic experiences, since he goes on in verse 13 to say, If we are out of our mind (ekstasis English "ecstasy"), it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you (RSV, NEB). "Out of mind" is the general sense of the intransitive. Literally, it meant to become separated from something or to lose something (ek "away" + histhmi "put, stand") and was used figuratively of losing one's wits (Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich 1979). Part of the difficulty is that Paul employs the verb nowhere else. Mark, however, uses it of Jesus, whose family thought him "mad" (3:21). Most translators follow suit here.

In what sense was Paul "mad"? On the face of it, the comment is obscure. This may well have been a charge leveled by his opponents. That Paul would consider persecution and adversity something to be proud of might well have appeared mad to those who judged by the world's standards (4:8-9). Yet, whatever Paul does, he does not out of self-interest but for God and the Corinthians (for you). This is the essence of verse 13. Thew (for the sake of God) and hymin (for you) are most likely datives of advantage, designating the person whose interest is affected (Blass, Debrunner and Funk 1961:no. 188 [101]). There is a time for conduct which appears mad to the world but is in God's best interest. There is also a time for calm, sensible conduct, which is to the church's advantage. Paul was prepared to follow whichever advanced the cause of the gospel (Barclay 1954:208).

Christ's Love Compels Service (5:14-17)

A further reason for preaching the gospel is found in verse 14: For Christ's love compels us. Conviction (4:14), fear (5:11) and now love motivate Paul to pursue his call. The text is literally, "the love of Christ." The genitive can be objective, "our love for Christ," or subjective, "Christ's love for us." Although we might instinctively incline toward the former, the latter is preferred by most modern translations. This is because Paul goes on in verses 14-15 to speak of Christ dying on our behalf—the ultimate demonstration of love. The basic sense of synecho (to compel) is to hold something together so that it does not fall apart. From this we get the meanings to "hold fast" (that is, to not allow to slip through one's fingers) and to "surround" or "hem in" (that is, to not let escape; Köster 1971:883). The idea is that Christ's love completely controls and dominates Paul so that he has no option but to preach. The hymn writer George Matheson knew of this kind of constraining love when he penned the words "O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; / I give Thee back the life I owe, That in Thine ocean deptes its flow may richer, fuller be."

It is not the mere fact of Christ's death but a conviction about it that leaves Paul no choice but to carry out his call to preach the gospel. We are convinced, he says, that one died for all, and therefore all died (v. 14). We are convinced is actually "we have judged this" (krinantas touto). The basic meaning of krino is to "separate" or "sift," and it is commonly used of a conclusion drawn after thoroughly evaluating the facts. Here it emphasizes a carefully considered judgment as opposed to accepting something on good faith. Paul has assessed the evidence and come to the carefully thought-out conclusion that one died for all, and therefore all died.

Much effort has been expended on determining the theological import of the second half of verse 14. It is important to notice that Paul does three things here. He states a conviction, (one died for all) he draws a conclusion, (therefore all died) and he articulates a rationale (that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again, v. 15). Paul's conviction is that one died for all. But by all does he mean all believers or all people? The contrast between one and all suggests that the term is to be taken in the broadest sense. Even so, while Christ may have died for all of humanity, it is only believers who reap the benefits. This is why Paul can say elsewhere that "Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8; 1 Thess 5:10) and "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor 15:3). The scope of Christ's redemptive work may be all-encompassing, but the application is particular.

A second exegetical problem is the force of the preposition hyper (for). Does it mean "instead of" ( anti; that is, Christ died in our place) or does it bear its usual sense, "on behalf of" (that is, Christ died as our representative)? Paul routinely employs hyper where anti would have been expected, so too firm a distinction should not be drawn between the too prepositions. In most instances, one who acts on behalf of another takes their place (Moule 1959:64). Galatians 3:13 is a case in point, where Paul states that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in our place" (hyper hemwn). This may well be the primary idea here. Just as Christ took upon himself the curse that should have been ours, so too he died the death that we should have died.

A number of years ago, a young couple, knowing that a tornado was upon them and not having time to take cover, laid their baby on the floor of their living room and covered him with their own bodies. The tornado struck with devastating force and leveled a row of homes, including theirs. The next morning, as rescue workers were rummaging through the destroyed homes, they heard a muffled crying. They came upon the lifeless bodies of the young couple, with their baby still safe beneath their bodies. They gave their lives for their child. This is what Christ did for us.

The conclusion (therefore) Paul draws from the conviction that one died for all is that all died or, literally, "the all died." The article + pas emphasizes the whole as opposed to the part. The notion here is one of corporate solidarity. In placing our trust in Christ as Savior, we become united with him and all that he accomplished on our behalf. This is the idea behind Paul's statement in Romans 6:3-5 that "all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death . . . buried with him" and "will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." What is the nature of this death? Is Paul thinking of a physical death? The aorist indicative, "all died," suggests something other than this. Paul can hardly mean that we all died physically as a result of Christ's death. Some suggest spiritual death due to sin. Yet it was this very condition that necessitated Christ's death. It was while we were yet sinners and dead in our transgressions and sins that Christ died for us (Rom 5:8; Eph 2:1-2). The most plausible alternative is to understand all died as a death to our old way of life. This is supported by the sequence all died . . . those who live (vv. 14-15). It is also suggested by the shift from aorist (apethanen) to present tense (hoi zontes). Death to sin and self is a familiar theme in Paul. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (or a similar statement) is found in virtually every one of his letters (Gal 2:20, compare Rom 6:6-14; Eph 2:1-5; Col 2:20). When Augustine returned to his hometown after his conversion in Milan, his former girlfriend called to him: "Augustine, Augustine, it is I!" He turned to her and said: "Yes, but it is not I." Where there is no radical change of attitude toward life and self, there is no conversion.

Christ's self-sacrifice had a particular goal in mind. He died that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (v. 15). The aorists died and was raised point to too historical facts. The active voice he died (apothanonti) denotes a voluntary action on Christ's part. It is followed, however, by the passive voice, he was raised, the deed in this case being performed by God. It is on the basis of these too facts that believers are constrained to live no longer for themselves but for Christ.

But what does this mean? In the first instance, it means that our life is not our own. We have been bought with the price of Christ's death and therefore are called to serve not self but Christ (1 Cor 6:19-20). Freedom is an illusion. We like to think along the lines of William Ernest Henley: "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." The fact of the matter is that ours is to serve, not to be served. If we are not serving Christ, we are serving another master. To live for self is to serve sin. To live for Christ is to serve him—or as we say today, to allow Christ to be Lord of our life. The difference is between treating Christ as a houseguest and serving him as the house owner. Robert Munger in My Heart—Christ's Home (first ed. 1954) pictures the latter in terms of going to the strongbox, taking out the title deed to our life and signing it over to Christ for eternity. The central thought is a transference of ownership. Frances Ridley Havergal appropriately expressed this transfer in a hymn:

Take my will and make it thine,

It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart—it is thine own,

It shall be thy royal throne.

From time to time we hear someone say that a particular experience has given them a whole new outlook on life. Changed convictions should result in changed attitudes. It did for Paul. His conviction that one died for all, and therefore all died (v. 14) changed irrevocably how he looked at people. Seneca once said, "I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge of the man" ("On the Happy Life" 2.2). It is all too easy to judge people by outward appearances—what kind of clothes they wear, how much education they have had, what neighborhood they live in, what kind of car they drive, what schools they went to, and so on. Paul had judged Jesus in this fashion and decided that Jesus could not be the Messiah because he did not fit the messianic mold. It was expected that the true Messiah would deliver Israel from the hand of the nation's Roman oppressors and restore the Davidic monarchy, thereby ushering in the eternal kingdom of God. Jesus did not do this. Even worse, he died on a cross, which was considered the ultimate sign of God's disapproval. The law-abiding Jew would know that anyone "who is hung on a tree is under God's curse" (Deut 21:23). So, to all outward appearances, Jesus was a messianic pretender who justifiably died a criminal's death.

Paul's encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus forced him to do some reevaluating. He realized he had been wrong in his assessment of Jesus. Jesus died a criminal's death, but the criminal was actually everyone except Jesus. In short, one died for all. Paul initially came to a false conclusion because the standards he used to form his judgments were wrong. We once regarded Christ, he says, from a worldly point of view (NIV in this way; v. 16). The NIV is a free translation of ei kai egnokamen kata sarka Christon: "Even if we knew Christ according to the flesh." Some have understood Paul to be rejecting knowledge of the earthly, physical Jesus in favor of the risen, spiritual Christ. But this is to take the verse out of context. He has just distinguished himself from those who form their judgments of a person on the basis of external appearances ("what is seen," v. 12). In particular, he is thinking of the Corinthian intruders who presented themselves as power evangelists and polished speakers, emphasizing the outward display of the Spirit in the working of miracles, revelations, ecstatic experiences, knowledge and charisma (see the introduction).

Being driven to reconsider his judgment of Christ also caused Paul to reassess the place of the non-Jew in salvation history. From now on, he says, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. From now on is probably calculated from the moment Paul became convinced that one died for all (v. 14). The emphatic position of we in the clause we regard no one may well indicate that others (like Paul's critics) do judge in this fashion (Murphy-O'Connor 1991:59). "To regard" translates too different Greek verbs that are virtual synonyms. Oida (perfect of horao) is to see with the mind's eye (that is, "to know by reflection"), while ginosko is to know by observation. Both oida and ginosko, when used of persons, mean "to have knowledge of," "to be acquainted with." Here the sense is to have enough knowledge to form an opinion or estimate of someone. Formerly, Paul based his estimates of people "after the flesh" (kata sarka), a favorite phrase that occurs toenty times in his letters. The term sarx (flesh) can refer not only to what is physical but also to what is human or worldly. Thus to know someone "after the flesh" is to form an estimate of them on the basis of human standards (regard . . . from a worldly point of view). Yet human standards are faulty because they are based on externals like heritage, intelligence, wealth and social status (2 Cor 11:22; 1 Cor 1:26).

Paul's new estimate is that Christ died not only for the Jew but also for the non-Jew. Caiaphas had advised the Jewish leadership that it would be good "if one man died for the people" (John 18:14). Paul's judgment is that one died for all—for the Jew and non-Jew alike. This was a radical shift for a Jew to make. Because of non-Jewish heritage, the Gentile's place in the kingdom was thought to be at best that of a second-class citizen. Now "in Christ" there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Gal 3:28). Indeed, Paul can go even further and claim that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (v. 17). Kainos (new) denotes what is fresh or newly made. Kaine ktisis can mean either "there is a new creation" (RSV, NRSV, NEB, REB, JB) or "a new creature" (KJV, NKJV, TEV, LB, Phillips, NASB, NIV). The former has to do with the dawning of a new age, the latter with the creation of new life within. Ktisis is normally used in Paul's letters of creation in its entirety (Furnish 1984:314). But the previous verses speak of a new estimate of people, not things. It is the world's way of evaluating people that will no longer suffice; for if someone is "in Christ, he becomes a new person altogether" (Phillips).

The values of the world were evidently still having their way in the Corinthian community, influencing their judgments (5:12) and their behavior (12:20-21). Critiqued by the world's standards, Paul comes out looking like the underdog of humanity instead of the servant of Christ. In part, this is the fault of rival missionaries, who reasoned from outward conformity to the world's standards and values to ministerial credibility. Paul calls this way of viewing things the old way. Archaios, when used of things, as here, means "old-fashioned, "antiquated" or "worn out" (ta archaia). This old way of thinking about things, Paul says, has gone (parelthen). The aorist points to something that has passed out of existence.

In its place the new has come. Paul's pronouncement is prefaced by idou ("look"; translated as an exclamation point in the NIV), a particle frequently used to arouse the attention of the listener or reader (Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich 1979). The word new (kainos) denotes that which is qualitatively better as compared with what has existed until now (Haarbeck, Link and Brown 1976:670). A better way of looking at things has come. The tense is perfect (gegonen)—a new set of standards and attitudes "has come to stay" (M. J. Harris 1976:353) so that a person is now to be judged in a completely new light. Paul has in mind specifically the person in Christ. This is a favorite phrase of his that more often than not means "to belong to Christ."


The Bible Panorama

2 Corinthians 5

V 1–5: RESERVED! Our bodies, the earthly dwelling place for our souls, are deteriorating. But Christians in Corinth then, or anywhere now, own the title deeds to an eternal home to come! Furthermore, there will be a new resurrection body to clothe us, in which we will enjoy our glorious privileges for ever. We have been given the Holy Spirit now as a guarantee of this glorious future blessing.

V 6–10: REWARDS Notwithstanding the certainty of salvation in Christ through grace alone, and the fact of one day being present with the Lord in heaven, Paul reminds the Corinthians that they must appear before the ‘judgement seat of Christ’ where good or bad stewardship will receive its just and appropriate rewards.

V 11–15: RATIONALE With that accountability in mind, Paul persuades men to turn to Christ. Christ’s love compels him to do this, knowing that Christ ‘died for all’ and ‘rose again’. These facts demand that lives be lived for Him.

V 16–21: RECONCILIATION Those reconciled to God, through Christ, have become completely new people. Furthermore, they urge others to be reconciled to God. The basis of that reconciliation is that the sinless and righteous Christ was made sin for sinful and unrighteous sinners, who trust Him, so that they are counted as sinless and righteous in Him.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

6717 reconciliation, of the world to God

On account of sin, people are alienated from God and cut off from fellowship with him. Through Jesus Christ, God reconciles the world to himself, breaking down the barriers of hostility and estrangement.

A broken relationship through sin brings alienation from God

Isa 59:2 See also Ge 3:23-24 the expulsion from Eden; Ge 4:13-14 Cain’s alienation from God; Isa 48:22; Isa 64:7; Jer 33:5; Lk 18:13 the tax collector’s prayer for mercy; Ro 5:10; Ro 8:7; Eph 2:1-3,12; Eph 4:18; Col 1:21; Jas 4:4

God takes the initiative in bringing about reconciliation

2Co 5:18-19 See also Ro 5:6-8; Gal 4:4-5; Eph 2:4-5; 1Jn 4:10

The means of reconciliation is the death of Jesus Christ

Ro 5:6 See also 2Co 5:18-19,21; Eph 2:13,16; Col 1:20

The results of reconciliation are both personal and universal

Peace with God Ro 5:1 See also Ac 10:36-46; Eph 2:14-19; Col 1:21-22

Access to God Ro 5:2 See also Eph 2:18; Eph 3:12; Heb 10:19-22

Adoption as God’s children Ro 8:15-16; Gal 3:26; Gal 4:4-6; 1Jn 3:1-2

Peacemaking throughout the universe Col 1:20 See also Ro 11:15; Eph 1:7-10,22-23

Believers are to be the ambassadors of reconciliation

2Co 5:18-20

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Reconciliation


a change from enmity to friendship. It is mutual, i.e., it is a change wrought in both parties who have been at enmity.

(1.) In Col. 1:21, 22, the word there used refers to a change wrought in the personal character of the sinner who ceases to be an enemy to God by wicked works, and yields up to him his full confidence and love. In 2 Cor. 5:20 the apostle beseeches the Corinthians to be "reconciled to God", i.e., to lay aside their enmity.

(2.) Rom. 5:10 refers not to any change in our disposition toward God, but to God himself, as the party reconciled. Romans 5:11 teaches the same truth. From God we have received "the reconciliation" (R.V.), i.e., he has conferred on us the token of his friendship. So also 2 Cor. 5:18, 19 speaks of a reconciliation originating with God, and consisting in the removal of his merited wrath. In Eph. 2:16 it is clear that the apostle does not refer to the winning back of the sinner in love and loyalty to God, but to the restoration of God's forfeited favour. This is effected by his justice being satisfied, so that he can, in consistency with his own nature, be favourable toward sinners. Justice demands the punishment of sinners. The death of Christ satisfies justice, and so reconciles God to us. This reconciliation makes God our friend, and enables him to pardon and save us

Encyclopedia of The Bible

RECONCILIATION. Reconciliation is bringing again into unity, harmony, or agreement what has been alienated. According to Biblical teaching, there is need for reconciliation between God and man because of the alienation between them which has its source in human sin and the righteous aversion to it and hatred of it on the part of God. The Bible teaches that God Himself has provided the means of reconciliation through the death of His Son Jesus Christ.

1. The Biblical data. The word “reconciliation” (καταλλαγή, G2903) is found four times in the Greek NT. Three times it is used of the reconciliation between God and man (Rom 5:11; 2 Cor 5:18, 19) and once of the reconciling of the world to the covenant line by way of the cutting off of the Jewish people (Rom 11:15). An intensive form is used (with the prefix apo), meaning “to reconcile fully” (Eph 2:16; Col 1:20, 21).

When reconciliation has its full Biblical meaning of salvation, the alienation it removes is clearly the result of sin (Isa 59:12). This is apparent from 2 Corinthians 5:19, where reconciliation is brought into connection with God’s not imputing trespasses. In more than one place in Paul’s letters reconciliation appears as the parallel and equivalent of justification (Rom 5:9, 10; 2 Cor 3:9; 5:18). This is not strange because the means of reconciliation is the death of God’s Son (Rom 5:10). The purpose of sacrificial death is expiation. The death of Jesus Christ and the imputation of His righteousness to the sinner is ground for removing the cause of alienation between God and man, namely, the guilt of sin.

But “reconciliation” has a broader meaning than “justification.” The word katallagÄ“ derives from the socio-economic sphere (cf. 1 Cor 7:11). It speaks in general of the restoration of a proper relationship between two parties. It refers broadly to overcoming an enmity, without specifying how this enmity is removed. In Paul’s writings the word katallage is contrasted many times with “enmity” and “alienation” (Rom 5:10; Eph 2:14f.; Col 1:22). In the positive sense it has the meaning of “peace” (Rom 5:1, 10; Eph 2:15f.; Col 1:20f.). The removal of the reason for alienation brings about a condition of peace between the warring parties.

In its Biblical sense, “peace” is the inclusive term referring to the restoration of fellowship between God and man. The inclusive sense of “reconciliation,” as it is used regarding salvation, that is, overcoming of enmity and alienation, is reflected in what it has in view, namely, the restoration of peace between God and man. Thus Paul can exult, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).

The Bible teaching is that peace is brought about by the death of Christ. We are reconciled in the body of His flesh through death (Col 1:22). Romans 5:10 speaks of having been reconciled by the death of Christ. Colossians 1:20 speaks of God’s having made peace through the blood of Christ’s cross.

“Reconciliation” is used also in connection with the uniting of the Gentiles with the covenant line (Rom 11:15). In this passage the characteristic traits of reconciliation are present. Paul says of the Gentiles that they were without Christ, aliens from Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise. They were far off and foreign. Christ is the One who brings peace, who preached peace, who is our peace. He is said to have removed and to have abolished enmity, to have brought the Gentile near, and to have made of Gentile and Jew one. Gentile and Jew have been brought into a single commonwealth. What is in mind is not directly the removal of enmity between God and man but the abolishing of the distinction in Christ of Jew and Gentile. Nevertheless, what separated them is identified as the law. It is by the cross of Christ that what separated them, the enmity, has been broken down. Thus they could be brought together and united in one body. Of two Christ made one new man, thus making peace (Eph 2:16).

This and the other elements of reconciliation must be seen against the background of the all-embracing purpose of God to reconcile all things to Himself through Jesus Christ (Col 1:20f.). This indicates the scope of the idea of reconciliation. Having made peace through the blood of Christ’s cross, God has the great purpose of reconciling to Himself all things in heaven and in earth.

Thus it is possible to speak of the Gospel of salvation in its broadest scope as the “ministry of reconciliation” and the appeal of the Gospel to the sinner as the call to be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20).

2. Doctrinal formulation. The doctrine of reconciliation brings into focus man’s alienation from God because of sin and God’s provision for restoring man to His favor. In its most embracive meaning reconciliation has to do with the removal of that which stands in the way of the proper relationship between God and the world in the most inclusive sense of the word. Thus it must have in its purview all the facets of the restoration of the world, including the final reconciliation of all things in Christ to the Father at the last day.

The Scripture passages which refer explicitly to reconciliation invariably speak of man’s being reconciled to God and not of God’s being reconciled to man. At first sight, it might be thought that there are Scriptural grounds for concluding, with liberalism, that the alienation was altogether on the side of man. Liberalism taught that there was an alienation of man from God, but that it was entirely from man’s side. It would not admit that God was estranged. God remained always the same, always favorably inclined toward mankind, in spite of its weakness and sin.

That the Scriptures speak explicitly only of God’s reconciling man to Himself does not mean, however, that it is only man who has been alienated from God and not God from man. Because of sin mankind has come under the righteous judgment and curse of God. God is too holy to look upon sin; He recoils from it. This righteous judgment of God must be satisfied, and this satisfaction is accomplished, the Scriptures teach, by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The idea of sacrifice involves the idea of expiation for sin, which is necessary if God is to be reconciled. Although the Bible does not refer explicitly to God’s being reconciled, the Scriptural teaching will not allow that reconciliation be only on man’s part. Reconciliation is of God to man as well as of man to God.

Furthermore, the alienation involves more than a sense of estrangement on man’s part. This can be seen from Christ’s teaching in Matthew 5:23, 24. Christ commanded one who brings his gift to the altar and there remembers that his brother has a grievance against him to postpone making his offering until he has been reconciled to his brother. This command cannot be taken to mean simply that the one offering his gift should replace an attitude of animosity toward his brother with one of good will; for this he would not have to leave the altar. It means that he should remove whatever is the ground for his brother’s complaint against him. He should bring a change into the situation which occasioned alienation between them, so that he and his brother can again be in harmony. Christ teaches, therefore, that whatever is behind the alienation should be removed before the worshiper presents his sacrifice. Likewise in the relationship between God and man, it is not simply a question of an attitude on man’s part that must be changed. What must be changed is the condition of alienation which has arisen because of sin. If this alienation is to be removed, the ground of the alienation, namely, the guilt of sin, which deserves the divine wrath, condemnation, and curse, must be removed.

Since this is the case, it is not at all surprising that the scriptural teaching concerning reconciliation is brought into the most intimate connection with those of justification and the expiatory death of Jesus Christ. What effects reconciliation is the sacrifice of Christ, whereby the sinner is relieved of the guilt and the condemnation of sin and receives the righteousness of Christ imputed to him. Since release from condemnation involves also being freed from bondage by the payment of a ransom, reconciliation also has an intimate connection with redemption.

The new relationship between God and men, resulting from their reconciliation, is that of sonship. It is the result of adoption (cf. Gal 4:4f.). Adoption is the goal of the great divine purpose of reconciliation. It is a direct result of redemption, justification (Rom 3:25, 26; 4:25), and reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18, 19).

Contrary to liberalism, contemporary theology has had more place for the idea of divine wrath. It has had a greater place, therefore, for the idea that reconciliation involves God as well as man. Contemporary theologians have come to assert that the divine yes is at the foundation of every divine no. Karl Barth taught that all men are elected and are reconciled. They must only be brought to realize it.

Especially under the influence of Sören Kierkegaard and Karl Marx, the idea of alienation and estrangement has become a major theme of contemporary philosophy, theology, and literature. This accounts in great measure for the importance that the doctrine of reconciliation has assumed in current theological thought. The notion is often secularized, however, referring only to a reconciliation of one with his own deeper nature. Even in contemporary theology this secularizing tendency is present. Its peculiar tendencies do not allow contemporary theology to view reconciliation in its proper relationship to the sacrificial death of Christ, expiation, and the imputation of righteousness, all of which are essential to the Biblical doctrine. See Atonement.

Bibliography J. Hastings, ed., art. “Reconciliation,” A Dictionary of the Bible (1902), IV, 204-207; G. C. Workman, At Onement or Reconciliation with God (1911); J. B. Champness, The Heart of the New Testament (1941); F. W. Dillistone, The Significance of the Cross (1944); A. W. Argyle, “The New Testament Interpretation of the Death of Our Lord,” The Expository Times, 60 (Oct., 1948-Sept., 1949), 253-256; J. Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied (1955); K. Barth, Church Dogmatics (1956), IV, i, ii; H. Ridderbos, Paulus: Ontwerp van zijn theologie (1966).

Reconciliation (theology)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reconciliation, in Christian theology, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation is the end of the estrangement, caused by original sin, between God and humanity. John Calvin describes reconciliation as the peace between humanity and God that results from the expiation of religious sin and the propitiation of God's wrath.[1] Evangelical theologian Philip Ryken describes reconciliation in this way; "It is part of the message of Salvation that brings us back together with God. ... God is the author, Christ is the agent and we are the ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5)."[2] Although it's only used five times in the Pauline corpus (Romans 5:10-11, 11:15, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Ephesians 2:14-17 and Colossians 1:19-22) it is an essential term, describing the "substance" of the gospel and salvation.[3] Ralph Martin writing in the Dictionary of Paul and his Letters, suggests reconciliation is at the center of Pauline theology.[4] Stanley Porter writing in the same volume suggests a conceptual link between the reconciliation Greek word group katallage (or katallasso) and the Hebrew word shalom, generally translated as 'peace.'[5]

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Justification by Faith, Our Righteousness is found in Christ, a look at Imputed Righteousness, Romans 4 ESV (UK), The In-depth Series

 

Set Free from Sin and it's power, Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, Romans 6 ESV (UK) , Some thoughts on Atonement and Justification, The In-depth Series

 

Jesus paid it all , all to Him I owe The Believer's Justification & Propitiation, Romans 3 NASB, The In-depth Series

 

He is Risen, Christ is Risen, The Believer's Salvation, 1 Corinthians 15 NASB. The In-depth Series

 




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