Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

2 Corinthians 5:18
ESV All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
NIV All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
NASB Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
CSB Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
NLT 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.
KJV And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

What does 2 Corinthians 5:18 mean?

Previous verses explained why Paul no longer sees people as he once did. When his understanding of who Christ is changed, his understanding of everyone else did, as well. Once Paul understood that Christ, the Son of God, died to pay for human sin, Paul saw that those who are "in Christ" are entirely new creatures. This happens only when someone comes to Christ through faith and by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). The old, sinful version of those people is over. It's gone. The new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In fact, a new way in which God will reconcile people to Himself has come. Through faith in Christ, any person can be reconciled to God. By using the word reconciled, Paul means our separation from God caused by sin can be removed, once and for all. Forgiven for all their sin, a person can become fully welcomed into a relationship with God.

Paul insists that's exactly what happened to him and his friends. God reconciled them to Himself through faith in Christ. He made them new in Christ. He gave them a permanent and eternal place with Him in His glory through Christ. Once God had done that for them, Paul adds, He immediately gave to them the "ministry of reconciliation." By this, Paul means that God gave them the mission of carrying the gospel, the message of this reconciliation with God, to as many people as possible.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit