Catholic Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Our Eternal Dwelling

If the earthly tent of the body is destroyed, Paul has a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. He groans in this tent, longing to be clothed with the heavenly dwelling, not to be found naked but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. God has given the Spirit as a deposit, a guarantee of what is to come. He is always confident, knowing that while at home in the body he is away from the Lord. He would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So he makes it his goal to please God whether present in the body or absent. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for what we have done in the body. The Catechism grounds the particular judgment of each soul at death in this passage: at death the soul gives an account of its earthly life to the Lord whose servant it has been (CCC 1021).

Ambassadors for Christ

Since Paul knows the fear of the Lord, he tries to persuade others. The love of Christ compels him, because he has concluded that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. From now on he regards no one from a worldly point of view. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled himself to us through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them, and he has committed to Paul the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God.

The Catechism calls this the theological foundation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: God has committed to the Church the ministry of reconciliation, and in the absolution of the priest it is God himself who reconciles through his human instrument (CCC 1442).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, we are Christ's ambassadors. An ambassador does not speak their own words. They convey the message of the one who sent them. The message we carry is God's appeal to a world estranged from him: be reconciled. This is the whole of evangelisation in two words. You are authorised to speak them. Who needs to hear God's appeal for reconciliation through you today?

Prayer

Lord God, you reconciled the world to yourself in Christ, not counting our sins against us. Make us ambassadors of this reconciliation, speaking your appeal through our lives and our words. Let the new creation be visible in us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

5
Our Eternal Dwelling
(Romans 8:18–27)
1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.
 
6 Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
Ambassadors for Christ
 
11 Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who take pride in appearances rather than in the heart.
 
13 If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died. 15 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
 
16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.* 5:17 Or a new creature The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
 
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
 
20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin † 5:21 Or a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

*5:17 5:17 Or a new creature

†5:21 5:21 Or a sin offering

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