Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul wants to show both his devotion to God’s providence and his belief that it is his duty to love the whole human race. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
He says, “He [Christ] who knew no sin, he [God] made to be sin for us.” The God to whom we are to be reconciled has thus made him the sacrifice for sin by which we may be reconciled. He himself is therefore sin as we ourselves are righteousness—not our own but God’s, not in ourselves but in him. Just as he was sin—not his own but ours, rooted not in himself but in us—so he showed forth through the likeness of sinful flesh, in which he was crucified, that since sin was not in him he could then, so to say, die to sin by dying in the flesh, which was “the likeness of sin.” And since he had never lived in the old manner of sinning, he might, in his resurrection, signify the new life which is ours, which is springing to life anew from the old death in which we had been dead to sin.
We pray you in Christ"s stead, be ye reconciled to God. As Christ"s ambassadors, even as if Christ were entreating you by us, we implore you to give up your wills to be reconciled to God. See what diligence, what energy, what zeal the Apostle displays in his endeavours to convert the Corinthians.
Be not deaf to this voice, harden not your hearts, suffer yourselves to be moved to the charity of God: it is immense, it is infinite. (Bible de Vence)
Do you see how he has extolled the thing by introducing Christ thus in the form of a suppliant ; yea rather not Christ only, but even the Father? For what he says is this: 'The Father sent the Son to beseech, and to be His Ambassador unto mankind. When then He was slain and gone, we succeeded to the embassy; and in His stead and the Father's we beseech you. So greatly does He prize mankind that He gave up even the Son, and that knowing He would be slain, and made us Apostles for your sakes; so that he said with reason, All things are for your sakes. 2 Corinthians 4:15 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, that is, instead of Christ; for we have succeeded to His functions.' But if this appears to you a great thing, hear also what follows wherein he shows that they do this not in His stead only, but also in stead of the Father. For therefore he also added, As though God were entreating by us. 'For not by the Son Himself only does He beseech, but also by us who have succeeded ...
