2 Corinthians 5:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The human race is so dear to Him that He gave His Son for it, knowing beforehand that He would be slain, and made us apostles for your sake.

Thus the Apostle rightly said, "All things are yours" (1 Cor 3:22).

"In Christ's name we beseech you" means: in Christ's stead, because His work has been entrusted to us.

If this seems exaggerated to you, listen further, where he says that they do this not only in His stead, that is, Christ's, but also in the Father's stead.

Therefore he added, "as though God Himself were exhorting through us." He says, "God calls people not only through the Son, but also through us, to whom His work has been entrusted."

Therefore do not think, he says, that we are the ones beseeching you. Christ Himself beseeches you through us, and even Christ's own Father.

What can equal such an abundance of goodness?

Though He was ungratefully wronged after countless benefits He had given us, He not only did not condemn us, but even gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself.

And when those to whom He came not only were not reconciled, but even killed Him, He again sent other envoys to call them. Through them He Himself beseeches.

What does He ask? "Be reconciled to God." He did not say, "Reconcile God to yourselves," because it is not God who is at enmity with us, but we with Him.

God is never at enmity. Therefore, as a mediator sent on embassy, he justifies Him and says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us" (v. 21).

That the name "sin" is applied by the Law to sacrifices for our sins, God makes clear when He says through the prophet concerning those who perform the sacred rites: "They feed on the sins of My people" (Hos 4:8).

That is, the sacrifices for the sins of My people will be food for the priests.

"Do you see the love of God," says Saint John Chrysostom, "surpassing not only every word, but every mind? Who was first wronged? God. Who first came for reconciliation? He did.

But you will say, He sent the Son and did not come Himself. Yes, He sent the Son, but the Son alone did not call us. Together with Him and through Him the Father also acted.

And amid the multitude of our sins, He not only did not demand punishment, but was reconciled with us.

We have not now come to proclaim anything burdensome and fearful, but to make all men friends of God.

The Father sent His Son to exhort people and to fulfill an embassy in His name to the human race.

But since He was slain and departed from here, this embassy has now been entrusted to us. Therefore we beseech you in the name of Christ and His Father.

The human race is so dear to Him that He gave His Son for it, knowing beforehand that He would be slain, and made us Apostles for your sake.

Therefore do not think, he says, that we are the ones beseeching you. Christ Himself beseeches you through us.

What does He ask? Be reconciled to God, since it is not God who is at enmity with us, but we with Him.

Him who knew no sin, Him who is self-existent righteousness, He made to be sin for us. That is, He allowed Him to be condemned as though a sinner and to die as though accursed.

For 'cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' (Deut 21:23).

But he did not say only this, but something greater. He set this Righteous One not merely among sinners, but with sin itself.

Nor did he say that we might become righteous, but 'righteousness,' and the righteousness of God. For the first righteousness is from the Law and works, but this latter is the righteousness of God."

"And indeed this righteousness is God's, when we are justified not by works but by grace, which alone destroys every sin."

God has not only arranged everything for our salvation out of His goodness alone. His love for us reaches so far that He counts it as a favor to Himself if anyone uses this for his own salvation.

So it is when a good master of a house prepares a banquet and begs guests to come. He counts it a favor to himself if they consume all that has been prepared, for otherwise it would perish uselessly.

So also here, God prepared everything in Christ Jesus and sent the Apostles to ask everyone to make use of these blessings for his salvation.

“Therefore we beseech in Christ’s stead,” υπερ Χριστου δεομεθα, again means: we ask in the name of Christ, or we beseech on Christ’s behalf. Do Him this favor, this pleasure, this honor: taste the good acquired by Him for you.

What good? “Be reconciled to God.” God in Christ reconciled you to Himself. Now it lies before you to enter into this reconciliation.

What is needed for this? “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Chrysostom says on this passage: “See how he has raised his discourse, introducing Christ Himself as pleading for this, and not only Christ, but the Father Himself.

“For the meaning of his words is this: the Father sent His Son to exhort men and to fulfill an embassy to the human race in His name.

“But since He was slain and departed hence, this embassy has now been entrusted to us. Therefore we beseech you in the name of Christ and of His Father.

“The human race is so dear to Him that He gave His Son for it, knowing beforehand that He would be slain, and He made us Apostles for your sake.

“‘Therefore we beseech in Christ’s stead,’ that is, in the place and in the name of Christ, for His office has been entrusted to us.

“If this seems to you an exaggeration, listen further. He says next that they do this not only in His stead, that is, Christ’s, but also in the Father’s stead.

“For this reason he added, ‘as though God were beseeching by us.’ By us, for God calls men not only through the Son, but also through us, to whom His work has been entrusted.

“Therefore do not think, he says, that we are asking you. Christ Himself asks you through us, and even the Father of Jesus Christ Himself.

“What goodness can be higher than this goodness? Though He was so ungratefully wronged after countless benefits given to us by Him, He not only did not condemn us, but even gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself.

“And when those to whom He came not only were not reconciled, but killed Him, He sent other ambassadors to call them, and through them He Himself asks.

“What then does He ask? ‘Be reconciled to God.’ He did not say, ‘reconcile God to yourselves,’ since God is not at enmity with us, but we with Him. God is never at enmity.”