2 Corinthians 5:17-21

2 Corinthians 5:17-21In Christ: a new creation. Christ ministered Gods reconciliation a ministry now given over to the Church.

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17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.18 And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation,19 namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.21 For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

Paul was insulted, ridiculed and taunted because he was a Christian evangelist spreading the Word of God in the first century.He faced angry mobs, local officials and many who thought his teaching was manufactured for his own benefit.contributions for himself.Paul is an outstanding example of Christian conversion, he once persecuted the church until his meeting with Christ which followed the Resurrection and at that point the Holy Spirit began making him into a new creation.17 Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation

In reality Paul supported himself by day as a tent maker and never took financial

Our past doesnt matter to Christ, the key to salvation is our willingness to return to the Lord in humility and seek his forgiveness.Once you have done this you have a chance to start over again.After confession you are a brand-new creation in Christ.Let us define reconciliation as the restoring of friendship and harmony between God and His people.Paul became an apostle, the one sent, to the Gentiles.He recognizes his own faults and failings yet recognizing the unbounded grace of God he continues to evangelize until his beheading just outside the city walls of Rome.

The key concept of this reading is reconciliation.

In this letter to the Corinthians he is explaining the need to reconcile ourselves to God after having disobeyed and thus sinned against Him.Paul speaks of Christians as ambassadors for Christ.An ambassadors function is to bring people together to resolve problems.

minister of the sacrament of reconciliation.Once you have gone to confession or reconciliation you leave the priest knowing you have restored your friendship with God and a feeling of elation, of joy, about having had your sole wiped clean.As Paul said, We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.(v. 20)

The priest acting in the person of Christ, performs this function as a

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