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2 Corinthians 5:12 to 7:4
A
5:12.
Not commending ourselves.
B
5:13,14.
Love of Christ constrains.
C
5:15.
Life to self contrary to resurrection.
D
5:16-18.
Reconciliation.
Effect upon fleshly distinctions.
E
5:18 to 6:3. The ministry of the
reconciliation. Received. Exercised. Not
received in vain. No offence. Not blamed.
A
6:4-10.
Commending ourselves.
B
6:11.
Our heart enlarged.
C
6:12.
Straitened in selves contrary to reconciliation.
D
6:14 to 7:1.
The promises.
Effect upon fleshly connections.
E
7:2-4.
The ministries. Receive us.
Unblameable.
It is interesting to note that the `promises' (D 6:14 to 7:1)
correspond with the reconciliation. These promises, `I will dwell among
them, and walk among them, and I will be their God', look forward to
Revelation 21:1-7. There, when all things are made new, the Tabernacle of
God will be with men (no longer with Israel), and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people. The `old things' and the `new' and the `new
creation' of 2 Corinthians 5 are therefore quite in line with this thought.
Israel were blind to this truth. The god of this age had blinded the minds
of them that believed not, `lest the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine unto them' (2 Cor. 4:4).
Here, once again, as in 1 Corinthians 15 and Colossians 1, Christ as
the Image of God is connected with the reconciliation. We found in 1
Corinthians 15 the statement, `In Adam all die'. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 the
other side of the truth is presented, `we thus judge, that if One died for
all, then all died'. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is a
`justification of life' for all in the death of Christ. The act of Christ in
Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 5 is viewed as that of the
representative and head of the race. If it can be said, `He died for all',
it will follow that `all died'. A further statement is made in 2 Corinthians
5:19 which shows the vast consequences of this great work of reconciliation:
`God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting to
them their trespasses' (Author's translation).
We find the apostle as an ambassador in 5:20:
`As if God were beseeching through us, we entreat on behalf
of Christ,
be ye reconciled to God' (Author's translation).
This is the other phase of the truth that makes a complete
presentation. Adam's one offence, involving all, is taken away. No longer
is there a barrier between man and God, but, as Romans 5 shows, the
reconciliation made by Christ must be `received' (Rom. 5:11-17), and further,
salvation is spoken of as being `much more', and connected with `His life'.