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2 Corinthians 5:19 – Reconciliation is Personal
Christianity is unique among world religions for some very essential reasons, such as the concept of grace. In pagan religions, the gods had to be pacified and placated as enemies of the people. The true God does not count Himself as our enemy, but we are His when we act out in our rebellious ways.
James 4:4 – You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The doctrine of grace is described in 2 Corinthians 5:19 as “The Word of Reconciliation.” When reading that emphasize “reconciliation.” God wants to reconcile you to Him. He wants to change you from being His enemy to being His friend. That sentence sums up the Greek and English definitions of “reconcile.”
Matthew 5:43-44 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ (44) “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Romans 12:20 – “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
However, Christianity is unique in another way that might appear incidental – that is, that the doctrines of Christianity are put forth not in some great doctrinal creed book, but rather in personal letters; letters to individuals, churches and groups usually containing individual information mingled with doctrinal dissertation.
As we said, the doctrine of grace is described in 2 Corinthians 5:19 as “The Word of Reconciliation.” This time put the emphasis on “word.” The words were communicated both verbally and in written form. In its written form, the message was in the form of a common, everyday, familiar, letter. But this incidental fact actually has an insightful application which may be the very reason God chose such a religiously unusual, but personally very common method of communication – Christianity is very personal. Christianity is based upon relationships. And one of the very personal great doctrines of Christianity is that of reconciliation which is the restoring of a relationship. Very personal.
In looking at 2 Corinthians, the theme is reconciliation. Paul deals with the great doctrine of grace, in a very personal way. Many of his personal comments are both intertwined within the doctrinal affirmation of reconciliation, and are even illustrations of an estranged relationship that Paul wants to reconcile. Reconciled brethren shouldn’t be enemies.
2 Corinthians is probably the most personal of all the letters that Paul wrote. He defends his personal integrity (of which without a preacher is nothing – i.e., moral authority, personal authority) and his authority as an apostle (i.e., divine authority, positional authority). He even has time to mention a good friend of his – Titus.
Because so many comments are interweaved throughout this book, and even within the doctrinal dissertation on reconciliation, some scholars have:
“…major questions about the unity of the letter. Abrupt changes in tone and subject manner in 6:14-7:1 and especially 10:1-13:10 have caused many to believe that the letter contains interpolations, perhaps involving the letters alluded to elsewhere in the Corinthian correspondence (1 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Corinthians 2:4).
“While these and other related questions are not determinative of the exegesis of 2 Corithians 5:11-6:2, the positions adopted in answering them indirectly influence that exegesis. This study will proceed on the assumption that 2 Corinthians is a literary unity from the hand of Paul and that the abrupt changes evident in the letter may be satisfactorily explained by the apostle’s emotional state and personal anguish over the Corinthians’ spiritual problems.” (David L. Turner, http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/CTR-NT/Turner-2Cor5-CTR.pdf).
Could there be something more essential than the incidental emotional state of a hurt apostle? Could there be another reason why Paul’s personal remarks are so intertwined? Yes! Not only is reconciliation a doctrine that is extremely personal in that we are personally reconciled back to God; reconciliation is personal in that we being reconciled to God leads us to a personal reconciled relationship with others.
At least that’s way it supposed to be.
Interrelational problems between Christians are diametrically opposed to the whole concept of reconciliation. The Corinthians were not living a life of reconciliation in their relationships with God and Paul. And Paul used this strained relationship to teach what God has done, and what we should be. Paul reached out in friendship as God does, because reconciliation is very personal.
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