Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

"But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech [you] on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him." — 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (ASV)

After discussing the saints’ reward and how they prepared themselves to receive it, the Apostle now discusses the cause of both. He addresses three points:

1. He shows that the Author of all these things is God.
2. He recalls the benefit conferred by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18b).
3. He explains the use of that benefit (2 Corinthians 5:20).

He says, therefore: I have said that we seek the salvation of our neighbor and that the old things have passed away; but all this is from God the Father, or from God as the author. As it is written, “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36), and, “Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

Then he mentions the benefits received from God (2 Corinthians 5:18). First, he mentions the benefit received; secondly, he explains it (2 Corinthians 5:19).

He recalls two benefits conferred by Christ: one is common and the other is special. The common benefit, for the whole world, was reconciliation to God. This is what he means by saying all this is from God, namely God the Father, who reconciled us to God, making peace between us and God. This was accomplished by Christ, that is, by the Incarnate Word. For people were enemies of God because of sin, but Christ removed this enmity from their midst by satisfying the debt for sin and producing harmony: “Whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). Therefore he says, through Christ: “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).

But a special gift was conferred on the apostles, namely, that they are ministers of this reconciliation. Hence he says, and gave us—the apostles and vicars of Christ—the ministry of reconciliation. As it is written, “Who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6); and, “Let the mountains,” that is, the apostles, “bear prosperity for the people” (Psalms 72:3), namely, from the Lord.

Next, when he says, that is, he explains what he has just said. He first explains the first point, and then the second (2 Corinthians 5:19b). I say that God reconciled us to Himself in this way: there were enmities between God and humanity on account of sin, as has been said: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Therefore, with sin destroyed by the death of Christ, the enmities were dissolved. This is what he says: That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. This can be understood as God the Father acting in Christ by their oneness of essence: “I am in the Father and the Father in me” (John 14:11). Or, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself through Christ: “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10). He did this by not counting their trespasses against them, that is, not retaining in His memory their sins, whether actual or original, to punish them, for which Christ fully satisfied. He is said to have reconciled us to Himself in this way: because He does not impute our sins to us. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity” (Psalms 32:2).

Then, when he says, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation, he explains the second point: the benefit conferred on the apostles. It is as if he is saying: He has given us the ministry of reconciliation in this way: He has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. That is, He has given us the power and inspired our hearts to announce to the world that this reconciliation was accomplished by Christ. By doing this, we lead people to conform themselves to Christ through baptism: “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9).

Then, when he says, So we are ambassadors for Christ, he indicates the use of this benefit. He speaks first of the second benefit conferred on the apostles, and secondly of the first benefit conferred on all (2 Corinthians 5:20b). He says, therefore: since God has entrusted us with the message of reconciliation, we ought to use it. This is why we are ambassadors for Christ: “For which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:20). Our qualification for this ambassadorship comes from God’s power, which is in me. Hence he says, God making his appeal through us, because God, who speaks in us, makes us qualified for this ambassadorship: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:20); “Since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me” (2 Corinthians 13:3).

Then, when he says, we beseech you, he describes the use of the first benefit. First, he exhorts us to its use; secondly, he shows the source of our power to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He says, therefore: Since God has brought about a reconciliation and we are God's ambassadors in this matter, we beseech you on behalf of Christ. He speaks gently, even though he could have commanded: “Convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2); “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you” (Philemon 1:8–9). We implore you, I say, on behalf of Christ—that is, for the love of Christ—to be reconciled to God.

But this seems to contradict his earlier statement that God has reconciled us to Himself. Therefore, if He has already reconciled us, what need is there to be reconciled? For we are already reconciled. I answer that God reconciled us to Himself as the efficient cause; that is, He acted on His part. But for this to be meritorious for us, it is necessary that reconciliation also be made on our part, namely, in baptism and penance. It is then that we cease from our sins.

The source of our ability to be reconciled to God is indicated by the fact that He gave us the power to live justly and refrain from sin. By doing this, we are reconciled to God. Hence he says, for our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin. It is as if to say: You can be reconciled to God because Christ, who knew no sin—“He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips” (1 Peter 2:22); “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46)—was made to be sin for our sake. This can be explained in three ways:

1. First, it was the custom in the Old Law to call a sacrifice for sin “sin,” as in, “They feed on the sin of my people” (Hosea 4:8), meaning the offerings for sin. In this sense, he made him to be sin means He made Him the sacrificial victim for sin.
2. Second, “sin” is sometimes taken to mean the likeness of sin, or the punishment for sin: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). In this sense, he made him to be sin means He made Him assume mortal and suffering flesh.
3. Third, something is said to be a certain way not because it is so in reality, but because people consider it to be so. In this sense, he made him to be sin means He caused Him to be regarded as a sinner: “He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

He did this, so that in him we might become the righteousness [justice] of God—that is, so we might be justified by God. It can also mean “justice” because He not only justified us, but also willed that others be justified through us. This is the righteousness, I say, of God, not our own. And this is in him, that is, through Christ. Alternatively, Christ Himself can be called our righteousness. In that case, the meaning is this: that we might become the righteousness [justice] of God means that we cling to Christ by love and faith, because Christ is righteousness itself. But he says of God to exclude human righteousness, by which a person trusts in their own merits: “For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Romans 10:3). And this is in him, namely, in Christ (that is, by Christ), because He was made righteousness for us (1 Corinthians 1:30).