Father Rudolph Cornely's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2

 Today's reading is on 2 Cor 5:20-6:2 but to help provide context I've included Fr. Cornely's summary of 2 Cor 5:7-6:10.

 

On the Manner in Which the Apostles Exercise Their Apostolic Office (4:7–6:10)

In his entire apology up to this point, in order to refute the slanders of fickleness and pride, Paul has primarily emphasized the excellence and sublimity of the ministry committed to him (cf. 2 Cor 1:18ff; 2 Cor 2:14ff; 2 Cor 3:7ff; 2 Cor 4:5ff); concerning the actual manner in which he exercised it, he has inserted only a few details.

This method of defense was no less effective than it was prudent. For when the Corinthians saw how highly the Apostle valued his office, they were forced to conclude that he exercised it with the greatest candor of mind and full sincerity. Furthermore, by perceiving more clearly the preeminence and loftiness of the apostleship itself, they understood that God assists the evangelical workers with singular aid, so that the light granted to them for the benefit and salvation of the faithful might reach the people pure and unadulterated.

Nevertheless, Paul also achieved this by reconciling the minds of the neophytes fully to himself and disposing them to receive the things he wished to discuss—concerning his apostolic way of acting—for a broader refutation of the slanders. Passing now to this new part of his apology (by which the two prior parts are significantly confirmed), he shows that in exercising his office, he intends and seeks this one thing: to please Christ, from whom he trusts he will receive the reward of his labors (4:7–5:10). He teaches that the cause by which he is impelled and directed in exercising his office is the charity of Christ, who died for all and rouses all to live for Him alone (5:11–6:10).

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1. On the Goal Which They Pursue in Exercising Their Office (4:7–5:10)

Beginning with an explanation of the contradiction that seemed to exist between the exalted office he holds and the hard, abject life he leads (2 Cor 4:7–12), the Apostle asserts that he bears all things because of the hope of a glorious resurrection (2 Cor 4:13–18). Confirming this more abundantly, he asserts that he keeps this one thing before his eyes: to be pleasing to Christ, the supreme judge (2 Cor 5:1–10).

What He Intends in Writing This Defense (5:11–13)

In the exercise of his apostolic office, Paul proposes this one goal for himself: to please Christ, the supreme judge, from whom he knows all men will receive the due reward or punishment for their actions. Now, mindful of that same judgment, he strives to vindicate his way of acting—which is indeed manifest to God and which he trusts is also manifest to the neophytes—from the slanders of his adversaries...

Paul and His Associates Are Impelled and Directed by the Charity of Christ (5:14–21)

By asserting that all his actions are directed toward the glory of God and the benefit of the faithful, Paul opened the way for himself to indicate and describe the cause by which apostolic men are moved and ruled in their entire lives.

That cause is the charity of Christ, who died for all men and, by His example, impels everyone so that, having attained a new life, they may now live for Him alone who died for them (2 Cor 5:14–15). Therefore, from the time the Apostles began living this new life, they set aside human considerations and judge everything according to the norm of faith, because the old things have passed away (2 Cor 5:16–17).

They received this grace from God the Father, who not only reconciled them to Himself but also called them to exercise the ministry of reconciliation toward others (2 Cor 5:18–19), so that, acting as ambassadors for Christ, they might lead all people to Him (2 Cor 5:20–21). From this, it is understood with what right Paul asserted that he does nothing for the sake of his own advantage, but everything for the sake of God and the faithful, since he strives to reconcile men with God as if continuing the very ministry of Christ.

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In What Manner Apostolic Workers Manifest the Charity of Christ in Their Lives (6:1–10)

Paul had asserted at the beginning of this section (cf. 2 Cor 5:12) that he was writing this defense for the purpose that the neophytes might be able to glory in him as a genuine and sincere worker, and oppose his way of acting to that of the false apostles.

Therefore, he showed above all that the life of a true Apostle is moved by the life of Christ, who died for all (2 Cor 5:14ff); and now, he calls to mind the way of acting which the Corinthians had seen with their own eyes, so that they may more clearly perceive that he is imitating Christ Himself.

Thus, adapting the exhortation begun in 2 Cor 5:20 ("Be reconciled to God") to the neophytes and strengthening it with the word of Isaiah (2 Cor 6:1–2), he first describes the character of his apostolic life (2 Cor 6:3–4a), and then enumerates more fully the virtues he exercises (2 Cor 4b–7) and the external vicissitudes by which he does not allow himself to be troubled (2 Cor 6:8–10).

Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2

From the fact that God placed the word of reconciliation in the Apostles, Paul immediately concludes (2 Cor 5:20): For Christ, therefore, we come as ambassadors, as though God were exhorting through us. We beseech you for Christ: Be reconciled to God ($\kappa \alpha \tau \alpha \lambda \lambda \acute{\alpha }\gamma \eta \tau \epsilon$ $\tau ῷ$ $\Theta \epsilon ῷ$). Allow yourselves to be reconciled to God, or even bring it about that you are reconciled to God.

And indeed, they act as ambassadors for Christ ($ὑ\pi \grave{\epsilon }\rho$ $X\rho \iota \sigma \tau oῦ$) insofar as they manage His business—leading men to the reconciliation accomplished through Him—and take His place, now that He, having been fixed to the cross, has finished the work demanded of Him by the Father. Also, God the Father is rightly said to exhort through them, because the ministry of reconciliation was conferred upon them by Him.

Chrysostom notes well: "The Father sent the Son to exhort in His name... but since He departed after being slain, we have succeeded to His embassy, and we exhort you in the name of both the Son and the Father. Truly, the human race is held in such value by Him that He gave the Son even knowing He would be killed, and for your sake created us as Apostles. Therefore, do not think you are being asked by us; Christ Himself asks you through us; the Father Himself entreats you through us."

What can be compared to such superabundant charity? For God, after being treated with insults by us despite His innumerable benefits, not only did not take punishment, but even gave His Son so that we might be reconciled; and when those to whom He was immediately sent did not reconcile but put Him to death, He again sent other ambassadors, and in their sending, it is He Himself who asks you.

Thus, the Apostles, according to the Father's ordinance, managing Christ’s business and holding His place, continue the work of Christ; and what the Father previously did through the man Christ, He now continues to do through the Apostles as Christ's vicars. For Christ, therefore, they beseech all to strive to return to the grace and friendship of God, performing those things necessary for this end—namely, by faith and repentance, laying hold of the reconciliation earned for us by Christ. For those who are justified by a living faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).

To strengthen this exhortation, as a reason by which we may be moved to hope for and seek that reconciliation with confidence, Paul brings forward the supreme proof of infinite divine mercy and kindness (2 Cor 5:21): Him who knew no sin, he made to be sin for us, that we might become the justice of God in him.

The Greek text connects this sentence to the preceding one with the causal conjunction $\gamma \acute{\alpha }\rho$ ("for"). Although this particle may not seem genuine (cf. various readings), it correctly indicates the connection between the two sentences. As an ambassador, Paul had to add a reason for his exhortation to effectively move his readers to follow it, and he could bring forward nothing more effective than this argument of divine charity. In this, God most commended His charity toward us, because while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and the Father sent His only-begotten Son into the world as a propitiation for our sins, that we might live through Him (Rom 5:8; 1 John 4:9; John 3:16, etc.).

Detailed Analysis

Let us consider the details. First, to describe divine charity, Paul calls the Son "Him who knew no sin," who was therefore entirely lacking in all sin (cf. Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5; 1 Pet 2:22, etc.) and was justice itself, so that nothing could be found in Him deserving of any punishment, let alone death.

Now, God made this most innocent Son of His "to be sin," i.e., He handed Him over and treated Him as the greatest sinner, in whom there was nothing except sin; for He had placed upon Him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6), and because He bore our sins in His body upon the tree (1 Pet 2:24), He allowed Him to be condemned as a sinner and to die as a cursed man.

Chrysostom explains: He treated Him this way "for us" ($ὑ\pi \grave{\epsilon }\rho$ $ἡ\mu ῶ\nu$), for our sake, so that we who were sinners and deserved the penalty of death might become "the justice of God in Him"—that is, being grafted into Him as He satisfies and dies, we might be made just by His grace, not our own merits; a justice which God mercifully grants us and pours into our hearts.

Most recent and modern commentators (Estius, Natalis, Picquigny, Bisping, Maunoury, etc.) explain the verse along with Chrysostom and his school. Chrysostom asks: "What speech, what mind can grasp and express this? He made the Just One a sinner, so that He might make sinners just." But he did not even speak thus; he said something far more sublime. He did not use concrete terms, but abstract qualities. He did not say "He made Him a sinner," but "He made Him sin"; not "Him who had not committed sin," but "Him who did not even know sin," so that we might become not "just," but "justice itself," and indeed the "justice of God." For it is of God, since we are justified not by works but by grace, which entirely deletes all sin.

Alternative Interpretations

The same interpretation—where "sin" (abstract) is used for "sinner" (concrete) in the first part to increase the force of the meaning, just as everyone concedes "justice" is used for "just" in the second—is held as probable by several older Latin authors (Lombard, Thomas, etc.). They rightly bring forward Galatians 3:13 as a parallel, where Christ is said to have been made a curse ($\kappa \alpha \tau \acute{\alpha }\rho \alpha$) for us, even though the scriptural words cited there use the concrete cursed ($ἐ\pi \iota \kappa \alpha \tau \acute{\alpha }\rho \alpha \tau o\varsigma$).

However, many older Latins (Atto, Pelagius, Primasius, Haymo, etc.), moved by the great authority of St. Augustine, interpret "sin" in the first part as a "sacrifice for sin" (referring to Hosea 4:8 and Leviticus 6:18). While this explanation is commended by such authority, it finds little favor with us. For while it is certain the Hebrew $חַטָאת$ (chattat) is often used for a sin offering, neither the Septuagint nor any New Testament writer gives the Greek $ἁ\mu \alpha \rho \tau \acute{\iota }\alpha$ (hamartia) that same meaning. Furthermore, in such a short sentence, it is awkward for the same word to be used in two different senses (once for "actual sin" and once for "sacrifice"). Finally, the opposition of "sin" to "justice" requires that "sin" be taken as an abstract noun for a concrete one, similar to "justice."

Even less probable is the third opinion proposed by St. Augustine: that "sin" is put for the "likeness of sin," meaning He made Him assume mortal and passible flesh. This trope—calling a man "sin" because he is subject to death—cannot be admitted.

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Exhortation to the Corinthians (Chapter 6)

The preceding exhortation, be reconciled to God, primarily looks to unbelievers, but it is rightly extended to neophytes who are already reconciled but must persevere and not lose that grace through new sins. Hence the Apostle says (2 Cor 6:1): And helping (or "cooperating," $\sigma \upsilon \nu \epsilon \rho \gamma oῦ\nu \tau \epsilon \varsigma$), we exhort you that you receive not the grace of God in vain. Paul looks back to the time when the neophytes were reconciled to God, exhorting them to perseverance so that the reception of grace is not useless. According to Cajetan and Estius, the "grace" here is not internal grace, but the general benefit of the world's reconciliation. However, it is obvious how weak this explanation is; how can God's benevolent will be said to be "received" ($\delta \acute{\epsilon }\chi \epsilon \sigma \theta \alpha \iota$) by men? Rightly, therefore, all others hold that Paul is speaking of true internal grace. He who is not "new" in the New Testament receives the grace of God in vain. The Corinthians would have been reconciled in vain if, after such great divine care, they fell back again.

Cooperation with God

There is a dispute over whom Paul says he is "cooperating" with. It is clear from the context that the Apostles are called "God’s co-workers" (as in 1 Cor 3:9), since He uses their help to exhort. We do not approve of Chrysostom’s view that he is cooperating with the Corinthians, nor the views of certain non-Catholics who think Paul is joining himself to other Apostles or confirming his words with his works.

As with the previous plea, Paul adds a reason to this exhortation, taken from the nature of the Messianic age (2 Cor 6:2): For he saith: In an accepted time ($\kappa \alpha \iota \rho ῷ$ $\delta \epsilon \kappa \tau ῷ$) I have heard thee, and in the day of salvation I have helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

These words are quoted from Isaiah 49:8. They are directed to the Servant of the Lord (the Messiah) by the Father, promising a successful outcome to His labors. The Apostle proclaims that the time predicted by the prophet—the time of favor and grace ($עֵת$ $רָצוֹן$)—has now arrived. Therefore, one must take care not to neglect the grace received, lest they deprive themselves of the fruits of that most blessed age. Paul uses these prophetic words in a literal sense to urge his exhortation.

CONTINUE