This text grabbed me recently: 2 Corinthians 5.17-21. Does this knock you off your chair?
Do we - do I - understand the gravity, the magnificence, of Paul's words here?
In Christ, our old self has passed away; it is DEAD! We are recreated by the Creator! We have been reconciled (passive on our part; Christ reconciled is the active verb) to God through Christ. He called us to this same ministry of reconciliation, in growing conformity to our Master.
We also are made ambassadors. We have nothing in ourselves which merits our being given this role. The Creator and Recreator is appealing through us to the world - amazing!
Finally, perhaps the most astounding of all: imputation of sin and righteousness. This is double imputation: first, Jesus was made to be sin at the Fatther's behest and on our behalf. Secondly, this was done so that - ἵνα hina - the righteousness of God might (assuredly) be formed in us.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Do we - do I - understand the gravity, the magnificence, of Paul's words here?
In Christ, our old self has passed away; it is DEAD! We are recreated by the Creator! We have been reconciled (passive on our part; Christ reconciled is the active verb) to God through Christ. He called us to this same ministry of reconciliation, in growing conformity to our Master.
We also are made ambassadors. We have nothing in ourselves which merits our being given this role. The Creator and Recreator is appealing through us to the world - amazing!
Finally, perhaps the most astounding of all: imputation of sin and righteousness. This is double imputation: first, Jesus was made to be sin at the Fatther's behest and on our behalf. Secondly, this was done so that - ἵνα hina - the righteousness of God might (assuredly) be formed in us.
Absolutely incredible!
2 comments:
I agree with everything you said until the last paragraph. Where does the text itself speak of a "double imputation"?
The text says in v19 that sin is not imputed to Christian, which simply means they've been forgiven and reconciled (cf Rom 4:6-8, 5:9-10). But that's not the same as saying sin was imputed to Christ or Christ's Righteousness was imputed to us, and v21 doesn't even use the term impute.
Agreed, the very word "impute" (λογίζομαι in v19) is not in v21. Paul uses the idea of impute, however, throughout this passage.
What is the definition of impute? impute: To think of as belonging to someone, and therefore to cause it to belong to that person. God “thinks of” Adam’s sin as belonging to us, and it therefore belongs to us, and in justification he thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us and so relates to us on this basis. (Grudem, Systematic Theology)
Does God take this action of imputing? It certainly seems that is how He presents Himself. See for instance Is 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
See also Is 53.12, Gal 3.13, Heb 9.28, 1 Pet 2.24
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