Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
all—Greek, "THE."
things—all our privileges in this new creation (II Corinthians 5:14-15).
reconciled us—that is, restored us ("the world," II Corinthians 5:19) to His favor by satisfying the claims of justice against us. Our position judicially considered in the eye of the law is altered, not as though the mediation of Christ had made a change in God's character, nor as if the love of God was produced by the mediation of Christ; nay, the mediation and sacrifice of Christ was the provision of God's love, not its moving cause (Romans 8:32). Christ's blood was the price paid at the expense of God Himself, and was required to reconcile the exercise of mercy with justice, not as separate, but as the eternally harmonious attributes in the one and the same God (Romans 3:25-26). The Greek "reconcile" is reciprocally used as in the Hebrew Hithpahel conjugation, appease, obtain the favor of. Matthew 5:24, "Be reconciled to thy brother"; that is, take measures that he be reconciled to thee, as well as thou to him, as the context proves. Diallagethi, however (Matthew 5:24), implying mutual reconciliation, is distinct from Katallagethi here, the latter referring to the change of status wrought in one of the two parties. The manner of God reconciling the world to Himself is implied (II Corinthians 5:19), namely, by His "not imputing their trespasses to them." God not merely, as subsequently, reconciles the world by inducing them to lay aside their enmity, but in the first instance, does so by satisfying His own justice and righteous enmity against sin (Psalms 7:11). Compare I Samuel 29:4, "Reconcile himself unto his master"; not remove his own anger against his master, but his master's against him [ARCHBISHOP MAGEE, Atonement]. The reconciling of men to God by their laying aside their enmity is the consequence of God laying aside His just enmity against their sin, and follows at II Corinthians 5:20.
to us—ministers (II Corinthians 5:19-20).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 2 Corinthians 5:18:
Haggai 2:9
Romans 5:1
Romans 5:11
1 Corinthians 11:12
2 Corinthians 5:19
2 Corinthians 5:20
2 Corinthians 6:1
Ephesians 5:2
Colossians 1:20
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