"The Sin-Filled Savior"

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Amidst the mindless and at times unsavory television programming, there seems to be an unprecedented amount of court shows on television. There is always some new celebrity or individual (looking for their 15 minutes of fame) who are defending their cause and giving reasons for their actions. Those who are unsuccessful in their marriages head to divorce court, and if you are having difficulty retrieving money that is owed you, you may venture to The People’s Court. There is an ever-increasing need for conflict resolution and/or mediation by a third party. It seems that while there was no television in antiquity and although the primary method of communication was written, that the churches of Corinth were in need of some resolution both socially and spiritually. They sought the seasoned and at times superfluous advice of their leader the Apostle Paul. We find that in his second letter to the Corinthians, he is almost entirely interested in defending his methods providing only brief explanations of spiritual principles. Squeezed in-between what is decidedly the Apostle Paul’s defense of his own ministry in 2 Corinthians 5:11-13 and 6:3-10 are the passionate sentiments of 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, in which Paul provides a glowing recommendation for Christ as Mediator. Within this particular text, there are both Christological and theological statements that are followed by Paul’s own interpretation of their meaning. Paul speaks about righteousness, reconciliation, and in Paul’s estimation, the conduit (or third party) by which humanity’s sin was not only contained but also eradicated in 5:21. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

It is clear in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 that Paul’s worldview has changed drastically in light of his reconciled life. By reviewing our own moments of ignorance, judgment of others and perhaps even by ignoring the injustices of the world, we are not exhibiting the kind of complete change found in an elevated character, that is congruent with the life of those who are “in Christ.” Jesus served as our personal mediator, (“third party”) singularly able to contain all of our missteps providing us with a new worldview. This worldview is illuminated by a life that is in complete harmony with God. This harmony should abolish the need to judge and persecute any of our brothers or sisters, because all of that suffering was contained and eliminated through Jesus the Christ.