Mar 25, 2025 Written by 
Art'working

4th Sunday in Lent (2Cor 5,17-21)

4th Sunday in Lent (2Cor 5,17-21)

(2Cor 5,17-21)

4th Sunday in Lent (year C)

 

2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, behold new things have come into being.

2Corinthians 5:18 But all this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.

2Corinthians 5:19 For it was God who reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not imputing their trespasses to men, and entrusting to us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 We therefore act as ambassadors for Christ, as if God were exhorting through us. We beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He who knew no sin, God dealt with him as sin on our behalf, that we might become through him the righteousness of God.

 

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold new things are born." Paul gives an essay of his view according to faith. Literally from the Greek it is: 'If one in Christ a new creation', without a verb. He does not say: 'If one believes in Christ...', but says 'If one in Christ'; he does not use the verb to be. If one is placed in Christ, that is, if there is this identification with Christ, then one is another reality, a new creature. What has come into being with Christ's resurrection is a new reality.

Faith makes us one with Christ, because it makes us one body in Christ. Christ is the newness of God. Christ is the new man who came to make all things new. If we are in Christ, we share in his newness of love and truth. What is the consequence of this newness? The abandonment of old things. Old, for Paul, is all the past lived without Christ or in expectation of him.

Another consequence is this: the old things in Christ no longer exist; if we make them exist, then we are no longer vitally united to Christ; we are in Christ by reason of our baptism, but we are not in Christ as a participation in his grace and truth.

This is another great principle of Pauline anthropology, which is then Christian anthropology. Having become new creatures in Christ obliges us to live as such. It obliges us to live in newness of life, and the newness of life for Paul is only one: to reproduce the life of Christ in our members, because we are his body.

The Church not only has the obligation to proclaim Christ, it also has the obligation to help each member of Christ to develop all the newness that Christ has created in him through his holy Spirit. The Church must be a teacher and guide so that each of her children manifests Christ in deeds and thoughts. That is why, in addition to being missionary, she must also be the formator of those who already believe in Christ. Without this work of formation, the mission itself vanishes. The Christian mission cannot be carried out except by those who live of Christ, in Christ and for Christ. It is the Church's task to commit all her energy so that God's people may grow in truth, grace, holiness and spirituality.

The Church will not be able to do this if it loses sight of being light in the midst of men. A light that fades is no longer seen by anyone; whereas a light that grows and grows ever larger can attract men from far and wide. This is the way of the Church: the spiritual, doctrinal, sapiential formation of her children.

"All this, however, comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation". Here we come to the great theme of reconciliation. Why is Paul writing this letter? To reconcile with the Corinthians. So he arrives at the summit by emphasising the love of Christ who gave himself; this is the cause that reconciles, that brings back together. Reconciliation is through Christ, but on this the disagreements begin, or rather the falsehoods begin. Everyone affirms redemption through Christ, but not redemption at the creation in us of the newness that is Christ. One cannot affirm that man has been made a new creature in Christ without affirming that he is called to live this new life.

A redemption conceived only as final salvation, without the newness that Christ has produced in us, is a Protestant redemption, it is not biblical redemption, it is not Catholic redemption, because this is not the redemption that Jesus Christ came to work in our midst.

"For it was God who reconciled the world to himself in Christ". Paul now explains what reconciliation consists in. By sin, man has contracted a guilt before Him. This guilt deserves a penalty, which is man's eternal death. God, by Christ's sacrifice offered on the cross, by His obedience unto death and death on a cross, no longer imputes this guilt. So the important action was done by Christ and he entrusted the apostles with the ministry of reconciliation. There is a quarrel, between God and man; it is evident that God is right and man is wrong. At this point, to achieve reconciliation, what is to be done? In the world he who is wrong pays! There is the penalty and there are the costs of the trial: the one who is wrong pays; after that one gets right and is reconciled. Here, on the other hand, reconciliation takes place by not making the wrongdoer pay, and this announcement of reconciliation without payment of the penalty and costs is entrusted to the apostles.

It should be pointed out that Christian reconciliation is not only the non-charging of the sins committed. This is only one part of reconciliation. Christian reconciliation on the one hand confesses the forgiveness of sins, on the other hand it is incorporation into Christ, it is being made new creatures in Christ. All these aspects of reconciliation are essential and must be taught, otherwise reconciliation can also be reduced to a purely legal fact. The Lord does not impute sin to us, but we remain as we are. This is not the Christian truth of reconciliation, but is Calvinist doctrine.

"We therefore act as ambassadors for Christ, as if God were exhorting through us. We beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God." The teaching now turns into a heartfelt invitation to accept God's gift. It is not enough that God has reconciled the world in Christ: it is urgent that each one of us allow ourselves to be reconciled in Christ by God, and allow ourselves to be reconciled by accepting the word of the gospel, the truth of Christ, into our hearts. Letting oneself be reconciled with God, inviting every man to welcome the word of salvation, is the ever new invitation that the Church must make to every man. This is the way of salvation. Others do not exist.

The missionary action of the Church begins with a strong invitation to conversion. The invitation to conversion, to reconciliation must be explicit, clear, evident. It cannot be assumed, nor made by half sentences or allusions. This is not the method of Jesus Christ, it is not the style of Paul, it is not the way of the saints.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

 

(Buyable on Amazon)

 

 

 

98
Rate this item
(2 votes)
Argentino Quintavalle

Argentino Quintavalle è studioso biblico ed esperto in Protestantesimo e Giudaismo. Autore del libro “Apocalisse - commento esegetico” (disponibile su Amazon) e specializzato in catechesi per protestanti che desiderano tornare nella Chiesa Cattolica.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Latest from Argentino Quintavalle

Previous
« 3rd Sunday in Lent (C) - (1Cor 10,1-6.10-12)
Next
5th Sunday in Lent (C) »
back to top
Jesus asks us to abide in his love, to dwell in his love, not in our ideas, not in our own self-worship. Those who dwell in self-worship live in the mirror: always looking at themselves. He asks us to overcome the ambition to control and manage others. Not controlling, serving them (Pope Francis)
Gesù ci chiede di rimanere nel suo amore, abitare nel suo amore, non nelle nostre idee, non nel culto di noi stessi. Chi abita nel culto di sé stesso, abita nello specchio: sempre a guardarsi. Ci chiede di uscire dalla pretesa di controllare e gestire gli altri. Non controllare, servirli (Papa Francesco)
In this passage, the Lord tells us three things about the true shepherd:  he gives his own life for his sheep; he knows them and they know him; he is at the service of unity [Pope Benedict]
In questo brano il Signore ci dice tre cose sul vero pastore: egli dà la propria vita per le pecore; le conosce ed esse lo conoscono; sta a servizio dell'unità [Papa Benedetto]
Jesus, Good Shepherd and door of the sheep, is a leader whose authority is expressed in service, a leader who, in order to command, gives his life and does not ask others to sacrifice theirs. One can trust in a leader like this (Pope Francis)
Gesù, pastore buono e porta delle pecore, è un capo la cui autorità si esprime nel servizio, un capo che per comandare dona la vita e non chiede ad altri di sacrificarla. Di un capo così ci si può fidare (Papa Francesco)
In today’s Gospel passage (cf. Jn 10:27-30) Jesus is presented to us as the true Shepherd of the People of God. He speaks about the relationship that binds him to the sheep of the flock, namely, to his disciples, and he emphasizes the fact that it is a relationship of mutual recognition […] we see that Jesus’ work is explained in several actions: Jesus speaks; Jesus knows; Jesus gives eternal life; Jesus safeguards (Pope Francis)
Nel Vangelo di oggi (cfr Gv 10,27-30) Gesù si presenta come il vero Pastore del popolo di Dio. Egli parla del rapporto che lo lega alle pecore del gregge, cioè ai suoi discepoli, e insiste sul fatto che è un rapporto di conoscenza reciproca […] vediamo che l’opera di Gesù si esplica in alcune azioni: Gesù parla, Gesù conosce, Gesù dà la vita eterna, Gesù custodisce (Papa Francesco)
To enter into communion with God, before observing the laws or satisfying religious precepts, it is necessary to live out a real and concrete relationship with him […] And this “scandalousness” is well represented by the sacrament of the Eucharist: what sense can there be, in the eyes of the world, in kneeling before a piece of bread? Why on earth should someone be nourished assiduously with this bread? The world is scandalized (Pope Francis)
Per entrare in comunione con Dio, prima di osservare delle leggi o soddisfare dei precetti religiosi, occorre vivere una relazione reale e concreta con Lui […] E questa “scandalosità” è ben rappresentata dal sacramento dell’Eucaristia: che senso può avere, agli occhi del mondo, inginocchiarsi davanti a un pezzo di pane? Perché mai nutrirsi assiduamente di questo pane? Il mondo si scandalizza (Papa Francesco)
What is meant by “eat the flesh and drink the blood” of Jesus? Is it just an image, a figure of speech, a symbol, or does it indicate something real? (Pope Francis)
Che significa “mangiare la carne e bere il sangue” di Gesù?, è solo un’immagine, un modo di dire, un simbolo, o indica qualcosa di reale? (Papa Francesco)

duevie.art

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Tel. 333-1329741


Disclaimer

Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.