2 Corinthians 5:20
We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us: be reconciled to God.
We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
What 2 Corinthians 5:20 means
An ambassador does not invent the message or represent themselves; they carry someone else’s terms with someone else’s authority. Paul applies that to ordinary believers, which is both a dignity and a limit.
The startling part is the middle clause: God making his appeal *through us*. The message being carried is not a demand but a plea to be reconciled — and God is described as the one doing the asking.
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Questions about 2 Corinthians 5:20
What does 2 Corinthians 5:20 mean?
It means believers represent Christ as his ambassadors, and that God makes his appeal through them, urging people to be reconciled to him.
What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?
To represent him faithfully — carrying his message rather than your own, with his authority rather than your own standing.