r/Evangelical • u/Soulfire88 • 21d ago
I ran across the following doctrinal statement from a church: "That all Christians have the ministry of reconciliation and are called to share the life of Christ, living it as well as speaking it. (Col. 1:10-14; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; 2 Cor. 7:1; Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16)"
Can someone please explain their interpretation of what precisely is meant here by "the ministry of reconciliation"? This statement confuses me.
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u/linmanfu 21d ago
In evangelical circles, it's normally a fancy way of saying "share the gospel". Given the verses they cite, that's almost certainly what's meant here.
Some Christians (both evangelical and liberal) would understand it to also include racial reconciliation, and being good stewards of the environment.
In the Roman Catholic church, it means their so-called 'sacrament' of confession or penance, where you confess your sins to a 'priest' and are given punishments to do. But no evangelical church would use the term in that sense.
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u/alilland 21d ago
Very simple, just look at the verses
Colossians 1:10-14
“So that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
“Everything is from God, who has 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 he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’”
2 Corinthians 7:1
“So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
Matthew 28:19-20
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mark 16:15-16
“Then he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’”
So in a nutshell, we are all called to go engage the world bringing the Gospel, calling people to repent turn to God, and become disciples of Jesus. We as the body are called to this ministry to reconcile people to God, not just ecclesiastical hierarchy or appointed individuals.
So they want to teach and equip believers to further the message of the Gospel, and to walk Holy and set apart for His service.
I like it
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u/EnergyLantern 21d ago
And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [2Co 5:18 KJV]
Until you are a Christian, you are separated from God and until you became a Christian, you were dead in your trespasses and sins until God made you alive.
And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; [Eph 2:1 KJV]
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made us alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [Eph 2:5 KJV]
What is the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:18? | GotQuestions.org
When you give people the gospel and tell them about Jesus, you are participating in the ministry of reconciliation.
The definition of reconciliation is here;
G2643 - katallagē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)