The principal difference among interpreters in the explana- tion of this verse relates to the question whether (^i^ was is to be referred to (ei/ Xpto-rai) in Christy or to (KaraAAacrcrcov) reconciling. Our version favours the former mode of con- struction, which is adopted both by Luther and Calvin. The sense then is, 'God was in Christ, when he reconciled the world unto himself;' or, as Luther renders it, "God was in Christ, and reconciled the world with himself, and imputed not to them their sins, &c." This breaks up the verse into distinct propositions, tui-ning all the participles into verbs. Calvin says that by God we are not to understand the divine nature, or "the fulness of the Godhead," but God the Father; and refers to John 10, 38, "The father is in me," as a parallel expression. He thinks the design of the apostle is to assure believers that in having Christ, they have the Father also ; that Christ is the true Immanuel, whose advent is the ap- proximation of God to man. *But all this is foreign to the context. What follows is no proof that " God was in Christ," but it is a proof of his being engaged, so to speak, in the great work of reconciling the Avorld unto himself. Mo-st inter- preters, therefore, adopt the other construction, 'God was reconciling the world unto himself in Christ.' As in v. 18 it is said that God reconciled us to himself 8ia Xpto-rov [through Christ)^ here it is said to be Iv ILpia-rQ [in Christ). The im- perfect ^v KaraXXao-crcoj/, tvcis reconcili?ig, expresses either con- temporary or continuous action. 'The sense may be, ' God was, when Christ died, reconciling the world unto himself; ' that was what he was doing and designed to do when he gave his Son up for us all. So Meyer and others. . Or, the refer- ence is to what follows ; ' Pie reconciled the world, not imput- ing unto men their sins, etc' That is, ' While not imputing, &c.» But this is impossible, because the next clause, ' and given to us the word of reconciUation,' cannot express what was contemporaneous with the reconciling. Others say that the imperfect is used for the aorist. The first explanation is to be preferred. God was reconciling the world unto himself^ means God was making atonement for the sins of the world. He set Christ forth as a propitiation. Theodoret explains ijv KaraXXdaa-iDV by KaraXAayas iiroL-^aaTo. By the ir-rrf'J f'/ocr/^o?, without the article) is meant 77ian^ mankind, 'i rence
or statement is perfectly indefinite ; it merely hhuciucs the class of beings towards whom God was manifesting lumsclf as propitious. In the same sense our Lord is called tht; Sa\ ioiir