beseech you by ns we pray, &c.' This is the more natural, because the latter words express the prayer, so to speak, which God through the ministry addresses to sinners. It will be noticed that to be an ambassador for Christ, and that God speaks through us, mean the same thing. Redemption is as much the work of the Father as of the Son. God reconciles the workl unto himself in Christ. God gives us the word of reconciliation. We are acting for God, or in his name, when Ave appear as the ambassadors of Christ. We pray you in Ckrisfs stead. Here again vTzlp Xfuo-rov may be either in Chris fs steadf or, for Chris fs sake. The former is to be pre- ferred as better suited to the uniformity of the passage. De ye reconciled unto God ; this does not mean, 'Reconcile your- selves unto God.' The word, KaraAAay^re, is passive. Be reconciled., that is, embrace the offer of reconciliation. The reconciliation is effected by the death of Christ. God is now jDropitious. He can now be just, and yet justify the ungodly. All we have to do is not to refuse the offered love of God. Calvin remarks that this exhortation is not directed exclusive- ly to the unconverted. The believer needs daily, and is al- lowed whenever he needs, to avail himself of the offer of peace with God through Jesus Christ. It is not the doctrine of the Scriptures that the merits of Christ avail only for the forgive- ness of sins committed before conversion, while for post-bap- tismal sins, as they Avere called, there is no satisfaction but in the penances of the offender. Christ ever lives to make inter- cession for us, and for every short-coming and renewed offence there is offered to the penitent believer, renewed application of that blood Avhich cleanses from all sin.
21. For he hatli made liim (to be) sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This verse is designed to enforce the preceding. ' Be re- conciled to God, for an abundant and trustworthy provision has been made for your reconciliation and acceptance.' It is indeed doubtful whether yap, for., belongs to the text, as it is omitted in many of the oldest manuscripts. Its omission only renders the transition more abrupt, the relation of the passage remains the same. The apostle states in this verse what God has done for the justification of men. The passage, therefore,