Christians as Ambassadors for Christ – Part One

 

Christians as Ambassadors for Christ – Part One

In the past several days two very, very prominent Federal Government officials made rather controversial statements that brought negative light to the concept of Christianity. One of them professed to be a Christian. Both spoke “authoritatively” about how God would want their Nation to destroy the people of another nation that had not attacked them. These mis-informed officials have added significantly to the burden of knowledgeable Christians who seek to serve as “Ambassadors for Christ”, as the Bible has instructed us. (2 Corinthians 5: 20)  The term “ambassador” appears only one additional time in the Bible’s New Testament. (See also Ephesians 6: 20)  

To verify my understanding of the Scripture, I consulted my reference Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary (# 4243).   The definition of “ambassador” states the following: [“to be a senior, i.e. (by impl.)  act as a representative (fig. preacher): --be an ambassador.  There is a suggestion that to be an “ambassador” for Christ involves the experience suggested by the word “elder.”  Elder men were chosen as “ambassadors.” ]  That is the direct quote.  Because both of the Government officials noted above met the “chronological definition” of being “elders”,  I wanted more clarification related to the qualifications for a person to serve as a “knowledgeable” ambassador for Christ.  Because not everyone can speak accurately to what the Bible tells us, I returned to the Scripture itself to gain that further background for this discussion.

As we learned from earlier Bible study, context is key to our understanding.  Earlier verses in each of the chapters in which the word “ambassador” appears do provide that context. Note the following for the first usage of the term in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21:

17	Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18	And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19	To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20	Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21	For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (Emphasis added)

Aside from being an “elder”, there are at least two key indicators in those verses that help identify the attributes of those who would represent our Lord Jesus Christ.  The first one mentioned in Verse 17, is that the person must be a “new creature”. That is fully consistent with the words shared by the Lord when He met with the Pharisee Ruler Nicodemus and advised him that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3: 1-21)

Another key indicator is found in Verses 18 and 19.  It relates to those who have been reconciled by Jesus to Himself; to whom He has given both the ministry and the word of reconciliation.  [Reconciliation =  Strong’s # 2643 = “restoration to favour, especially the restoration of the favour of God to sinners that repent and put their trust in the expiatory / propitiatory death of Christ.”  (More on those sometimes confusing “long-words” (expiatory and propitiatory) later in the discussion of how our Lord Jesus restored / reconciled Christian believers to Himself.)]  By virtue of the comments made by the Federal Government officials noted above, they likely had not received this reconciliation.

Turning to the second New Testament usage of the word “ambassador” has provided a different perspective.  Again, context was most helpful.  The word “ambassador” appears near the end of the chapter which includes what many Christians might recognize in the description of “the Whole Armor of God.” (Ephesians 6: 1-20)  In this Scripture the Apostle Paul was guiding the Church (assembly of believers) in Ephesus to prepare them for the difficult spiritual battles that were ahead. Their Enemy would prove to be (and continues to be) a formidable adversary to those who had been reconciled to Christ.  I encourage you to read these verses in their entirety. As ambassadors ourselves, we need to remember to use this “Whole Armor of God.”

As to the role of ambassadors who have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” noted above, consider the words from the Commentary of Matthew Henry, the English Theologian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry ):

“The gospel was a mystery till made known by Divine revelation; and it is the work of Christ's ministers to declare it. The best and most eminent ministers need the prayers of believers. Those particularly should be prayed for, who are exposed to great hardships and perils in their work. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith. By peace, understand all manner of peace; peace with God, peace of conscience, peace among themselves. And the grace of the Spirit, producing faith and love, and every grace. These he desires for those in whom they were already begun. And all grace and blessings come to the saints from God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace, that is, the favour of God; and all good, spiritual and temporal, which is from it, is and shall be with all those who thus love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and with them only.” (https://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/index2.htm)

With further regard to the role of “ambassadors for Christ”, consider also the following comments abstracted from another of my references:

“In a letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul discusses the ministry of reconciliation, and he uses the term “ambassadors” for Christ: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, emphasis added).

Generally speaking, an ambassador is a respected official acting as a representative of a nation. Sent to a foreign land, the ambassador’s role is to reflect the official position of the sovereign body that gave him authority. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul likens his own calling to that of an ambassador, and he urges all Christians to consider themselves ambassadors for Christ. The gospel of reconciliation was always at the heart of Paul’s preaching: “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Our reconciliation with God is possible only because Christ went to the cross and received the punishment due for our sin. When our Savior cried out, “It is finished,” the barrier between sinful man and Holy God was removed, making all those who trust in Him “holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22). Our reconciliation is based on the salvation Jesus provides, and it is accepted by faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Christians are God’s ambassadors in that they have been “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). As we go through this world, we represent another Kingdom (John 18:36), and it is our responsibility to reflect the “official position” of heaven. We are in this world, but not of it (John 17:16). God’s ambassadors are to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16).” (https://www.gotquestions.org/ambassador-for-Christ.html)

Having that background, in Part Two of this discussion I will discuss the message that the Bible says Christians today as “Ambassadors for Christ” should be sharing in this “Age of Grace”.  (Ephesians 2: 1-9)  Contrary to what many have been told, it is the Gospel message that our Ascended Lord Jesus revealed to the Apostle Paul years after He suffered and was crucified for our sins; shed His Holy blood and died; was buried, but resurrected on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson 

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot,com