当一个国家与另一个国家建立外交关系时，它会指派一位使者作为其在该外国领土上的代表。
在今天的经文中，保罗将我们描述为基督的使者。这意味着什么呢？嗯，我们仍然可以在今天的外交官这一角色中看到一些相似之处。大使们生活在异国文化中，正如基督的跟随者们生活在这个世界中，却不属这世界一样（约 17:14-19），他们乃是天国的子民。
大使也是他们所代表国家的象征。如果他们粗鲁无礼，就会给人留下不好的印象。
作为基督徒，我们代表了“为众人死”的那一位。所以，我们为那替我们死而复活的主活着。我们的风度、慷慨、牺牲和爱是为了向他人显明耶稣为我们所做的一切。
然而，在保罗的时代，罗马的使者与今天大多数使者不同。他们是这块不久将称为罗马帝国行省的土地上的代表。所以他们有义务把其他人带进罗马家庭。
在某些方面，我们作为基督使者的情况有些类似。虽然我们不是好战的帝国缔造者，但我们必须认识到，就如保罗所说，这是“神藉着我们劝你们”的。藉着我们救主的工作，我们是使人与基督和好、并把他们带进神家的使者。
主啊，我们有幸成为你的使者。求你引导我们，每天都忠实地做你的代表。阿们。
哥林多后书 5:11-21
11我们既知道主是可畏的，所以劝人；但我们在神面前是显明的，盼望在你们的良心里也是显明的。
12我们不是向你们再举荐自己，乃是叫你们因我们有可夸之处，好对那凭外貌不凭内心夸口的人有言可答。
13我们若果癫狂，是为神；若果谨守，是为你们。
14原来基督的爱激励我们，因我们想：一人既替众人死，众人就都死了；
15并且他替众人死，是叫那些活着的人不再为自己活，乃为替他们死而复活的主活。
16所以，我们从今以后，不凭着外貌认人了。虽然凭着外貌认过基督，如今却不再这样认他了。
17若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。
18一切都是出于神，他藉着基督使我们与他和好，又将劝人与他和好的职分赐给我们。
19这就是神在基督里叫世人与自己和好，不将他们的过犯归到他们身上，并且将这和好的道理托付了我们。
20所以，我们做基督的使者，就好像神藉我们劝你们一般，我们替基督求你们与神和好。
21神使那无罪的替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors... “ — 2 Corinthians 5:20
When a sovereign nation has diplomatic relations with another country, it appoints an ambassador to be its representative in that foreign land.
In today’s verses Paul describes us as Christ’s ambassadors. And what does this mean? Well, we can see some similarities in the roles of diplomats still today. Ambassadors go to live in a foreign culture, just as followers of Christ live in the world but are not of the world (John 17:14-19), being citizens of heaven.
Ambassadors are also the face of the country they represent. If they are rude and crass, they make a negative impression. As Christians, we represent the one who “died for all.” As a result, we live “for him who died for them and was raised again.” Our demeanor, generosity, sacrifice, and love are to show others what Jesus has done for us.
In Paul’s day, though, ambassadors from Rome were different from most ambassadors today. They were representatives in a land that would soon become a province of the Roman Empire. So they were responsible to bring others into the Roman family.
Our situation as ambassadors for Christ is similar in some ways. While we are not to be militant empire makers, we must recognize, as Paul puts it, that it is “as though God is making his appeal through us.” Through the work of our Savior, we are ambassadors of reconciliation as we introduce others to Christ and help bring them into the family of God.
Lord, we are privileged to be your ambassadors. Guide us to represent you faithfully each day. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
