reconciliation

Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 5:17–21 (NABRE) looks at the work of Christ as one of reconciliation. Due to the common Church contexts in which we hear this word and its association with the sacrament of Confession, it’s easy to begin to see this as a removing of sin and to lose site of the greater implications of what this language suggests.

The Greek word translated in this passage as reconcile is καταλλάσσω (katallasso), which literally refers to exchanging something such as coins for another thing of equal value. The process of reconciling is a process of matching values. This concept still applies in audits and other financial checks to make sure records match. This idea of making equal seems at first opposed to the core message of Christianity.

The interesting addition to this phrase is that we are being reconciled to Christ. What Jesus Christ offers to humanity is the ability to match him in value, to be made exchangeable with him, and he calls us to help others to be so reconciled.

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