2 Corinthians 5:18 (WEB)

Passage

But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2 Corinthians 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "reconciled", "himself", "through", "jesus", "christ", "gave", and "ministry". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "reconciled", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he..." into verse 19's "namely that God was in Christ reconciling...", so "all things" and "reconciled" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "reconciled" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.