My Paper at ANZATS This Year: Ministry in the New Creation (2 Cor 5)

I heard recently that my paper proposal for the ANZATS conference being held in Melbourne this July has been accepted.

‘Ambassadors for Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5.20): Ministry in the New Creation in 2 Corinthians 5.

2 Corinthians offers a sustained example of theological reflection in the light of eschatological conviction. At the heart of the letter lies Paul’s account of the new creation in 2 Corinthians 5. Far from engaging in apocalyptic speculation for its own sake, however, Paul is keen to identify and secure his audience’s ongoing participation in the deliverance of God through Christ. This paper will explore the dynamics of this profound and important chapter, with a view to clarifying the nature of Paul’s core theological convictions and persuasive aims. In particular we shall attend to the importance of locating the ministry of reconciliation within the context of God’s act of new creation. The connection between Paul’s apocalyptic convictions and the designation of the Christian community as ‘ambassadors for Christ’ will be thus be a key theme. It is hoped that the paper will offer further support for a reading of Pauline theology that holds apocalyptic/eschatological convictions at the centre, and offer a timely reminder that the shape of effective ministry is to be determined by the dramatic and disruptive event of God’s advent in Christ.

Comments

[THe Revd Paul J Lavender]

MMM.... i hope you will take out any references to "the Baptist Gordon Ramsey...!" - an unpacking in greater depth of your core argument in my induction sermon?

[Sean Winter]

Re: [Sean the Baptist (in the UCA)] Jason Goroncy submitted a comment to My Paper at ANZATS This Year: Ministry in the New Creation (2 Cor 5)

Hi Jason

Thanks for this. It will be great to meet up finally. Could you give me the reference for Forsyth? One day I plan to write a paper on how the canonical editors made a big mistake in placing Romans at the from of the Pauline corpus and that 2 Cor should have been there instead, thus saving us from numerous problematic subsequent readings of Pauls theology.

Peace

Sean

[Jason Goroncy]

Sounds great Sean. Just booked my place today so this news that you are presenting a paper is a double bonus.

BTW: have you read Forsyth on 2 Cor 5? Forsyth believed that we could stake the whole of Christianity upon just one verse in this chapter. He is, however, the master at hyperbole. That said, he's usually right!