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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
Seest thou how he has extolled the thing by introducing Christ thus in the form of a suppliant; yea rather not Christ only, but even the Father? For what he says is this: The Father sent the Son to beseech, and to be His Ambassador unto mankind. When then He was slain and gone, we succeeded to the embassy; and in His stead and the Father's we beseech you. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
"On behalf of Christ," that is, sent in place of Christ. For what He intended to do, we have now received, and as through Him the Father called us, so now through us He calls you to be reconciled with Him. He did not say: reconcile God to yourselves, but be reconciled with Him. For you are hostile toward Him, not He toward you, for God is also Father. He, as though He had sinned against them, sends to them so that they might forgive Him. O the riches of mercy and condescension!
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
He says, "He [Christ] who knew no sin, he [God] made to be sin for us." The God to whom we are to be reconciled has thus made him the sacrifice for sin by which we may be reconciled. He himself is therefore sin as we ourselves are righteousness—not our own but God's, not in ourselves but in him. …
Gregory the Dialogist
Let us consider the deeds of the Truth, that we may see where the actions of our depravity lie. For if we are members of the supreme Head, we ought to imitate Him to whom we are joined. For what does Paul, that outstanding preacher, say as an example for our instruction? …
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, So we are ambassadors for Christ, he indicates the use of the benefit. First, as to the second benefit conferred on the apostles; secondly, as to the first benefit conferred on all (v. 20b). He says therefore: since God has established the word of reconciliation, we ought to use it. This is why we are ambassadors for Christ: "For which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak" (Eph. 6:20). Our fitness for this ambassadorship is from God's power, which is in me. …
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