Ministry of Reconciliation By Abba Epiphanios

Ministry of Reconciliation
By Abba Epiphanios The Bishop of St. Macarius The Great At Scetis 
(Wadi Natrun - Egypt)  

Translated by Fr. Bishoy Lamie, edited by Ayman and Jessica Ryder-Khalil

When God reconciled the creation to Himself, He achieved this first in the Incarnation, by the unity of the Divinity and the Humanity.  Then, on the Cross.  After that He granted to the apostles the ability to reconcile the people to God and He called it the ministry of reconciliation. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,” (2 Cor. 5:18).
When St. Paul wanted to summarize the acts of the Apostles, and after them the acts of the bishops and the priests in the Church, he did not find a phrase except “the ministry of reconciliation” in order to clarify his words. This reconciliation is based on the Christ’s Redemption of sins and the mistakes of others, as there is no reconciliation without forgiveness: “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:19)
Thus, the church was founded on the ministry of reconciliation, starting from the apostles whom Our Lord Jesus sent as ambassadors on His behalf, speaking in His Name and delivering His message to all the nations.  They did not express their own personal opinions, instead they were honest to the One who sent them.  Their first and main task was the reconciliation of the people with God. “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20)

This reconciliation does not mean just reconciliation after a quarrel, but it is a deeper expression.  First, it means the justification and salvation granted by God: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5: 8,9)  Secondly, it is about the return to full communion after the separation. As it happens in the case of a separation of a married couple who then return once more to the life of Kenonia: “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.  But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.” (1 Cor. 7:10,11) “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9)

Just as the relationship between an ambassador with the sender works to achieve the ministry of reconciliation between the peoples, and it becomes the reason for the success of the delegated task; likewise, if the bishop maintains a strong relationship with God marked by his prayers and submission to the Will of God at all times, his ministry of reconciliation will be powerful and effective, as he will be able to pray on behalf of his people, or with his people, at all times.  As said by St. Paul the Apostle, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19). Or as St. Ignatius of Antioch (107 AD) wrote is his epistle to the Ephesians[i], “For if the prayer of one or two (Matt. 18:19) possesses such power, how much more that of the bishop and the whole Church!”  This is because of the Sacrament of the Eucharist or communion, which is the reason for the unity of the bishop with the people.


[i] The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Ch. 5

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