Christ's Ambassadors
The nature of Paul’s appointment was to serve as one of Christ’s ambassadors. The verb presbeuĊ (are ambassadors) means to be “elder” or “first in rank” (Liddell, Scott and Jones 1978). Here we might think of the role of the statesman, where age and high rank often go together. Then as now, an ambassador was someone who represented the interests of his or her nation abroad.
In the Old Testament the range of duties included offering congratulations (1 Kings 5:1; 2 Sam 8:10), soliciting favors (Num 20:14), making alliances (Josh 9:3–7) and protesting wrongful actions (Judg 11:12). The Roman counterpart to the Greek presbeutÄs was the legate (legatus), who was duly appointed by the emperor to administer the imperial provinces on his behalf. Paul was similarly appointed by God to administer the gospel on Christ’s behalf (hyper Christou; compare Eph 3:2). It is as though God himself were making a personal and direct appeal through Paul (v. 20).
Belleville, Linda L. 2 Corinthians. Vol. 8. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996. Print. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.
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