²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies^(A) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,^(B)

¹⁸ All this is from God,^(A) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(B) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(C) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(D) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(E) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^(F)

³ All of us also lived among them at one time,^(A) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](B) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(A) in your minds^(B) because of^[a] your evil behavior.