²⁸ Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage,^(A) but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,^(B)

¹⁸ Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.^{(A) 19} That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world^(B) to himself,^(C) not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors^(D) for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,^(E) ‘Be reconciled to God.’

³ We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly^(A) desires, carrying out the inclinations^(B) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath^(C) as the others were also.

²¹ Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds, as expressed in your evil actions.