₁₆No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. ₁₇Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. ₁₈All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. ₁₉Our message is that God was making the whole human race his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.

₂₀Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! ₂₁Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.