QUESTION: As the word for "ambassadors" simply means an
elder, should not 2 Cor.5:20 read, "For Christ then, we are
elders?" And should not the dispensation of the conciliation be
confined to the aged?
In reply to this we would suggest: The stem
-presb- expresses seniority primarily such as is usually
conferred by age. It probably comes from the elements BEFORE-INTO-STEP. Even today good manners prescribe that we give
the precedence to those older than ourselves. Another stem
-palai- means old. In English we use the word age for this in
some cases, as, "He is of age," meaning he is not a minor. But
more often we use the comparative form, elder, or alderman,
which brings with it age and office. So, in the Greek, when in
the comparative form (-teros), it is best translated by elder.
In the Scriptures there is another form, which must be
distinguished from these, which occurs only as follows:
presb-eia
Luke 14:32 dispatching an embassy, is asking for peace
19:14 dispatch an
embassy after him [reign]
presb-euoo
Eph. 6:20 conducting an embassy in a chain
2 Cor. 5:20 For Christ,
we are ambassadors
These special forms are in contexts connected with courts and
kings, implying political rank. As Luke 14:32 shows, they were
sent by a king to plead, for peace. This
passage is the key to our present dispensation of the
conciliation.
Another suggestion is "plenipotentiary" as the proper
equivalent. But a plenipotentiary is an ambassador, an envoy, or a
minister who is invested with full power to transact any
business for those who send him. Is there any such thought in any
of the contexts? Is not our business confined to a proposal of peace? The king who did not want to fight merely asked for
terms of peace. Those whom he sent were not empowered to make them
(Luke 14:31,32). We beseech men, we do not try to make terms
with them. All we are called upon to do is to say "Be conciliated
to God!" and explain the terms that God has laid down (2
Cor.5:20,21).
It is also suggested that the Roman government had no such
office at the time, so Paul could not use this term. The kings of
that time, as King Agrippa, were subordinate to the Roman
government. In that case we should change "king" to "emperor" in
every case! But very few words in the Scriptures are based upon
Roman customs. There is a background of Hebrew, as it has come
through the Septuagint translation into the Greek. The word used
is not Latin, but Greek. Two examples of the use of this stem in
the Septuagint should show its significance in the later inspired
text. The stem -presb- is used twice of a special kind of messenger (mlak), as follows:
Num. 21:21 sending is Israel messengers to Sihon, king of the
Amorites, with words of peace
Deut. 2:26 I am sending messengers from the preceding
wilderness to Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of
peace
The fact that the Septuagint changed the Hebrew messengers in these two passages to ambassadors because they brought peace,
and that it was used of the king who
asked for terms of peace, and that it is used of us as
beseeching men to receive the conciliation, seems to definitely
give it the nuances which the English language associates with the
ambassador which governments send to one another only when they
are at peace with each other. When war breaks out between them,
the ambassadors are withdrawn. Not every detail of this office can
be appropriated by us, but the use of the word conciliation implies that we are like them in respect to peace. We, also,
will be withdrawn to our homeland when God withdraws the
conciliation, and vents His indignation upon the habitance.
Mankind is at enmity with God, and God was against man,
especially the non-Israelite nations, because of sin. Now that,
Christ has provided an Offering for sin, God is at peace, or
conciliated, and wishes to make a peace treaty with all humanity.
Not being a literal king warring with another king He cannot send
literal ambassadors. But, as there is no other transaction as
nearly like the conciliation, He calls them "ambassadors" in a
comparison, for a figure is like in one point and diverse in
others. Our rank as chosen of God who are at peace with Him
automatically qualifies us for entreating others to be conciliated
to God.
