2 Corinthians 13
August 24
Reading: 2 Corinthians 13
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them-- 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-- unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong-- not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Just as we read in 2 Corinthians 12:14, Paul plans to visit the Corinthians for the third time. (2 Corinthians 13:1) The purpose for his visit will be, among other things, to carry out discipline in the body of Christ with regard to sinners who will not repent. Paul will do this in weakness and with the power that Christ gives him. (vss. 1-4)
Verses 5-10 begin with a command. It is as important for us today as it was for them then. “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith.” (vs. 5) You might call yourself a Christian. Others may think you are a Christian. You might go to church every Sunday. But this does not mean that Christ is in you. You and I need to occasionally do some personal examination. Are we followers of Jesus Christ?
How would a person go about such a self-examination? This passage gives us some clues, as do the letters to the Corinthian church. We need to honestly ask questions of ourselves regarding three words: faith, truth, and obedience.
Do I have faith? Do I trust the Lord as my Savior, my Shepherd, my King? Have I given my life into His care? Have I repented and experienced His forgiveness? Is all my hope in Him?
Do I believe the truth? Am I committed to reading the Bible and believing it? Is my heart and mind in submission to the truth of the Word? Or am I picking and choosing what I like out of it?
Am I obeying the Lord? Am I keeping His commands? Am I loving my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I forsaking sin, immorality, and self-centeredness? If I refuse to obey Christ, I cannot say that I am following Him.