Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 13
Having explained the purpose of his urgings and admonitions Paul continues on to reaffirm the fact that he will not back down when he visits them: “This will be my third visit to you. ‘Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you” (2 Corinthians 13:1-3). Paul is very clear: when he visits the Corinthians again he will not ignore their disregard for his warnings from the last time he visited. By quoting Christ’s Words Paul warns the Corinthians that the “theme” of his third visit is going to be church discipline: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). Paul will indeed come swinging the hammer of God’s Law in order that the Corinthians might see that God is not a pushover who can be mocked and abused and that he indeed is speaking on behalf of Christ: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8). The grace of God is not an excuse to live in sin; the grace of God does not justify sin (it justifies the sinner!). It is the deception of Satan that tries to convince us that we can live steeped in lives of sin and take grace for a license to live for “me.” God however cannot be mocked, and He will not put up with those who take the blood of Jesus Christ as a validation for their rejection of His will and commands. Jesus Christ came to us not to allow us live fat, dumb, and happy in our sinful nature as we satisfy the desires of the flesh, but He came that He might pull us out of our filth and enable us to live for God by the grace of His unconditional forgiveness. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Christ Himself did not come into the world to bend before the will of sin; Christ came willing to stand toe to toe against sin, rejecting its every temptation. In His dealings with the Pharisees we see His battle against sin as He willingly and necessarily brought down the true weight and spirituality of the Law against them (and us!). But wasn’t Christ humble, meek, and weak as He took upon Himself the punishment for our sin? “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you” (2 Corinthians 13:4). Though Christ was indeed crucified in weakness on our behalf He now lives in the power of God. This power is the full counsel of God: His Law which breaks us of our self-righteousness and security in sin (fighting against our weak flesh) and then His gracious Gospel which saves us sinners who are completely helpless and broken, empowering us to good works of God’s design (giving us reborn willing spirit). “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). In the Cross of Jesus Christ these two ministries of Law and Gospel are forever united as we are both punished for our sin on the Cross and also forgiven and separated from our sin on the Cross. Therefore Paul is very willing to use the power of God’s Law against the sin and negligence of the Corinthians in order that he might ultimately uplift them with the power of God’s Gospel. The power of the Gospel is this: it frees us from the bondage to our sinful nature giving us a regenerated will which lives for God. Accordingly our “sinful self” becomes weak in Christ, so that thru sharing in the punishment and redemption of the Cross we are raised in the power to live solely and completely for God. Our flesh and sinful nature is weakened so that Christ might live within us by His grace.
In light of this Paul continues on to urge the Corinthians to examine themselves: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul turns the tables on the Corinthians and urges them to stop examining his ministry and start examining their own faith. These bold words are meant to awaken the Corinthians to the possibility that their doubt of his ministry may not have anything to do with him and may have everything to do with their doubting faiths. But what is this test? This test is nothing more than an honest examination of whether we are clinging solely to the Cross of Jesus Christ for all righteousness, goodness, strength, etc. In the face of despairing of all ability of my own am I looking to the Cross for all redemption, life, and salvation? If we find that we are not looking to “me” or the world for answers and are relying on God’s grace in Jesus Christ then He is in fact already living in our lives. “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). To fail the test is to see that Jesus Christ is not our focal point in life, that we are trusting our own will, strength, abilities, choices, decisions, merits, deeds, works, and even our own faith. The question is not whether my faith is “strong enough” (since the strength of our faith is not the issue), the question is: what is my faith in? Is Jesus Christ my true source of comfort and strength despite all my own failings, weaknesses, and lack of faith? Or am I relying on my own ability to have “faith”? To pass the test we must not trust faith or anything else from the world, but must trust and run to Jesus Christ in all things, relying on Him having already done it all on our behalf, even reforming our lives and pulling us from our sin as we speak. “And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test” (2 Corinthians 13:6). If the Corinthians do indeed find that their faith and trust is in the work of Jesus Christ alone then they will also see that Paul’s ministry is the true ministry of an apostle of Jesus Christ, that he in fact has been faithfully carrying the Word of God to them and pointing them relentlessly to Christ crucified. Because Paul brings the Word of Christ to them, he knows that the true sheep of Christ will hear his voice and will recognize that he serves God alone; only if they fail the test will they continue to doubt his ministry. “Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed” (2 Corinthians 13:7). Paul’s ultimate concern is not with the opinion of others about his faith and ministry, all he truly wants is to have the Corinthians continue to faithfully adhere to the pure testimony of God’s Word, relying not on themselves or worldly wisdom but relying on the Cross. Even if the world thinks that Paul has failed his prayer is simply that the Corinthians will be empowered to stand firm in the faith until life everlasting.
Continuing on Paul tells the Corinthians his driving “principle” behind his ministry to them: “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8). For all times and at all places this is the mark of the true ministers of Jesus Christ. As Christ’s followers we must be willing to stand up for the truth and suffer all things, even death, rather than allow the lies and deceptions of the world and Satan to reign. Paul however is not fighting for some abstract concept of truth, but he is fighting for the one truth: Jesus Christ. Christ tells us, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6). In these amazingly profound words we have the basis for our uncompromising approach to the truth. Knowing that Jesus Christ Himself is the truth we cannot compromise, change, add, or ignore even one iota of the Scriptural testimony. Therefore Paul cannot do a thing against the truth even though he may think the Corinthians may like it better or respond to his ministry better. To follow Christ is to follow the truth, doing not a thing against it, but always battling for it with our entire lives no matter how much the world, our flesh, and the devil clamor against it.
As he concludes his letter Paul tells the Corinthians that he is happy to be weak himself so that they might be made strong in the faith: “We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection” (2 Corinthians 13:9). Paul’s relentless prayer is that the Corinthians are perfected in their faith as they look to Christ alone for salvation and goodness and no longer to the false teachers who point to “self.” Therefore Paul’s purpose for writing this letter was to aide in tearing down the sin and false teachings of the Corinthians so that when he visited he might be ready to continue building them up in Christ: “This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down” (2 Corinthians 13:10). Paul was appointed as a minister of the Gospel truth; his end goal is never the Law, but always preparing his hearers with the Law so that he might build up with the Gospel in the end. His hope is that thru his continued application of the full counsel of God the Corinthians might be driven to contrition and repentance and subsequently to the comfort and grace of the Cross. He doesn’t want them to settle for wallowing in their sinful nature but he wants them to aim for perfection, aim for Jesus Christ as the fount and source of all grace, mercy, obedience, life, and truth. Let us pray that we too do not become complacent in sin but diligently strive for the perfection that is only found in the grace and love of Jesus Christ crucified for our forgiveness. “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14).
In light of this Paul continues on to urge the Corinthians to examine themselves: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul turns the tables on the Corinthians and urges them to stop examining his ministry and start examining their own faith. These bold words are meant to awaken the Corinthians to the possibility that their doubt of his ministry may not have anything to do with him and may have everything to do with their doubting faiths. But what is this test? This test is nothing more than an honest examination of whether we are clinging solely to the Cross of Jesus Christ for all righteousness, goodness, strength, etc. In the face of despairing of all ability of my own am I looking to the Cross for all redemption, life, and salvation? If we find that we are not looking to “me” or the world for answers and are relying on God’s grace in Jesus Christ then He is in fact already living in our lives. “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). To fail the test is to see that Jesus Christ is not our focal point in life, that we are trusting our own will, strength, abilities, choices, decisions, merits, deeds, works, and even our own faith. The question is not whether my faith is “strong enough” (since the strength of our faith is not the issue), the question is: what is my faith in? Is Jesus Christ my true source of comfort and strength despite all my own failings, weaknesses, and lack of faith? Or am I relying on my own ability to have “faith”? To pass the test we must not trust faith or anything else from the world, but must trust and run to Jesus Christ in all things, relying on Him having already done it all on our behalf, even reforming our lives and pulling us from our sin as we speak. “And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test” (2 Corinthians 13:6). If the Corinthians do indeed find that their faith and trust is in the work of Jesus Christ alone then they will also see that Paul’s ministry is the true ministry of an apostle of Jesus Christ, that he in fact has been faithfully carrying the Word of God to them and pointing them relentlessly to Christ crucified. Because Paul brings the Word of Christ to them, he knows that the true sheep of Christ will hear his voice and will recognize that he serves God alone; only if they fail the test will they continue to doubt his ministry. “Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed” (2 Corinthians 13:7). Paul’s ultimate concern is not with the opinion of others about his faith and ministry, all he truly wants is to have the Corinthians continue to faithfully adhere to the pure testimony of God’s Word, relying not on themselves or worldly wisdom but relying on the Cross. Even if the world thinks that Paul has failed his prayer is simply that the Corinthians will be empowered to stand firm in the faith until life everlasting.
Continuing on Paul tells the Corinthians his driving “principle” behind his ministry to them: “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8). For all times and at all places this is the mark of the true ministers of Jesus Christ. As Christ’s followers we must be willing to stand up for the truth and suffer all things, even death, rather than allow the lies and deceptions of the world and Satan to reign. Paul however is not fighting for some abstract concept of truth, but he is fighting for the one truth: Jesus Christ. Christ tells us, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6). In these amazingly profound words we have the basis for our uncompromising approach to the truth. Knowing that Jesus Christ Himself is the truth we cannot compromise, change, add, or ignore even one iota of the Scriptural testimony. Therefore Paul cannot do a thing against the truth even though he may think the Corinthians may like it better or respond to his ministry better. To follow Christ is to follow the truth, doing not a thing against it, but always battling for it with our entire lives no matter how much the world, our flesh, and the devil clamor against it.
As he concludes his letter Paul tells the Corinthians that he is happy to be weak himself so that they might be made strong in the faith: “We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection” (2 Corinthians 13:9). Paul’s relentless prayer is that the Corinthians are perfected in their faith as they look to Christ alone for salvation and goodness and no longer to the false teachers who point to “self.” Therefore Paul’s purpose for writing this letter was to aide in tearing down the sin and false teachings of the Corinthians so that when he visited he might be ready to continue building them up in Christ: “This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down” (2 Corinthians 13:10). Paul was appointed as a minister of the Gospel truth; his end goal is never the Law, but always preparing his hearers with the Law so that he might build up with the Gospel in the end. His hope is that thru his continued application of the full counsel of God the Corinthians might be driven to contrition and repentance and subsequently to the comfort and grace of the Cross. He doesn’t want them to settle for wallowing in their sinful nature but he wants them to aim for perfection, aim for Jesus Christ as the fount and source of all grace, mercy, obedience, life, and truth. Let us pray that we too do not become complacent in sin but diligently strive for the perfection that is only found in the grace and love of Jesus Christ crucified for our forgiveness. “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14).
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