Chapter 13
Not to Sound Melodramatic But This is Your Final Warning
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.
Paul announces that he is coming to them for a third time, but warns that even though during his first two visits, and while absent (through writing) he has called their attention to their sin and spared them by taking no action against them in the past, but he will during this next visit. Paul promises that every charge made against those who have sinned will be established by the testimony of two or more witnesses (as established in God’s law, see Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 19:15). If they wondered if Jesus speaks through him, they won’t have any doubt as he will not be weak in dealing with them, Jesus may have been crucified in weakness, but He now lives by the power of God and all believers will live with Him by the same power.
13:5 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.
Paul calls for them to examine and test themselves, to see if they are in the faith. Paul reminds them that Jesus resides in them (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16, see also Romans 8:10; Galatians 4:19) unless they fail the test. Throughout this epistle Paul has been defending his identification as being a true apostle of Jesus, he now reverses that and questions their legitimacy as being true followers of Christ. He doesn’t offer a method or an evaluation form, but does point out that just like all other tests, there will be a person that will grade their results and that person is Jesus. He hopes that they will also see that they (Paul and those with him) have not failed the test.
13:7 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.
Paul prays that they will not choose to do the wrong thing by refusing to accept their correction, that they do the right thing, even though it may look like they may have failed in their minds. Paul explains that they will not do anything against the truth, they can only do what supports the truth. And that they are more than willing to look weak as that only makes the church look stronger. He then injects that they are praying for their restoration (Greek ‘katartisin’, made fully ready, fully qualified). Which is why, as Paul explains, he is writing before visiting, so that he can use his authority that Jesus gave him to build them up instead of tearing them down after he arrives.
Considerations
Self-Examination
Can we test ourselves? Of course we can! A self-examination doesn’t evaluate our salvation status as there is only one criterion for that and that is the belief in Jesus as our Savior, instead, this is a simple evaluation of our sense of priority in life. To determine your commitment to Jesus. We start with the question, “Is Jesus our number one priority?” If so, then we trust Him for all provision and we have faith that He will keep all of His promises, including the promise of salvation when we die. But if He is not our top priority and we have on our list of priorities that are above Him, things like our education, careers, getting a high-paying job, etc. those things we are pursuing on our own, then we probably failed the test!
Believers in Corinth, We Really Do Love You!
13:11 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.
In closing, Paul tells them to rejoice, to pursue restoration, to comfort each other, to have unity, and to live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with them. He also desires for them to greet one another with a holy kiss (see 1 Corinthians 16:20) and all of the believers with him send their greetings. In the last verse Paul closes with a blessing of Jesus’ grace and the love of God, followed by an unusual blessing that requests the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be with everyone. Beside the Trinitarian nature of the blessing, Paul knows that through disobedience to God we can lose our fellowship with God. Probably something they needed desperately! But it is interesting to note that Paul didn’t close with a statement of love coming from him like he did in the first epistle (see 1 Corinthians 16:24).