2 Corinthians 13

2 Corinthians 13:1-14 (The Faith versus the false teachers)

(13:1) “This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

“Third time I am coming to you.” Paul had visited Corinth between the writing of 1 and 2 Corinthians. This is why he refers to his future visit being the “third” visit. Since Paul’s earlier visit didn’t go well (2 Cor. 2:1-5), so Paul is hoping that this visit will be on better terms. Indeed, he is writing this letter to set the foundation for healthy conflict.

From where is Paul quoting when he refers to “two or three witnesses”? He could be quoting the OT (Deut. 19:15). He could be quoting Jesus when he refers to the “two or three witnesses”? (cf. Mt. 18:16) He could also be referring to himself and God as the “witnesses” (2 Cor. 1:12, 23; cf. Jn. 8:12-20). We’re not sure. The point is that Paul is inviting multiple people to get involved and figure out the underlying problems in Corinth. He is going to bring all of this conflict out into the public arena.

(13:2) “I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone.”

Paul is coming to bring church discipline. This threat didn’t come out of the blue: He warned them of this sort of confrontation during his second visit to Corinth, which had been a sorrowful and humbling experience (2 Cor. 2:1). Paul warns them again about the consequences of sin and warns about discipline for the unrepentant (2 Cor. 12:21).

“And to all the rest as well.” In Christian community, we cannot excuse ourselves as righteous if others are going astray into sin or unbelief. There are no “innocent bystanders”[] in this sense. If we see others in sin and unbelief, it is our role to “encourage” them out of this (Heb. 3:13) and to “restore” them to a healthy walk with God (Gal. 6:1).

(13:3) “Since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.”

This accusation must have surfaced: If Christ is so powerful, then why is Paul so weak? (cf. 2 Cor. 10:1) Paul flips this around and writes that he will show his display of spiritual power. Paul could be circling back to their earlier accusation (2 Cor. 10:10). The “non-weakness” of Jesus may look back to Jesus’ active discipline of those believers abusing the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:30-31).

(13:4) “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.”

The Corinthians probably wondered how Jesus (being so strong) could speak through Paul (being so weak), Paul is dispelling that accusation by showing that Christ demonstrated incomprehensible weakness by allowing himself to be crucified. His weakness was an active choice. The same is true of Paul, and really of all believers (Phil. 4:13).

(13:5) “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith.” Some commentators argue that Paul isn’t referring to examining their justification.[] Rather the expression “in the faith” (en te pistei) is only used four times by Paul, and it is argued that it only refers to our condition—not our position (cf. 1 Cor. 16:13; Col. 2:7; Titus 1:13). However, we reject this view because Paul’s mention of having the Holy Spirit (or “Jesus is in you”) clearly refers to their position (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9-10).

Why does Paul bring up their salvation at this point in the letter? Paul is arguing in this way, “If you are believers in Christ, how did that happen? I led you to Christ! Remember? But if I am not a Christian, then you are not Christians either.” In a sense, Paul is arguing that “an effect cannot be greater than its cause.” The Corinthians “should be examining themselves, not cross examining him.”[]

At the same time, this is not a fear-threat imperative.[] Earlier, Paul calls them the “church of God” (2 Cor. 1:1), and he has “confidence” in them (2 Cor. 7:4, 16). In fact, he opened both letters by affirming their salvation: “[Jesus] will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8) and “Our hope for you is firmly grounded” (2 Cor. 1:7). Moreover, he uses the first-class conditional phrase,[] which can be rendered, “If, and I’m assuming for the sake of argument that you are, in the faith…” At the same time, Paul wants to make sure that the readers were true believers. A lot was a stake with these false teachers prowling around in Corinth, and Paul wants them to be certain of their salvation.

We might compare this to taking a vacation overseas. Your spouse might ask, “Did you remember to pack your toothbrush? Your socks? Your underwear? Do you want to double check?” If we remember packing these items, there would be no need to double check. After all, we could buy these personal items for a few bucks. However, the situation would change if our spouse asked, “Did you pack your passport? Do you want to double check?” In this case, it would be worthwhile to double check. If you forgot your passport, your vacation would be ruined! Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should check 5, 10, or 100 times. That would be obsessive and compulsive behavior. Once or twice is enough.

The same is true with regard to receiving Christ and coming to faith. We don’t need to pray for God’s acceptance and forgiveness every night in an obsessive way—just to make sure that “the prayer worked.” Jesus promised, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (Jn. 6:37). However, if we aren’t 100% sure that we’ve prayed to receive Christ, it would be worth double checking. After all, there’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

“Examine yourselves!” The word for “examine” (dokimazō) is a play on words with verse 3 (“since you are seeking proof,” dokimē). Paul is effectively saying, “You keep trying to test me, but really, you should be testing yourselves.” Only if they doubted their own salvation should they doubt Paul’s claim to be a true apostle. Put another way, if they did not fail the test then neither did he. Kruse writes, “By testing themselves and reaching the conclusion that they do hold to the faith and that therefore Christ is in them, the Corinthians will at the same time be acknowledging that Paul and his colleagues have not failed.”[] In other words, by testing themselves, they will be able to test the legitimacy of Paul’s apostolic authority versus the claims of the false teachers.

“Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” This question is rhetorical, and it demands a positive reply in the Greek.[] Of course, Paul leaves open the (rhetorical?) possibility that they could “fail the test.”

(13:6) “But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.”

Paul was their spiritual father (1 Cor. 4:15). If they were true believers, then so was Paul. Barnett writes, “To affirm the one demands the other. Their verdict on themselves is their verdict on him. If they are not ‘disproved’ (adokimoi), it can only mean that he is ‘approved’ (dokimos), that is, by God, as he proceeds to say in the verses following.”[]

(13:7) “Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved.”

Paul knew his reputation would have a necessary influence on the Corinthians’ faith. But he cares more about them walking with God than he does being self-vindicated.

(13:8) “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.”

The “truth” here probably refers to the truth of the gospel (13:4).[] Or it could also refer to the fact that Paul couldn’t honestly admit to being guilty of false accusations when he was innocent.

(13:9) “For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete.”

Paul closes this dramatic conflict with affirming his prayer for these people. The term “complete” (katartizō) refers to “the notion of restoring, mending, and equipping. Paul, rather than displaying apostolic power, desires to produce reconciliation among the Corinthians between themselves and God.”[] Paul uses this same word in verse 11.

(13:10) “For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.”

Paul doesn’t want to see church discipline tear apart the church (cf. 2 Cor. 10:8; 12:19). Paul does have apostolic “authority,” but he wants to use this to build up the church, rather than exercise discipline. The same is true of any godly leader. They would prefer to use their authority to build up the church.

Conclusion

(13:11) “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Earlier he prayed for them to be “made complete” (v.9), and now he exhorts them to be “made complete.” They need to participate in their sanctification and repentance. This shows the delicate balance between God’s role and our role.

Paul leaves them with the encouragement to live healthy “body life.” If they do this, then God will be active in their midst (“the God of love and peace will be with you”). This is similar to the early church practicing the basics of body life (Acts 2:42-47). When they did this, God “added to their number day by day” (Acts 2:47).

(13:12) “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

Athenagoras stated that if the “holy kiss” had any other ulterior motives, then the person would be excluded from eternal life (!!).[] This would surely scare away any creepy guys from trying to kiss the women in the fellowship!

(13:13) “All the saints greet you.”

While Paul was having conflict with these believers, he bore no resentment or alienation from them. He includes that the other believers were greeting them as well.

(13:14) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

This is a good passage for the doctrine of the Trinity. Paul commends them to both the persons of the Trinity, but also their attributes (e.g. grace, love, fellowship).

Finally, even though Paul had conflict with some people in Corinth, he wants the grace of Jesus to be with them “all.”

Was Paul’s letter successful?

Paul’s labors with the Corinthians were successful. For one, he wrote the book of Romans during his visit to Corinth (Acts 20:2-3). From there, he planned to move on to Rome (Rom. 15:24-28), which seems unlikely if this church was in shambles. And finally, the preservation of this letter hardly fits with the notion that the letter failed (i.e. why preserve a letter that failed in its mission?). After all, Paul’s earlier letter (before 1 Corinthians) was not preserved, but this one was.

Questions for Reflection

Based on verse 5. What’s the difference between healthy introspection and morbid introspection?

Based on verse 5. What are subjective signs that we have a relationship with Christ? What are subjective signs that we never really came to authentic faith in Christ?

Based on verse 5. How would you counsel a person who repeatedly was questioning whether or not they had a relationship with Christ?

Based on verse 7. How do we develop a perspective like Paul’s, where we care more about people’s well-being than our own reputation? What are some small steps that we can take to grow in this area.