This is a Bible study on 2 Corinthians 13:1-14.

Source: The Outlook, 1992. 4 pages.

2 Corinthians 13:1-14 - Aiming for Congregational Maturity

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless you are disqualified.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

Christ's Spokesman Warns of Impending Discipline (Read 13:1-4)🔗

We have come, now, to the last chapter of 2 Corinthians. With tears born of pastoral anguish, Paul has been pleading with them to wake up, to recognize the true character of gospel-servanthood, and to turn away from false apostles with their human standards of leadership and influence.

One of the purposes of this letter has been to an­nounce his third visit (see 12:14; 13:1), one in which the apostle would surely apply discipline within the congregation. This discipline would be biblical, carefully following the prescriptions for fairness laid down in the Old Testament, rules that have never been set aside. 'By the mouth of two or three witness­es every word shall be established,' he warns, quoting Deuteronomy 19:15.

His threat of impending discipline has been issued before, and here he sounds it again. The substance of his warning is this: 'If I come again, I will not spare.'

Why this bluntness, this pointed announcement? Because the Corinthians were demanding from Paul proof that Christ was speaking through him. Since they preferred the false leaders' displays of rhetorical power and fashionable leadership, they had misjudged the apostle's gentleness and meekness as being noth­ing but weakness. So, if it's power they want, wait until Paul visits Corinth for a third time, when he may be forced to show the power of Christ's wrath against their continuing sin.

The Corinthians' quarrel, after all, was not with Paul, but with Christ, his Sender. But He is the risen and exalted Christ, endowed with all authority in heaven and on earth, the omnipotent Ruler sitting at the Father's right hand.

And yet, lest they misunderstand this appeal to Christ's power, the apostle paints a stunning portrait of how, in Christ, weakness and power are related: 'For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God' (13:4a).

The 'weakness' in which Christ was crucified was the weakness of self-denial. It was the weakness spoken of elsewhere as Christ humbling Himself, emptying Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient to the Father's will all the way to the cross (Philippians 2:5-9). But the weakness of the cross was not the last word, for it was swallowed up by power — the power of resurrection. The crucifixion and resurrection, the cross and the crown, belong together; the one cannot be understood without the other.

For Christ, weakness was not the absence of power, but its prerequisite. This power, moreover, was not the achievement earned through self-assertion, but the reward for self-sacrifice. (Question 1)

Next, Paul employs this combination and manifes­tation of weakness and power as a model for Chris­tians, especially apostles and their ministerial succes­sors: 'For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you' (13:4b). Notice that weakness is the apostle's current condition, whereas power is the future prospect. Voluntary self-denial, in the ministry and in the Christian life, is the route toward divine empowerment.

The Congregation Summoned to Self-Examination (Read 13:5-6)🔗

The prospect of Paul's announced third visit, along with the possibility of stern church discipline, leads to the sober summons which serves as our memory verse for this lesson: 'Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless you are disqualified' (13:5).

For so long now these church members had been examining Paul's apostolic credentials and claims, comparing them to those of the false apostles. Now it's time to turn the searchlight around on themselves. And what a fundamental challenge is put to them by the apostle: 'See whether you are in the faith.' See if you're really Christians!

Why this test of self-knowledge? Well, if they know Jesus Christ to be 'in themselves,' then they must also know that Paul is the one who proclaimed Christ to them. These Corinthian Christians will then recognize themselves as Paul's letter of commendation (see 3:2), as the seal of his divinely given apostleship. To these believers Paul's appeal is logical and simple: the genuineness of their position in Christ stands or falls with the genuineness of his authority as Christ's apostle.

This logic helps explain verse 6: 'But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.' If the Corinthians pass the test, then the man who first led them into grace cannot be quite as worthless as some have been claiming. He too must be given a passing grade when his ministry among them is judged by proper standards of leadership. If they fail the test, then, true enough, Paul will be humiliated — but they will be in no position to point a critical finger at him or anyone else.

This is quite an interesting rejoinder by the apostle, isn't it? To prepare them for his visit, he calls his Corinthian critics to look carefully, not at his message or his manner, nor those of his rivals, but at them­selves, at their Christian experience and position in Christ. Humanly speaking, whom do they have to thank for this? Why, the apostle Paul, of course!

A Pastor's Prayer for Congregational Maturity (Read 13:7-10)🔗

The apostle's prayers deserve a study all by them­selves. Often at the beginning of his letters, occasion­ally at the end, and even sandwiched in the middle, these prayers throb with a pastor's heartbeat. (Ques­tion 2)

His prayer for the Corinthians captures everything he's been writing: 'Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified' (v.7). Paul prays not for his own vindica­tion, but for their preservation from sin. Once more he urges the repentance of those who, by life or teaching, are contradicting the gospel.

What is his motive? Not that he, Paul, look good, but that the Corinthians might turn away from error, and thereby avert the apostle's stern discipline, and perhaps even make him look like a fool.

In verse 8 the apostle seems to be saying that if he should find, upon arrival in Corinth, humble repen­tance and godly sorrow, any display of apostolic authority through discipline would work against the truth of the gospel. Only in the face of continued disobedience is that disciplining authority necessary.

In this context, therefore, 'weakness' would delight the apostle. That is, if his threatened discipline were `neutralized' by their repentance (which would demon­strate their 'strength'), so that his threat would fall to the ground unenforced, why, he would rejoice!

What genuine pastoral humility is expressed in Paul's simple petition: 'And this also we pray, that you may be made complete' (v.9b). The congregation's perfection, maturity, and completeness — these are the single goal of ministerial leadership, of preaching and discipline. Such leadership rises above retaliation, refuses to take cheap shots at the congregation, and sets aside all questions of personal security and promo­tion. (Question 3)

But this apostolic tenderness is also realistic. Al­though Paul hopes that his letter will produce good results, he is prepared to use his Lord-given authority if those results are not forthcoming. That authority can destroy, if the Corinthian church should prove to be a false church and the rot of unbelief requires removal. But even that destruction serves the further aim of edification, of rebuilding something better. The choice rests with the Corinthians themselves, as to how the apostle's authority will need to be used among them.

Till We Meet Again (Read 13:11-14)🔗

Farewells can often be painful. But the lingering wishes of a loving 'goodbye' can last for a long time.

The pastoral farewell of this epistle contains four crisp exhortations.

  • The first is: 'Become complete.' Aim for perfec­tion. Paul picks up the word he used in verse 9, the single aim of his prayer for the Corinthians: 'that you may be made complete.' (Question 4)

  • The second encouragement is: 'Be of good comfort' — turning the reader back to the very first verses of this epistle (read 1:3-7).

  • A third injunction follows: 'Be of one mind,' calling these believers to work hard at coming to agreement, to unity of thought and confession, in order to live out of that oneness.

  • Finally, the apostle urges the Corinthians to 'live in peace.' The opposite of peace is polarization, jealou­sy, which sadly generate the sins of slander, jealousy, and backbiting. Peace comes through reconciliation, the reconciliation described so beautifully earlier in 5:18-21.

How shall they heed these admonitions? The apostle cements his farewell with this blessing: 'and the God of love and peace will be with you' (v.11b). The presence of God, whose character and gifts are best described with the words 'love' and 'peace,' is both the source and condition for interpersonal harmony in the church.

Such harmony is given visible expression through the ancient custom of greeting with a kiss. Here, Paul exhorts church members of that day to exchange a holy kiss (for us: a holy handshake). Why 'holy'? Because that which is symbolized by a handshake between Christians — namely, unity at the foot of the cross — is sacred, too sacred to play around with.

What an encouragement it is for the apostle to extend greetings from 'all the saints' (v.13). It is true that the means of grace, gospel preaching and the holy sacraments, are given to local churches for bringing people to faith or strengthening existing faith. But the scope of divine redemption extends beyond the city limits.

The apostle's final benediction constitutes his closing prayer, his concluding advice for the Corinthian church situation — and for ours: 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen' (v.14). The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is the source and exam­ple of self-denial; the love of God the Father provides the antidote to jealousy and unholy competition; and the communion of the Holy Spirit bestows the spiritual power for overcoming petty quarrels and for living together in love.

This trinitarian benediction, with which many pastors conclude divine worship, proclaims an order of heavenly blessing with a climax and crescendo: grace ... love ... communion. Grace finds expression in love and communion, and is their prerequisite for enjoyment. Divine love is the spark that ignites grace to produce the warmth of spiritual fellowship.

The apostle is ready, now, to end his letter. His familiar 'amen' serves as a final declaration of pastoral confidence that his prayers and pleadings will bear fruit. That confidence roots not in his person or pen, but in his Sender and Savior. As we end our study of this blessed epistle, may we all acknowledge the supremacy of this Savior, whose style and sacrifice ought to set the tone for pastoral leadership and congregational conduct alike. May God's power truly be magnified in all our weakness!

Questions for Reflection and Reply🔗

  1. Reread that paragraph, and reflect on why Jesus Christ looks so foolish to the world.

  2. Find three prayers of the apostle Paul in other letters. Summarize the theme of each, and explain how they relate the rest of the letter in which each prayer is found.

  3. In terms of 'congregational prayers' in worship services, what biblical advice would you offer a pastor so that these prayers may be genuine worship?

  4. Notice the passive voice in v.9b ('be made complete') and the active voice in v.11 ('become complete'). How does this illustrate divine sover­eignty and human responsibility in redemption? What does the phrase 'ora et labor' mean, and how is it illustrated by these verses?

  5. Summarize the basic theme and several lessons you have learned from your study of this epistle.

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