FINAL WARNING AND CLOSING WORDS. Paul finishes the letter with a promise shortly to be with them for a third time and with a final challenge. He warns them that if their behaviour is as he fears he will not spare them when he comes. This third visit will witness to their true situation. They have s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word established”.' He was now coming on his third visit. The first visit was when he founded the church. It had been a time of joy, of sowing and reaping, of love between the brethren and sisterhood, am... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I have said before, and I do say before, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned in the past up to now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare.' Here two witnesses are called on, the past painful visit and the present letter writt... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Seeing that you seek a proof of Christ that speaks in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you, for he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you.' His firm and sev... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Try your own selves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know you not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are reprobate (failing the test).' But he does not want to have to act as depicted in 2 Corinthians 13:4 so he pleads with them to consider... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I hope that you will know that we are not reprobate (failing the test).' And his hope is that as they do this they will come to recognise that Paul and his fellow-workers are not reprobate, not God-rejected, because they will recognise in them both the manifestation of Christ's weakness, (thro... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now we pray to God that you do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honourable, and that we be as reprobate.' So on the assumption of their new recognition of his acceptability with God, as one who is not disapproved, he points out that he is praying for them... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.' This is because he is incapable of doing anything which is against the truth, because he is totally for the truth. What matters to him is the truth, both in doctrine and in life. It is only the truth and its consequences that are importa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For we rejoice, when we are weak, and you are strong. This we also pray for, even your perfecting.' For his rejoicing is not in what he is or in how he is seen, for if his weakness results in their strength he is satisfied. What concerns him is their being made strong. This too is what he prays fo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down.' The verse connects with 2 Corinthians 10:8 suggesting that ‘these things' refers to Chapter s 10-13. He has writt... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Finally, brethren, rejoice (‘farewell'). Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.' With this thought he moves on to his farewells. He still sees them as ‘brothers and sisters' (brethren), and bids them ‘rejoice' (while literall... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the saints salute you.' That they salute with a ‘holy kiss' (and thus not sexually oriented) occurs regularly (see Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14). It might be on the cheek, forehead, or regularly on the hand. Its purpo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.' The letter comes to an end with this fullest of ascriptions, not paralleled in full elsewhere. As elsewhere in the Corinthian letters Paul brings together the three members... [ Continue Reading ]