seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 13:1 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”[a] 2 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, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 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 in our dealing with you.
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 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.
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All God’s people here send their greetings.
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
a. 2 Corinthians 13:1 Deut. 19:15
This is from the easy English site.
Paul warns them that he is coming to them. Two or three witnesses must prove that someone has done wrong things. During the ‘painful’ visit, he said this: He would punish those who had done wrong things. Now he says that he will do this. This will happen when he comes for the third time. His purpose was to make them better people. This would prove to them that he comes in the power of the risen Jesus. Christ appeared to be weak while he was on earth and especially on the cross. His followers share that weakness. Now he is alive in the power of God. The Christians at Corinth will see that power in Paul’s life.
He ends with a final warning. They have been testing him. Now they should test themselves. They should see that Christ is in them. That is unless they fail the test. But no real Christian would fail this test.
Paul had not failed the test. The proof of that was that they had become Christians. They must do what was right. Then Paul would not need to show his authority or to punish them. He did not need to do anything against what was true (right and proper). He wanted the Christians at Corinth to do the right things. Then he would be glad to be weak (not to have to show his power). He would be glad that they were strong. He prays that they may be perfect. The word ‘perfect’ here has a special meaning. It describes how people repair an object. Then they can use it again. The word often referred to fishermen who mended their nets. He hoped that by warning them he would not need to be severe with them. He wanted to encourage them, not to punish them.
So he says goodbye to them. He encourages them to change their ways. They should listen to his appeal. They should live in peace (that is, calm) and greet one another in a friendly way.
This is from blueletterbible.org.This will be the third time I am coming to you: On his first visit to Corinth, Paul founded the church and stayed a year and six months (Acts 18:11). His second visit was a brief, painful visit in between the writing of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. Now he is prepared to come for a third time.
Since you see a proof of Christ speaking in me: Paul’s opponents, the most eminent apostles among the Corinthian Christians (2 Corinthians 11:5 and 12:11), said they wanted to see more “power” from Paul. He seemed too weak and humble for their liking. So Paul addressed this thinking: “You want to see proof of Christ speaking in me? Fine. When I come the third time, you will see the power of God in my rebuke as I clean house. So clean it up before I come.”
For we can do nothing against the truth: Paul, even as an apostle, could do nothing against the truth. Even the apostles were not above the truth. Paul could only work effectively for the truth, not against the truth.
Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace: By exhorting the Corinthian Christians to do these things, Paul proves an important point. These are at least partially in our power to do. We often think that our comfort, or being of one mind, and our being at peace with others just depends on them. In part that is true, but it also depends on us. We need to let God worry about their part, and we can worry about our part.
i. It costs something to work hard to be of good comfort, be of one mind, and to live in peace; but the reward is worth it: the God of love and peace will be with you. If you feel that God isn’t with you, perhaps it is because you are resisting and rejecting His call to be of good comfort, be of one mind, and to live in peace.
Paul says he had visions and he said he conversations with the Risen Christ. According to Paul that makes him an Apostle.... but it doesn't.... it makes him a disciple and possibly an apostle.... but according to google.... he was not an Apostle. The capital A means he was one of those that Jesus chose to walk with Him during His ministry. Paul came along later.... and Paul didn't choose to follow Jesus.... Jesus knocked Paul down.... according to his tale.... and Jesus showed Paul firsthand the power of God.... leaving him blind and defenseless. Paul didn't accept pay from the church in Corinth.... but Paul was asking them to load up a trailer with gold so Paul and his buddies could take it back to Jerusalem to the Christian Jews there. The members of the church in Corinth didn't trust Paul. He wasn't an Apostle.... he claimed to be an apostle..... and he claimed to be there on orders from Jesus.
Now the membership of the church in Corinth was a real mixed bag. There were Christian Jews in the church.... who dealt with the questions of circumcision and food laws. There were male and female prostitutes. The men in that church weren't there just for the rich old ladies you know. The men in the church who were employed at the local Temple of Aphrodite would have been with other men....They were male prostitutes and they were there for the pleasure of men as well as women.... and the female prostitutes were just as willing....... but now they were Christians.... and on top of that they didn't trust Paul.
I think Paul was saying there were some people in the church in Corinth who were teaching something other than the gospel. Paul wanted that shut down... problem was... those fake preachers... the ones preaching to the paycheck.... were saying and doing things the prostitutes understood... they were providing a service and requesting payment for the service. Paul was saying he didn't want a paycheck.... he just wanted ALL their available resources so he could supply the needs of another church.... and that... did.... not.... compute.
In Acts Paul told the author about his encounters with Jesus. In Corinth.... the people in the church found Jesus.... but don't trust Paul.
Paul was an ugly, bald, bowlegged, bully on a mission. He wanted the Christians in Corinth to step up and show their faith....... in Jesus.
The church in Corinth had men who laid with men... and women who laid with women... sitting in the same pews as the Christian Jews..... the rich and the poor sat side by side... the hookers and the Jews.... worshiping the one true Living God.
