August
28th 2
Corinthians 13 I will visit you again soon
1:
This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or
three witnesses shall every word be established. 2: I told you
before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and
being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to
all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare: 3: Since ye seek
a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but
is mighty in you. 4: For though he was crucified through weakness,
yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but
we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 5: Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know
ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates? 6: But I trust that ye shall know that we are not
reprobates. 7: Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we
should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest,
though we be as reprobates. 8: For we can do nothing against the
truth, but for the truth. 9: For we are glad, when we are weak, and
ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection. 10:
Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I
should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath
given me to edification, and not to destruction.
E.
Personal Farewell & Blessing
11:
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of
one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with
you. 12: Greet one another with an holy kiss. 13: All the saints
salute you. 14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Lastly
Paul says that when he comes to Corinth again this will be the third
time that he will have come to them. He also says that everything he
says will be confirmed by two or three witnesses. (In the Law every
word had to be conformed by two or better three witnesses. This is
why Christ sent the Apostles out in pairs and this is why Paul went
out with a partner in the gospel.) He says l have mentioned this
before and now l tell you this before l arrive, as if l were already
with you. He says, l am writing to those who have sinned and to
everyone else that if he comes to Corinth in a Spirit of judgment
then he will be unsparing in his apostolic authority. He says because
you have sought proof of ministry in the name of Christ, which you
think is weak in me, yet is will be powerful toward you. When Christ
died he died in weakness but in resurrection life he demonstrates the
almighty power of God. And we are weak in Christ, but we shall
demonstrate the power of God toward you. So examine yourselves
carefully as to whether you are in the faith. Prove your standing
before God to yourselves. Don’t you know yourselves that Jesus
Christ is in you, unless you have already turned away from Christ
having failed the test of holiness. My prayer to God is that you no
nothing that is evil. Not just to be seen by men but seen as honest
before God. We do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. We
are glad when we are weak and you are strong and we want you to go on
to ‘perfection’ i.e. complete salvation in Christ. (This in part
is the same message as the Letter to the Hebrews, where the writer
addresses those who attend the ministry of the Word but who are not
saved yet, which the writer calls ‘perfection’) It is for this
reason that l have written this letter to you, because if l were
present l might use sharpness in my ministry to you. This would be
according to the power of the Lord which he has given me both to
strengthen you believers in the faith and not the destruction of the
ungodly in judgment. (The Apostles especially when dealing with the
Jews used apostolic miracles, (which were Messianic signs to Israel,)
of power to heal and to make sick or even to die those who hear the
Gospel. This was in accord with the Old Covenant which promised life
and health to those who feared God but cursed those who rejected God
with sickness and death. Paul didn’t want to come to Corinth to
decimate the congregation in the Power of the Lord) Lastly he says,
I bid you to fare well. Be complete, Be cheered in the Lord, Be
united in heart, Live in peace with one another and the God of love
and peace will be with you. Greet each other with a kiss of holiness.
All the saints here send their respects. May the Grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you all – Amen.
- How will Paul come to the church it Corinth next time?
- How is Paul trying to balance his Apostiolic discipline with Apostolic blessing?
- What Are Pauls closing exhortations?
No comments:
Post a Comment