2 Corinthians 13: Examine Yourselves
Before his third visit, Paul warns the unrepentant, calls the church to self-examination, and prays for their restoration and peace.
2 Corinthians 13 (WEB)
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
2 I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;
3 seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you.
4 For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
6 But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified.
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. And this we also pray for, even your perfecting.
10 For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same 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 the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13 (KJV)
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.
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. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
2 Corinthians 13 (ASV)
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established.
2 I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;
3 seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you:
4 for he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth 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.
5 Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.
6 But I hope that ye shall know that we are not reprobate.
7 Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is honorable, though we be as reprobate.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we rejoice, when we are weak, and ye are strong: this we also pray for, even your perfecting.
10 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.
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
12 Salute one another with a 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 Spirit, be with you all.
Summary
Paul announces that this will be his third visit, and citing the rule that every charge must be established by two or three witnesses, he warns those who have sinned and not repented that this time he will not spare them. Since they demand proof that Christ is speaking in him, they will find that Christ is not weak toward them but powerful among them. For though Christ was crucified in weakness, he lives by the power of God, and likewise Paul and his coworkers, though weak in him, will live with him by God's power for the sake of the Corinthians. He turns the test back on them: they should examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith, testing themselves to recognize that Jesus Christ is in them—unless they fail the test. Paul hopes they will see that he and his companions have not failed, but more than vindicating himself he prays that they will do no wrong, not so that he will appear approved, but that they will do what is right even if he should seem to have failed, for he can do nothing against the truth but only for it. He rejoices to be weak if they are strong, and his prayer is for their full restoration. He writes these things while absent so that when present he will not have to deal harshly, using the authority the Lord gave him for building up rather than tearing down. He closes with warm final appeals: to rejoice, to be restored, to be encouraged, to be of one mind and live in peace, with the promise that the God of love and peace will be with them. He urges them to greet one another with a holy kiss, sends greetings from all the saints, and ends with the great Trinitarian blessing: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all.
Main Characters
- Paul — The apostle preparing his third visit, warning the unrepentant, calling for self-examination, and praying for the church's restoration in the truth.
- The Corinthian believers — The church urged to test whether they are in the faith, to be restored and of one mind, and to live in peace under God's blessing.
- Christ — The Lord who was crucified in weakness yet lives by the power of God, who speaks in Paul and dwells in true believers.
- The triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose grace, love, and fellowship Paul invokes as the closing blessing on the whole church.
Key Verse
2 Corinthians 13:14 (WEB)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
Lessons Learned
- Persistent, unrepented sin will finally be confronted, not endlessly overlooked.
- We should test ourselves honestly to see whether we are truly in the faith.
- The power of God works through what looks weak, just as it did in the cross.
- God's purpose in correction is restoration and peace, not destruction.
- Examine your own faith. “Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5, WEB). Self-examination guards against self-deception.
- God's power works through weakness. Christ “was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4, WEB). The same pattern marks his people.
- Discipline aims at building up. Authority is given “for building up, and not for tearing down” (2 Corinthians 13:10, WEB). Correction serves restoration.
- Live in the grace of the triune God. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14, WEB). The whole Trinity is our blessing.
- Why does Paul warn that he will “not spare” the unrepentant on his next visit (13:1-2)?
- What does it mean to “test your own selves, whether you are in the faith” (13:5)?
- How does the pattern of Christ crucified in weakness yet living by God's power shape Paul's ministry (13:4)?
- What is the goal of Paul's authority and correction (13:10)?
- How might the closing blessing of grace, love, and fellowship (13:14) shape your life and relationships this week?
- After patience and warnings, Paul declares that on his third visit “I will not spare” those who have sinned and not repented (13:2). His earlier gentleness should not be mistaken for weakness or indifference to sin. Citing the rule of witnesses, he signals that genuine, loving discipline will finally act if repentance does not come; mercy delayed is not mercy abandoned.
- To test oneself is to honestly examine whether one's faith is real—whether “Jesus Christ is in you” (13:5). Rather than constantly scrutinizing Paul, the Corinthians should look at themselves. Self-examination is not morbid introspection but a healthy check against self-deception, confirming that we truly belong to Christ and are living in the faith we profess.
- Paul says Christ “was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God,” and so “we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God” (13:4). The cross-and-resurrection pattern defines his ministry: apparent weakness is the channel of divine power. Paul does not despise weakness because it is precisely where God's life-giving strength is displayed.
- Paul says the Lord gave him authority “for building up, and not for tearing down” (13:10). Even his sharpest warnings aim at restoration; he writes beforehand so he will not have to be severe in person. The goal of all godly correction is not to crush or destroy but to restore, mature, and strengthen the people of God.
- This is a personal-application question. The blessing invokes the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (13:14). Invite members to consider how living in these realities might shape their week—resting in grace, secure in God's love, sharing in the Spirit's communion. As leader, close warmly, perhaps praying this blessing over the group.