As you open your bible to chapter 13, you'll see that this is the last chapter to this letter. There were many things going on in Corinth that concerned Paul and he wrote to them about these things and gave them doctrine as a means of correcting them. Throughout all this correction, Paul was consistent in his remedy. He kept calling them back to the simplicity of Christ; the gospel message. If they kept Jesus Christ at the center of their lives and held tightly to the gospel message, then all this other stuff would take care of itself.
If Christ had saved them, how could they not live every day giving the life He redeemed back to Him? How could they take their life back and live it their own way? We didn't do any work to get saved and there is no work we have to do to stay saved. However, there is a right response. What should the response be to such an amazing grace? Most of the saints of Corinth didn't know the answer. Paul was trying to tell them and the absence of that right response was an indication of a much larger problem among them.
Each believer is present in the church to serve a function within that church. If we do that one thing right everything else will take care of itself. That purpose is being a church with Christ at the center. That calls for us to break bread together, to study the word, to pray and worship together. Within this purpose, we each operate differently with gifts God has given us.
The church is a living, breathing mystery of God. Every person in a fellowship has been called to serve the others with their gifts. When Christ isn't at the center, or completely missing in the people, then people aren't using their gifts, they live carnal lives and are operating in the flesh. Then the fellowship suffers.
Paul wasn't sure what to expect when he came back. There were some that were unrepentant; some regarding moral sins and others regarding the presence of the 'eminent apostles' and the ethic they were creating in the church. How many? We don't know. How many sympathized with them? How many were just confused about the entire affair. The saddest of all thoughts; how many walked away from the church having seen the drama when God's children act like the world. Paul feared he would not find them in the state he wanted; in turn they would find Paul in a way they didn't want (2 Cor 12:20a).
What an unpleasant visit this would quickly become if he found these ongoing issues had not been dealt with. It would serve as an indication that Christ was not at the center. They had themselves and their fleshly desires at the center. They were there, asking what's in it for me, instead of serving each other for the purpose of edification and furthering the gospel. As you start this chapter you see Paul make one final plea to this dysfunctional fellowship. He asks them to undergo an examination and see what the results were.
2 Corinthians 13:1-4
This is Paul's third trip to Corinth. The first was when he founded the church there. That was on the 2nd missionary journey and you can read about that in Acts 18. Paul had been in Athens at the Areopagus where they had statues to all the Greek gods. The Greeks didn't want to offend any gods, so, in case they left one out they had an altar to the unknown god. That's when Paul proclaimed Jesus to them as that unknown God. Paul wanted to make him known to them.
Right after this, Paul left Athens and pulled into Corinth for the first time. He met Aquilla and Priscilla there, they were tent makers also. Together, they began to preach the gospel message in these synagogues. This was Paul's method of operation. He went to these towns and preached in the synagogue first and some of the Jews would believe and then a church was born. Things seemed to be a little tougher in Corinth, though.
Sometime later Silas and Timothy joined them and Paul devoted all his time to preaching Jesus Christ in the synagogues. But in this case the Jews resisted and even blasphemed. That's when Paul shook out his garment and said he was done and would take his message to the gentiles. It turned out that all the preaching in the synagogue had converted the leader and his family. Obviously, this didn't make the other Jewish leaders happy so they started bringing charges against Paul. Paul was there for a year and half as he started the church. And if you read Acts 18 that's about all the details there are of the initial visit. So, it was rough from the start in Corinth.
We know after Paul ended this first visit there were other letters written to Corinth; we don't have those communications. Later, when Paul was in Ephesus on his 3rd missionary Journey is when he wrote the letter of 1st Corinthians. This letter was basically to inform them of their wrong beliefs and the wrong beliefs were resulting in wrong living. Paul gave the Corinthians a pretty good course in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. He covered the cross, divine wisdom and human wisdom, carnality, eternal rewards, the transformation of salvation, sanctification, the nature of Christ, the role of women, marriage and divorce, Spirit baptism, indwelling and gifts of the Spirit, the unity of the body, theology of love, and the doctrine of the resurrection. That's a lot to take in. He gave them a lot to think about and there was a lot of correction that needed to be made in this church. The fact was that it didn't look like the church at all. It looked more like the world that was all around them.
The culture of Corinth was known for its gross immorality and drunken debauchery. We know that the Acropolis was the temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. It is often said, though sometimes disputed, that there were a 1000 temple prostitutes that lived and worked there and came into the city at night to offer their services. The city itself was a port city and major land highway also and that made it a center of trade. Every day people came and went, it was a mixture of cultures and values, religions and gods. And wherever humanity gathers, sin gathers. Humanism reigns and moral depravity follows. This made Corinth a fine place for a church.
The young church was struggling to thrive and survive; not just with the culture and the world around them, but that the world was in them; in the church. They were carnal and worldly; they were trying to live in the world while being a Christian and being transformed by Christ. They had one foot in heaven and one in the world. This is like being double-minded; it's hypocritical, which is like having one face and hiding it with a mask to fool others.
There is a war going on in each of us every day. We can't ignore that war, we have to recognize it and engage in it. Ignoring the war between the flesh and the spirit is a victory for the flesh every time. The flesh wars fiercely with the Spirit. So, our spirit must be strengthened daily for war.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (NKJV; Romans 8:5-6; 1982, Thomas Nelson)
There is a tale about an Indian who becomes a Christian when a missionary shared a Bible story with him. I tried to find the source of this story but couldn't find it. The missionary returned to the Indian village several months after the Indian became a Christian. The missionary asked the Indian how he was doing. The Indian said, "It is like there are two dogs inside me. One is good. The other is bad. They fight all the time." The missionary asked, "Which one wins?" The Indian replied, "Whichever one I feed the most."
There is a good dog and a bad dog in each of us; they are fighting all the time. But we control which one wins by which one we feed. The dog that isn't fed is weakened and frail. So, as you feed on the word of God and walk as disciple in a life of obedience, then your spirit is strengthened. The sinful nature is no longer winning battles. That's the way it's supposed to happen. That's not what was going on in Corinth.
After Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians from Ephesus is about the time many believe he went back to visit the Corinthians because he heard the false apostles had arrived there. That was his second visit. That visit was called the painful visit. On that painful second visit, accusations were thrown about and the visit was very confrontational. Paul didn't stay long and went back to Ephesus. There he wrote the severe letter as a follow-up to his visit. In this letter, Paul gave the Corinthian Christians a scalding for what was going on. We can only infer what the letter said from the references to it. The letter itself was lost.
Paul sent this letter to Corinth by Titus and then he went to Macedonia. That letter would either send the Corinthians off the cliff or bring them to repentance. You can imagine how scolding these guys could have resulted in them saying they were done with Paul and all his teaching. Some of them had already embraced these new teachers, these false apostles. Paul called on them to make a choice but to understand what they were choosing. When Titus finally caught back up with Paul, he reported that the Corinthians had repented and there would be reconciliation. That's when Paul sat down and wrote this letter of 2nd Corinthians. And, as he wrote it, he began to plan his 3rd visit there.
On this 3rd visit, Paul said, "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." This is a quote from Deuteronomy 19:15; this just says that no single testimony could be used to convict or condemn someone in a matter. One person could have bruised pride or hurt feelings. When 2 or 3 give testimony, the chances are much better that the truth would prevail. Getting 3 people to even agree on facts is difficult, getting them to agree on a fabrication would be even more so. So, the testimony given by one had to be confirmed with a second or third. In this case, the 3 witnesses against the matter in Corinth may be Paul and his associates. Or it may be the 3 visits of Paul. Either way the point is the same. The testimony was in and it was time to act on it. Paul had pled his case and given instruction for correction. Now it was time to come as a judge. No more calls for repentance or correction, no more pleading. Paul had explained himself, pled his case and called for repentance. Now it was time for him to evaluate how they received the correction. Had they repented and corrected their ways?
Paul said I will not spare— since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. They wanted proof that Christ was speaking in Paul. This is fascinating because they were critical of the meekness and gentleness that Paul used in their presence on the previous visits. Paul had come in gentleness and showed his weakness, being Christlike. Now, he was coming in the appearance of weakness, which is what Jesus did; but that was just an appearance, Christ lives by the power of God. Likewise, Paul said he lived with Him by the power of God and he was bringing that power to deal with them. Wow! Were they going to get it. This was fair warning to these guys and their followers. Paul was coming and was getting serious. He was coming to them in full apostolic authority, bearing the power of Christ that worked through him. I suspect by the time Paul got done with them they were telling Paul he needed to be a little gentler and meeker.
There is some indication these 'super apostles' downplayed the crucifixion and resurrection; as it it revealed some weakness in Christ. This may be why Paul makes this comment if verse four. He was crucified in weakness but He lives. In a similar way, we are weak in our flesh; we are weak in Him. We bring nothing to this relationship but our weakness. Yet, we shall live with Him by the power of God.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Since Paul's 2nd visit he has been dealing with the accusations made by these false apostles or by the Corinthians Christians who were following them. They were questioning the authenticity and credibility of Paul. They were picking him apart; they didn't like the way he looked, the way he spoke or his teaching. The list probably went on and on. Yet, the attack was never really on Paul, it was against the gospel message he carried. So, Paul turns the tables on them in verse five. They needed to quit spending their time examining him and spend some time examining themselves; because, frankly, Paul didn't think they were even in the faith. They needed to test themselves. The test was, "Is Jesus Christ in you?" What a zinger that must have been. They could quibble back and forth on doctrinal matters forever. Paul cut to the chase; to the exam that would reveal what really mattered. Was Christ in them? Was there evidence of Christ in their ministry and their life? Was there the power of Christ in their teaching and all that they did?
Is Jesus Christ in you? Because if he was not, they were disqualified. Being disqualified was to literally fail the test; to be found fake or phony. If you fail this test then nothing else really matters.
2 Corinthians 13:6
Paul was pretty certain they would understand that he had passed the test. Not because he was a super apostle or because he was special in any way. Paul would be the first to say he was nothing. Christ was in Paul, that would be clear to anyone who heard him or looked into his life. Anyone, upon examination, would see that there was a radical and amazing work of Jesus Christ going on in Paul's life. Paul's life was yielded to Jesus Christ and when that happens Christ comes out in every aspect of that life.
Paul was their spiritual father of the church in Corinth. He was the one who brought the faith to Corinth. If they proved Paul's apostleship wasn't genuine then they were also proving that their faith wasn't genuine. If, however, they found their faith genuine and claimed they were spirit filled, born again believers by the faith Paul preached, then how in the world could they cast dispersion on Paul's apostleship now. It wasn't logical.
So, what if they tested themselves and were found to be false converts. What if Christ was not in them? Does that mean that Paul wasn't a legitimate apostle? No, because Paul's preaching of the gospel had the ability to reach anyone, but it wasn't always accepted. There was evidence in this from the very beginning when some of the Jews rejected the gospel but the leader of the synagogue was saved.
The purpose of the test was for these naysayers to examine themselves. In doing so they might find Christ in them and see it came by Paul; or they might find Christ wasn't in them. If they didn't have Christ in them, it wouldn't have proved Paul illegitimate or the false apostles legitimate in any way. It could explain why they were attracted to false teaching.
This happens all around us every day. The gospel has been out there and a part of our culture for a few thousand years. There is really no reason for it not to be known. It wasn't that long ago we could have said most people knew, even if many have failed to grasp it and make it their life. If people examined themselves honestly many would conclude that Christ isn't in them. Most refuse to take the test though; they are comfortable holding onto their false assurance.
In this day and age so many people believe so many false teachings. They believe they are in right standing with God based on religion or thinking they are a good person or their sincere but wrong beliefs; others just trust in their own 'want'. This is Satan's greatest lie in our culture today. People believe they are right with God with nothing to back it up, it's not based on any kind of truth! Our world seems to think this is a test of sincerity. It's the thought that it really doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere about it. And as long as you are sincere and really believe in your heart, no one has the right to tell you you're wrong. And most likely, in America, very few would tell you that you're wrong.
If you ask Americans what will happen to them when they die, they will say they are going to heaven, obviously, duh! If you then ask how they know that and you make it personal, you'll find little or no basis their belief. If you push it, you will be considered offensive. The answers range from, "I was confirmed as a child; I went forward at vacation bible school; I answered an altar call," to "I was baptized when I was ten." None of those things answers the question though. People are basing their eternal assurance on their sincere desire to go to a nice place when they die and they back it up with some religious act they performed.
It's been a while since I looked at the stats on these things so it probably has changed some, but it was something like 90% something percent believes they will go to heaven when they die. The other 10% either think you go to the ground and that's it or they don't care or they are honest enough to admit they haven't thought much about it. Of the 90% there are a bunch who think they are going to heaven but they don't believe in Jesus or God. They just think they are going to a nice place because they deserve it and they are really sincere. Then there are those that don't believe salvation by Christ is the only way because it's offensive to them to say the others won't go to heaven. They find it offensive that Christianity thinks it alone possess the truth! Yet, Jesus said, "I AM the way…" That's pretty exclusive.
If you look for the people who believe that salvation comes by faith alone in Christ alone; that you must be born again; that believe the bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God; that believes God created the world in six days and rested the seventh; that Satan is a real entity; that heaven and hell are literal; that Jesus was a real man that walked the earth; yet he is also God in the flesh and part of the eternal triune God. When you find people who believe those things, you are down to like 2-3% of the population. Isn't that fascinating since the vast majority claim to be Christians. Yet, they don't even hold fast to orthodox Christian principles. Why is that? Is it because they believe they are saved and they have a false assurance. Paul would say, you're following some set of beliefs that don't come from God. Examine yourself, is Christ in You?
When you have a false assurance, you have no faith. You can't talk about it, you know nothing about it and it has little or no part in your life. You may have been baptized as a kid and someone may have told you that you'd go to heaven. Just like the person that answered the altar call, but under examination, they fail the test because there is no Christ found in them.
Paul knew when these people who considered themselves to be Christians examined themselves, some would fail the test because there was no Christ in them. Does anyone think it is different where you are right now? Would all our family and friends pass the examination? That answer should be sobering and move us. But don't go running off examining others just yet. Paul said, examine yourself. This is a self-test. Is Christ found in you? It's not for any of us to start looking at each other and wondering. It's for each of us to examine ourselves. We should be able to say, I know Christ is in me.
2 Corinthians 13:7-9
Paul prayed that they would repent of these sins. And it wasn't just so Paul and Titus and the others with him would appear honorable. Paul wasn't concerned about that. He wanted these people to be in right standing with God. He wanted the church to be edified, to be built up. They needed to get past this stuff and begin to grow spiritually. They needed to do that, even if it left Paul with the appearance that he was disqualified. It didn't matter because Paul was glad to be weak if they were made strong. In fact, now that God had told Paul that when he was weak Christ was strong; that made it desirable for Paul to rejoice in weakness.
2 Corinthians 13:10
He didn't want to come there in power as an apostle to take harsh action. He wanted to come and see the body edified and the church growing; see lives changed by Jesus Christ. Paul was called to be a messenger, not an enforcer. If they would just listen to the message, no enforcement would be necessary. If they would examine themselves, they would find something missing.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Paul closes his letters with a couple exhortations that end up being a summary of all that was said. The 'farewell' is better translated as 'rejoice.' Now that everything had been said that needed said, Paul wants them to know he wasn't holding a grudge or beating the sheep. Even with all that was said, they needed to rejoice and Paul would rejoice with them.
The encouragement to be complete was simple, yet a lifelong adventure. Becoming complete isn't a laundry list of things a Christian had to accomplish, it was yielding your will to God. It's giving a life over completely for his use. It's growing in righteousness and holiness. Having Christ in us, is evident in our response as we grow in holiness and live lives of obedience. There's a testimony of having Christ in you when you are Christlike in your thoughts and deeds and when you have a light grasp on the world and are longing for eternity.
When we take that exam, we should find we are single minded toward Jesus Christ and not hypocrites. Not wearing a mask, playing a part at times, but at other times living another way. In the life of Christian there should be found a life of Peace, that's a peace that passes any kind of understanding. It's a contentment found in your lot in life, regardless of what it is. It's running your race in your lane because that's what you were called to.
If Christ is in us, we should be found in peace and love because those things come from the God of love and peace. We are at peace with him. It's an otherworldly peace, it's a ceasefire because you switched sides. It's being on the right side and knowing it.
2 Corinthians 13:12
This was a common way of greeting each other; as common as the handshake.
2 Corinthians 13:13-14
Somewhere in Corinth nearly 2000 years ago, someone stood before this congregation at Corinth and read this letter to them all. What do you think their response was? Some may have been mad while others were happy that Paul was speaking up and he was coming back. Maybe a few got upset and walked out. I wouldn't doubt it. Someone might have been bored to tears, others may have fell asleep. Maybe some examined themselves. And of those that did, many, I'm sure, found Christ in the center of their life. However, I'm sure a few found something missing and maybe they repented and trusted in Christ. Maybe we'll meet them in heaven and get a first-hand account of this. That would be cool.
Here's the real test though; what is your response to this call for examination? Maybe this lesson made a few people mad, maybe a few happy, a couple bored and maybe someone caught a nap. Maybe your response is part of the examination. Think about that.
The Holy Spirit penned these words through Paul so we could hold them in our hand today. What are you going to do with them? With all that was written over these 13 chapters; with all the explaining, exhorting and discussion, he brings us to this point as he closes the letter where he asks us to examine ourselves. Have you examined yourself lately? This is a one question test. Is Christ found within you? This is the most important test you'll ever take. Don't rely on any other test. It has nothing to do with altar calls, baptisms, confirmation classes, raising your hand at vacation bible school or any of those things. Your conversion may have happened related to one of those things but those things don't make a conversion.
If asked if Christ is found in you? Someone might say, "I've been going to church for 30 some years." That doesn't answer the question. The bible says the road is broad that leads to destruction and many will enter there but narrow is the path that leads to life and few will find it. There are a lot of people relying on the wrong thing. Is Christ found in you?
Be blessed.
Amen
©2006, 2010, 2016, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater
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