2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13
KJV
WEB
See
previous page
2Cor 13,1-6
(73b) Authority
>> Respect your leaders >> Those in charge of the
word – This is the third time Paul is coming to
Corinth. The first time was the initial preaching of the gospel at the
conception of the Corinthian Church; the second time was after the
writing of his first epistle, and the third time will be after his second
letter. So, he writes his letters first, preparing them for his visits, and
then comes later, hopefully so he doesn’t catch them unaware, reminiscent of
the second coming of Christ.
2Cor 13,1-5
(196d) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Immaturity >> Not mature enough to die to self
>>
Unable to put down the flesh
2Cor 13,1-3
(203k) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his destiny apart from God >>
Back-slider >> Practicing sin >>
Living in sin – Paul wants to see their good
side and is
discerning enough to know if it is real and will speak reality to them if they’re not, driving it into their
hearts
until it comes out their behavior. Paul has two or three witness who will tell
about their true spiritual condition. He’s getting them ready, and promises
to redress their past sins (1Cor 5-1).
2Cor 13-2
(51c)
Judgment >> Judging the Church with the world
>> Warning of Wrath >>
God warns the Church -- This verse goes with verse 10
(69i) Authority >>
Righteous judgment (Outcome of Discernment) >> Judging the flesh by the
Spirit –
Paul was intending to give the Corinthians a good tongue-lashing. How did he know that showing his disapproval would affect them? A
couple chapters earlier he said, “We are ready to punish all disobedience,
whenever your obedience is complete” (2Cor 10-6). What does that mean? When
they have a heart to obey and they disobey, Paul was ready to rebuke them like
a parent to his children. When they’re young they want to obey their father, much as
he loves his children, he disciplines them, because he knows that is what their actions
deserve. Paul wanted the
Corinthians to have an attitude of an obedient child, so when they disobeyed the Lord,
they would know what was coming. What was the punishment that Paul had planned
for them? He was simply going to remind them of God’s disapproval. Fearing the words that they failed the
Lord is enough punishment for
those who are maturing in the faith. We shame
those who’s conscience is incomplete until they mature, and then conviction
takes over and they recognize the truth by the sting in their heart when they
sin. Paul intended to sit them down
and rehash the rudiments of faith with them and reteach them that sin is unacceptable in the eyes
of God for His people. See also: Paul will not spare anyone; 2Cor 12-20,21; 237c
(137h) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >>
Maturing in Jesus is hard work >> Maturity comes
through discipline
(138c) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >>
Reprove your brother for sinning -- This verse goes with verse
10
(178f) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Hypocrisy >>
Hypocrisy of the Church is rebuked >> The Church is rebuked for sin
(184i) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace
of God >> Spending His grace on your pleasures >>
Adding leaven to His grace
(190da) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Masochism
(Self-made martyr) >> Spiritual suicide – If
Paul comes and finds them unrepentant,
he will not spare them, he said. So, what is he going to do, beat them up, give them a
tongue lashing? Anybody can endure a lecture. Why
should the Corinthians be afraid of that? If he doesn’t
intend to inflict physical pain, then what is there to fear? To the
unbeliever, there is nothing, but the Corinthians believed in Jesus, though
sometimes it didn’t seem like it. The truth can be very painful to
Christians who have sinned, even more so than physical punishment. The conviction of
the Holy Spirit can be a heavy mallet, and if they have a remnant of the
Spirit, Paul can appeal to them about where they’ve gone wrong and what is
at stake, what they’re trading, and what they are missing through their
disobedience. Paul let the Holy Spirit work on their hearts, convicting
their disobedience and leading them back to the truth, suggesting there
needs to be a core faith for Paul to appeal to them if they have any hope
of receiving his discipline. Remember in 2Cor 10-6 it says, “We are ready to punish all
disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” He’s appealing to that
core faith and showing that sacrificing the things of God is like spiritual
suicide. They need to stop playing footsy with their fleshly impulses
and serve God in Spirit and truth.
(199d) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >>
Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating
Jesus >> Frustrating the apostles –
Paul visited the Corinthians twice, and he wrote them in his second letter that if he comes a third time, he will confront those who
have sinned. When Paul wrote about coming again, we could take it as Jesus
speaking through him and saying that when He returns, He will not spare those who have
sinned in the past. Instead of preparing for His second coming, like
the Corinthians who didn’t prepare for Paul's return, they did what Jesus
said they would do: beat his slaves and ate and drank with drunkards. We
are not talking literally about beating-up the saints, but spiritually abusing
them, which frequently occurs from a lack of understanding
of the Scriptures. It damages people when we teach them amiss, even when we do it
ignorantly. False motives are hidden underneath an absent personal
relationship with God, which is the cause of our ignorance. The truth
demands that we die to self in ways that we don’t want to die, but there is
something even more terrifying. If we believe the truth and
obey it, we will come to know God, and there are some “believers” who
don’t really want to know Him, preferring their religion that permits them
to sin and remain in the flesh.
2Cor 13,3-6
(132b) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is
in God’s people >> spirit of God in the spirit
of man >> Spirit of Jesus
(156g) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Evidence of
salvation >> Manifesting the Holy Spirit is
evidence of salvation –
Paul confessed that Jesus Christ lived in him, yet he was still weak. Some
people wonder why we are Christians if it doesn't seem to make a difference.
That is, many people don’t get saved because they see no
measurable result in people who claim to be saved. They want a
one-to-one correspondence in everything they do; they click on a link in their
web browser and it takes them to another page. They like what they do to have
an effect; so when they get saved and the power of God dwells in them, they
are still weak, so they lose interest. We live in
a frail body that is subject to sickness and death; we easily get tired and
injured; we often can’t think of the right words to say; it takes years of schooling to learn something meaningful. Our bodies and
minds work, but we have to constantly push them. That may be the case now, but
in the life to come we will have resurrected bodies, and all our weaknesses will disappear. We
don’t exactly know about our future experience in heaven, nor about our
resurrected bodies, but we do know that all forms of weakness will not follow
us to heaven. We will have bodies that will look
like the stars of heaven; we will radiate with the glory of God, and that is all we
really need to know.
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
2Cor 13-3,4
(64h) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Weaknesses of God >>
God subjects himself to human frailty >> His
weakness is stronger than men -- These verses go with verse 9
(66h)
Authority >> Jesus’ authority
>>
His cross is the power of God
(97a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Having a negative attitude about yourself >> A
self-righteous attitude
(111g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Word and the power
(meaning) of God >> Circumstances cannot evade
the voice of the Spirit
(113n) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Our weakness proves it is the
power of God – We may be weak in the flesh living for Him
now, but a day is coming when we will live by the power of God, when our
bodies are transformed, and our weaknesses cast off and replaced by power that
is currently foreign to us. We will become light; we will become energy. Strength
will then be the composition of our bodies. Since these things are in our
future, God has afforded a way for them to become part of our present;
applying His strength consists of His calling in our life.
2Cor 13-3
(17l) Sin
>>
Unrighteous judgment >> Discerning by the
flesh >> Making distinctions between each
other
(110d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through
His ministry in us
(130j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Accept one another >> Accepting the great and
the small >> Small people cannot accept great
leaders – The Corinthians were seeking proof of
Jesus Christ who lived in Paul, not that they doubted his salvation; rather,
they wanted to see the power of God in his ministry. They heard of God using
him to perform signs, wonders and miracles, and they wanted to see it for
themselves. This is not so distant from the Jews seeking a sign from Jesus,
and what did He say to them? “An evil and adulterous generation seeks
after a sign.” The Corinthians wanted Paul to perform a miracle in
front of them, which is not surprising, since they were searching for the
power of the God, generating Paul’s discussion about the gifts of the
Spirit, which is how we now know about them. Paul said, ‘I’ll show you
Jesus Christ in me; I’ll show you parts of Him that maybe you don’t want
to see.’ The power of God granting repentance to a misfit crew of
disobedient Christians is a miracle in itself, and this is the miracle that
Paul wanted to see in them, and he needed help from the Corinthians for this miracle
to manifest, but they were looking for some other kind of miracle. To go
home with repentance in our heart is a treasure far greater than witnessing
a miracle of healing or any other sign. The sign of repentance in our own
generation is very much needed and will in fact be the greatest sign of the
endtimes, as it is written in Rev 12-1, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet….”
(181c) Works of the devil
>>
Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >>
Rebelling against God >> Rebelling against the
men of God
(254k) Trinity
>>
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >>
Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Power
of Jesus’ Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 5. The
Corinthians were rebellious people; they didn’t like Paul telling them
what to do; they didn’t like him exerting his authority over them. They
wanted Paul to let them walk in the flesh and call it Christianity, but Paul
would not stand for it. They were very hard on Paul, and he played hardball
right back at them. They were to recognize
that Jesus Christ dwells in them. Isn’t it the Holy Spirit who dwells in
us? Paul was saying that the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus are the same;
verses like this are where we get the idea of the trinity. He wanted them to know that the apostles and
their aids who helped spread the word did not fail the test, saying
to the Corinthians, ‘I don’t know about you guys but Jesus definitely
lives in me.’
2Cor 13-4
(57g) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> Crucified in weakness, but He lives
by the power of God
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
2Cor 13-5,6
(68j) Authority
>>
Discernment >> Judging truth and error >>
Perceiving a wicked heart
(69l) Authority
>> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >>
Judging yourself correctly – Paul says to make sure
we are born-again. We are to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith. We
are not Christians because we say so; rather, we are Christians because we are born
of God and He dwells in us by faith that came from Him, faith that rises above
any human ability to believe. We possess something that originated from
heaven. We know about God’s love because His love dwells in us, and we use
it to grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures and establish
unity by building up one another,
according to the Spirit who dwells in us. We are to test ourselves to see if these
things are working in us.
(70c) Authority
>> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Being sensitive to the Spirit
>> Test the spirits – Each person must
come to terms that God does in fact exist, and that He is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11-6). He is a benevolent
God, who loves us more than we will ever know. We must resolve that He is
worthy of our service and therefore offer our service to Him, so what we want is replaced with
what He wants. This is the kind of commitment we need to make with God. It happens when we finally come to the realization
of these things, when we say to Him, ‘God, I belong to you. Everything I am,
everything I own, everything I will ever be is yours to direct and control now
and forevermore.’ When a person
makes a commitment like that, he is entering into covenant with Christ, a
covenant that He established with His own blood, who already invested His life
and is ready to impart His Spirit in us, so that God dwells in us, our hope
and glory.
(122e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in
yourself as you die to sin >> Confident in your
salvation
(238b)
Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >>
Transferring the kingdom >> The kingdom is
transferred to the Church >> Born again >>
Born of the Spirit by the will of man – Paul is talking about
being born-again, what Jesus said in Jn 3-3, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” We must be
born-again.
2Cor 13-5
(182b) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >>
Self deception >> Believing you know God when
you don’t
(254k) Trinity
>>
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >>
Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Power of
Jesus’ Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 3. The Holy Spirit is one and the same with Jesus
Christ; in fact, when Jesus was born to His mother Mary, His soul was
the Holy Spirit.
This is why Paul asked if Jesus Christ lived in the Corinthians. Jesus is the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is
Christ, and the two are alike with the Father, though they all hold different
offices within the trinity.
2Cor 13-6
(42e) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Innocent before God
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
2Cor 13-7
(57d) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> World’s wisdom versus God’s
wisdom
(75c) Thy kingdom come
>>
Motives of the heart >> Being motivated to do
the will of God – Paul
was saying that whether he appeared approved or not, he wanted them to do what
was right in disregard of the false reports they had heard about him.
(127k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >>
Rewards for doing good >> Doing good hides your
shame –
Paul told the Corinthians to be good and then dispelled floating rumors
about him that he had evil motives for being in the ministry. No doubt they heard
many conflicting messages and accusations about Paul that people flung at him,
presuming His motives and interpreting his words and actions, and often plain lying about him. Many of these things entered the Corinthians’ ears,
and it made them think twice about Paul. The Corinthians wondered if he showed them only one side
of himself and there were other sides of him they were unaware.
Children wonder if their parents want them to be good to make them look good,
or if they should be good for their own sake; for Paul it was the latter. He
comforted their minds about him, saying that he wanted them to be good,
though others spoke evil about him. If the Corinthians ever matured in the faith, people would speak evil of them
too, which was one reason the Corinthians resisted maturity that Paul kept pushing
on them, knowing if they ever lived according to
their beliefs, they would enter the fray and be persecuted. Instead, they tossed in a dose
of carnality to assuage the world in effort to maintain their favor, while they
continued to secretly believe in Jesus, but Paul wanted them to grow-up and
live according to their faith, filtering out hypocrisy.
(164j) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at
enmity with God >> The world hates the Church
(168f) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> The world listens
to itself >> The world receives itself
(171k) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Outward
appearance >> Outward appearance is not
important
2Cor 13-8
(243k) Kingdom of God
>>
The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible
kingdom >> The head of the body is
indestructible >> The word of God is
indestructible – Jimmy Swaggart and some of his cronies
have dragged the gospel of Christ through the mud, making it less palatable for
those who would search for God and His promises, so is he an example of
someone who has damaged the truth? No, he is not! What did Jimmy Swaggart do
to the truth? He may have ruined his own reputation and to some extent the
reputation of Christianity in the world, but what did he do to the truth? Nothing! The truth stands on its own and no body can touch it. Jesus said,
“I am the way, the truth and the life….” What did Swaggart do to Him?
The religious establishment did everything they could to Him; they mercilessly
whipped Him and then hung Him
on a cross until He died, still He rose from the grave and consequently took
the keys of death and hell from the enemy of our soul, the devil, and
destroyed death for anyone who would believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
So, what can anyone do against the truth? The more they try to kill it, the more it lives. The truth is in another dimension; the truth
lives in heaven, where we are going one day. The truth lives in events that
have already happened, and we cannot go into the past and undo them.
2Cor 13-9
(9i) Responsibility
>> Strengthen one another
>>
Be strong
(44f) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Transformed >>
Completing the will of God -- This verse goes with verse 11. Paul
prays for
the Church to be made complete; in his letters to all the Churches he used the word “complete.” What
does this mean? James said it best when he said "that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing" (Jm 1-3,4). While puffs of air escape our orifice merely talking about our beliefs,
though not
showing any, two great expressions of faith are ignored: endurance
and perseverance. We persevere in the will of God, while we endure your
circumstances. If we can do those two things, this is the work of God.
(57c) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> Humble yourself and God will exalt
your brother
(64h) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Weaknesses of God >>
God subjects himself to human frailty >> His
weakness is stronger than men -- This verse goes with verses
3&4
(122h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in
yourself as you die to sin >> Confidence in the Church through your ministry – Invariably we offend people, who believe
we have no faith, but it’s not about pleasing them but pleasing God. If we
did this, we would offend people more than if we were disobedient. Each one of us has a calling, and we need to search our
heart for the voice of the Spirit and listen for Him until we fully understand
what God wants from us, and then do it. This is what completes us, more than
pleasing people who think we should live the Christian life according to their
religious expectations. We do what we can to avoid offending people, and
we serve God by serving others, but ultimately our faith is in Jesus Christ,
not in what other people think of us.
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
2Cor 13-10
(4e)
Responsibility
>> Advocate God’s cause >> Being accountable
in your stewardship – God has given Paul grace to build up
the Church and not to tear it down, to be constructive, not to be
destructive, but anyone who
spiritually abuses the people of God is in big trouble, even more than
the unsaved. Not only are they both going to the same place without
repentance, but the one’s judgment will be far more severe than the
other’s. People make mistakes in the ministry all the time; they
unwittingly believe in false doctrine and even teach it, but there are others who make their mistakes on
purpose. Spiritual abuse is quicksand; there is
no spiritual growth in it, so one is lying when he says he's spiritually growing while he is abusing the good faith of
others. We are dealing with someone who is at least borderline reprobate. God gives us grace to build up one
another, to be constructive, but the moment someone uses God's grace for evil, a correction
phase and conviction warns him to stop what he’s
doing. If he refuses to listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and
continues in his abusive ways, there may be dreadful days ahead of him, potentially making him wish he had never been born. He can turn
into a monster over night. Paul was truly just the opposite of such a
description. He had one of the most beautiful spirits anyone could have. Anyone who is endowed with the Holy Spirit and uses the grace of God only for good, has a beautiful spirit.
We can always tell those kind of people; they know how to bless and minister to people
in need, especially those who are suffering. This was Paul. He
planned on using the grace of God to build up the saints. Even in his
coarseness he was being constructive. Sometimes we must knock
down a wall or two before construction can proceed. See also: Wolves; Jm 3,13-18; 158f
(51c)
Judgment >> Judging the Church with the world
>> Warning of Wrath >>
God warns the Church -- This verse goes with verse 2
(68a) Authority
>>
Doing God’s work under His authority >>
Ministry of helps >> Help God’s people
(138c) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >>
Reprove your brother for sinning -- This verse goes with verse
2
(139h) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >>
Edification
2Cor 13-11
(44f) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Transformed >>
Completing the will of God -- This verse goes with verse 9.
Some people
point to their cult-45 as their peacemaker. Violence is the human form of
peace, and it shouldn’t surprise us that it’s the opposite of
God’s peace. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
be called sons of God” (Mat 5-9), He was talking about His children being
the first to conciliate in a conflict to bring about peace in a given
situation.
(78h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Renewing your mind by the word of God >> Be of
one mind, his mind
(125g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Joy >>
Joy is the result of unity
(126a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Peace >>
God is at peace >> The peace from God – God has forever lived in a state of
peace. He could dwell in hell and still have peace, including all the fruits of the
Spirit. The Bible says that God has chosen a hellish environment
in the midst of black smoke and fire, such was at the top of Mount Sinai
during the giving of the law, and it also says that in the last days he will
come in the clouds of heaven, probably not white, puffy clouds but a black,
dense plumb of smoke. When God sends the lawless to hell, He is not sending them to a
place where He is unwilling to go but where He has often been. Hell is for sinners because of their
sin, who feel its flames because he deserves to be punished, so the greater the
sin, the greater the
punishment, and the less sin the less he feels the flames of hell. God
can live in hell or in any situation in a state of perfect peace.
See
also:
God experienced hell before He created anything (It is His environment of choice);
Heb 12,18-24; 221i
(129n) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Being in one accord >> Having one mind
(227c) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >>
God rewards us for obeying Him >> Fruit of the
Spirit is its own reward –
God’s peace is a state of being, just like all the fruits of the Spirit, but
a peacemaker elicits the behavior of peace. If we don’t have the proper state of
mind, we cannot act as a peacemaker, and we cannot wrestle with our mind to
develop this state. We need the Holy Spirit to develop a
state of peace within us, so we can go into the world and become peacemakers. We
cannot establish peace with our fellow man if we don’t first have peace with
God. Some think that peace is just the opposite of war, but living in a
spiritual state of peace that God has given us is an
entity in its own right, as it were a substance.
(228c) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God
working in you >> Comforted >>
We are comforted in the presence of God >> Holy
Spirit is our comforter
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
2Cor 13-12
(123k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the
body of Christ >> Physical affection with
spiritual motives
(133i) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >>
The body of Christ is holy >> Our godly behavior
is holy to the lord –
The holy kiss was abandoned because of misuse; the guys kissed the girls a
little longer, so now we shake hands; and if we
really mean it, we give each other a hug. Jesus inaugurated the holy kiss as
the customary greeting, suggesting that this is how we will greet each other
in heaven, for if Jesus did it on earth, then it will also be done in heaven,
for that is the underlying principle of Scripture, voiced in the Lord’s
prayer, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in
heaven” (Mat 6-10). Until then, so long as men are unable to kiss a woman
without making it a sexual encounter, the practice will remain shelved.
2Cor 13-13,14
(123g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Spiritual affection >> Ministry of the saints >>
Emotional benediction toward helpers
2Cor 13-14
(208i) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >>
Being the friend of God >> Having fellowship
with God –
Is there any wonder we believe in the trinity with statements like this, Paul incorporating all three members of the
Godhead in his farewell? These
are the most important aspects of the trinity: the grace of
Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The Father
initiated Jesus born in a manger to His mother, Mary; the Son willingly gave His life for us, and the Holy Spirit has come in His place and
fellowships with us.
(255g) Trinity
>>
Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> The process of
imparting the substance of God >> Father
discloses the Spirit by the word
|