Author: Rev. Lek Aik Wee

2 Corinthians 13:5 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?

They themselves were the proof of his apostleship. It was through him that they were led to the Savior. If they wanted to see his credentials, they should look at themselves… But Paul is not telling the Corinthians to engage in self-examination as a proof of their salvation. Rather he is asking them to find in their salvation a proof of his apostleship. [MacDonald]

As for his faith in Christ, the Apostle Paul boldly declared in 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2 Corinthians 13:3-4 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.

God’s ways are not our ways, neither His thoughts, our thoughts. Human ingenuity could not comprehend the scene of the crucified Saviour. Such humiliation and defeat. Yet in the wisdom of God, the gainsayers are themselves helped when the Spirit of God enabled them to understand and see the power of God in the resurrection, in the defeat of sin and death by the Saviour’s crucifixion.

Indeed, as the prophet Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 53:6-7 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

2 Corinthians 13:3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

What was the proof of Christ in the life of the Apostle Paul? It was the guidance of the Spirit of Christ manifested in his life and ministry – John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. The Spirit of Christ brought comfort and strength to his heart as he suffered for the sake of the gospel.

He was in-tuned with God’s will and submitted himself accordingly for His blessings – John 14:20-21 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Hendriksen observed well here, “The Corinthians had been deceived by the false teachers into doubting that Paul was a true apostle. In fact, they actually challenged him to give them some proof that he was an authentic spokesman for God.”¹”

2 Corinthians 13:1-2 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:

The Apostle Paul sought to visit the church in Corinth a third time. And he sought to address the prevailing sins in the church. He therefore was writing with the prayer that these who have sinned will turn from their sin and turn to God. He sought their repentance.

He quoted Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. MacDonald observed well, “When he did, the cases of sin among the believers would be investigated. Such investigations would proceed according to the divine principle laid down Deuteronomy 19:15… On his second visit, otherwise unrecorded, Paul had warned them he would deal severely with the offenders. Now although absent, he foretells them all that when he comes again he will not spare those who have been sinning.”

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

In prayer and writing the Apostle Paul’s thought for the well-being of the Corinthian church. He sought that they would be delivered from the enemies of the gospel. He had prayed that God’s protection and peace prevailed before his visit. It would saddened his heart to see strife, wrath – hatred, rivalry, evil speech – slander, gossipping – tale-bearing and whispering, arrogance, disorder. It was his prayer that his letter will awakened the Corinthian church to their perils and sought that they would be led by the Spirit to do the will of God.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

The Apostle Paul’s continuing work in the gospel was to benefit the spiritual lives of the saints in the church in Corinth and in the other churches which were established during his missionary journeys. He said it was for their “edifying”. The word means “a building up”. The act of building as a process to speed them along toward spiritual maturity. Indeed, the Lord equipped His servant for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12-13).

MacDonald observed well, “He wanted to strengthen them in the Christian life and warn them against the perils that were facing them. He was more interested in helping them than in defending his own reputation.”

2 Corinthians 12:18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

The Apostle Paul has co-labourers who were men of integrity. Them he commended to the church. The sense of these words were well-explained in 1 Thessalonians 2:2-9 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God iswitness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yetof others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.