Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All God’s people here send their greetings.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

• 2 Corinthians 13:1-14

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

2 Corinthians 10-13 ‘could these last four chapters be the “severe” letter?’: “An alternative is to suppose that the ‘earlier’ letter, warning against sexual immorality, is part of 2 Corinthians. Similarly, the four final chapters (2 Cor. 10–13) are considered to be the so-called ‘severe’ letter, the letter written ‘out of much affliction and anguish’ (2 Cor. 2:4). Those favoring this option point to a marked contrast: the positive relationship between Paul and the Corinthians evidenced in the early chapters of 2 Corinthians versus Paul’s harsh attacks on some in Corinth in 2 Cor. 10–13.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 10-13 ‘Paul’s Third Visit to Corinth’: “In the final chapters of 2 Corinthians Paul defends himself against false teachers who had come to Corinth and claimed authority greater than his. They mistook the ‘gentleness of Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:1) in Paul’s life for weakness, claiming that he was braver in his letters than he would be in a face-to-face encounter (10:10). In response Paul argues that the authority they claim is based on comparing themselves with each other and not on having the commendation of God (10:18).
“Paul wrote this defense of his apostolic authority in advance of his third visit to Corinth (12:14; 13:1), and thus after his ‘sorrowful’ visit (see 1:23–2:1). Paul’s uncharacteristic personal boasts (12:1) and his harsh condemnations of his opponents are in stark contrast to his warm regard for the Corinthians in other parts of 2 Corinthians (see 7:8–11, 16). Possibly these chapters were written soon after the “sorrowful” visit while emotions were still high on both sides, whereas the earlier chapters were written later once Paul and the Corinthians had been reconciled …
“Still, 2 Corinthians could have been written by Paul as it now appears in the New Testament. The apostle could have made reconciliation with some of the Corinthians while yet dealing with other opponents in the church.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 13 ‘Introduction’: ”Paul’s primary aim in writing the letter of 2 Corinthians was to defend his authority and credentials as an apostle. Yet in this pursuit he was not being egocentric or insecure. Rather, he wanted the Corinthians to be able to recognize the ‘real deal’ when they saw it. This is why he stressed that God had called him to be an evangelist. Why he provided details about his scholarship in Jewish law and personal recognition of God’s grace. Why he spoke of the beatings, imprisonments, and persecutions that he had endured. Why he called out the false apostles in their midst.
“Paul wanted the believers to see what the true ministry of an apostle involved. It meant making yourself available to answer the church members’ questions. Challenging and encouraging the members even when you could not be present. Providing your own financial means as a tentmaker so the congregation would not be burdened. Embracing the idea of being a Christian role model and opening your life to scrutiny. Maintaining the ability to have a humble and contrite spirit in the midst of it all.
“The Corinthians should have rejoiced to have Paul as a mentor and guide. But the problem was that Paul did not look, speak, or act like the other apostles who had come to the city. In comparison to their slick appearance, Paul’s ministry seemed amateurish. Paul saw this as a problem not because it tarnished his reputation but because he knew this attitude would continue to lead them into error. So, in this final section of his letter, he puts forth one more challenge to get the believers on the right track: compelling them to examine their faith.”

• David Jeremiah, 2 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

2 Corinthians 13:1, 12:14 ‘Paul’s Third Visit to Corinth’: “Paul wrote this defense of his apostolic authority in advance of his third visit to Corinth (12:14; 13:1), and thus after his ‘sorrowful’ visit (see 1:23–2:1). Paul’s uncharacteristic personal boasts (12:1) and his harsh condemnations of his opponents are in stark contrast to his warm regard for the Corinthians in other parts of 2 Corinthians (see 7:8–11, 16). Possibly these chapters were written soon after the ‘sorrowful’ visit while emotions were still high on both sides, whereas the earlier chapters were written later once Paul and the Corinthians had been reconciled (see … 2 Cor. 8:1).
“Still, 2 Corinthians could have been written by Paul as it now appears in the New Testament. The apostle could have made reconciliation with some of the Corinthians while yet dealing with other opponents in the church.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 13:1 ‘Paul loved the Corinth church’: “Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in anticipation of his third visit. In this, more than any other letter, the apostle Paul poured out his heart. Paul deeply loved the Corinthians and endured many affronts and indignities for their sake. But he dared not endure the charge against the genuineness of his apostleship, for such was no less than a challenge to the authority of Christ. Paul pleaded with the Corinthians to repent so that he would not need to discipline them. He much preferred for them to be strong and himself to be regarded as weak (2Co 13:9). Judgment would be secured ‘by the testimony of two or three witnesses’ (Dt 19:15). This process was laid down in Mosaic Law and was approved by Christ as applicable to settling disputes within the church (Mt 18:16).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 13:3 ‘a proof of Christ speaking in me’: ”Those Corinthians still seeking proof that Paul was a genuine apostle would have it when he arrived. They may have gotten more than they bargained for, however, for Paul was going to use his apostolic authority and power to deal with any sin and rebellion he found there (v. 2, see … 12:21). who is not weak. Christ’s power was to be revealed through Paul against the sinning Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30–32). By rebelling against Christ’s chosen apostle (1:1), they were rebelling against Him.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 13:4 ‘The cross’: “The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The Cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution? …
“Why is the Cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal-the other vertical. One reaches out-like God’s love. The other reaches up-as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The Cross is the intersection. The Cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.”

• Max Lucado, He Chose the Nails

2 Corinthians 13:5 ‘Believing and Trusting’: ”Do you truly believe and trust God, even in your times of trial and weakness? Are you counting on His strength rather than your own? Are you boldly daring great things for Him-not foolishly, but trustingly, knowing that He has led you there and wants to use you in your weakness, so that His might and power will be demonstrated to a watching world? That is the great secret of true Christian living:
“Our weakness-His strength! “

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

2 Corinthians 13:5 ‘examine and test yourselves’: “Who does not understand that word ‘examine’? It is a scholastic idea. A teacher questions a student to see whether he has made any progress-whether he knows anything. It is a military idea. A captain on review day is not content with merely surveying the soldiers from a distance but must look at all their combat gear. It is a legal idea. The lawyer examines or cross-examines the witness. It is a researcher’s idea. A traveler who has to write a book about a country is not content merely to go around its borders but goes through the whole country, climbs the hilltops, goes down into the deep valleys.
“There is another word-‘test yourselves.’ That means more than self-examination. A person about to buy a horse examines it. But after he has examined it, if he is a prudent buyer, he says to the person from whom he is about to buy it, ‘I must test this horse.’ There is more in testing than in ex-amination. It is a deeper word and goes to the root and heart of the matter. A ship, before it is launched, is examined; but it is tested and tried before it is allowed to go out on long voyages.
“Why are we to test and examine ourselves? ‘To see if you are in the faith.’ Many a person’s religion will stand examination but will not stand proof. What good is everything a person knows if he does not know himself? We are to test and examine ourselves because it is a matter of the highest importance. Our soul, our own soul, our never-dying soul is at risk. Will we risk that? We can afford to lose our bodies, but we cannot afford to have our souls cast into hell. We are to test and examine ourselves because we only have our time in this world to rectify our condition. If we are defeated in the battle of this life, we are defeated forever. We are to test and examine ourselves because many have been mistaken. The rock of presumption and the siren song of self-confidence entice many. Many have been lost and are wailing at their everlasting ruin. Their loss is to be traced to nothing more than that they never examined themselves to discover whether they were in the faith. We are to test and examine ourselves because God will examine us. God will not take his gold and silver by appearance, but each one of us must pass through a most searching test and scrutiny. We are to test and examine ourselves because if we are now in doubt, the speediest way to get rid of our doubts and fears is by self-examination. What if such a test should have a bad result? Better that we should find out now than find out too late!”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

2 Corinthians 13:5 ‘Marriage – God’s Provision’: “After the fall of man, Adam and Eve had continued contact with God, evidenced by the fact that Cain and Abel were taught that they were to bring an offering to God. The Lord did not withdraw his presence, even though he allowed the consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve to follow in due course.
“Scripture reveals that God was available to women to aid them in their difficulties. God is never the enemy of his children but their most dependable and faithful friend (Jn 15:14). He assuaged Eve’s sorrow at Abel’s death by giving her another son (Ge 4:25). He encouraged Sarah in the time of her barrenness (Ge 18:10,14). He answered Rebekah when she inquired of him (Ge 25:22–23). God spoke to Deborah (Jdg 4:6), instructed Samson’s mother (Jdg 13:3–5), gave Ruth direction (the book of Ruth), comforted Hannah and healed her barrenness (1Sa 1:26–27), and used Esther to save her people (Est 8).
“When Jesus was to be born, an angel of God visited Mary to describe her role in the incarnation (Lk 1:28–33). God filled Mary with his presence, both literally (through the life planted in her womb) and spiritually (through the presence of the Holy Spirit).
“Jesus, in all of his teaching, pointed to the Father’s original plan for Christian marriage in which the wife was to be an equal partner to be loved and protected (Mt 19:4–6). Paul gave instruction to husbands and wives as to how they are to relate in the home (Eph 5:22–33). God never gives a command to his children unless he makes provision for them to obey. He has given the power of the Holy Spirit to help believers withstand temptation (2Pe 2:9) and the presence of Christ that becomes their spiritual armor in withstanding the enemy’s fiery darts (Eph 6:10–18). He also extends his presence through loving and supportive fellow believers in the church (2Co 13:11). He prepares for protection from abuses through establishing civil authorities (Ro 13:1).
“When both husband and wife know the Lord as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit lives in their hearts. As they submit to his Lordship, they are enabled to follow his directions. The husband will be empowered to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25), and the wife will be inspired to submit as unto the Lord (Eph 5:22, 24). The atmosphere of the home will become one of joy (Eph 5:19–21) as hurtful attitudes are laid aside (Eph 4:25–31). Forgiveness and kindness will become house rules (v. 32).
“Couples are enabled to overcome temptation with faithfulness to each other (see 1Jn 5:4–5). When husband and wife give their expectations to God and focus on the good, then peace will rule in their hearts and in their home (Php 4:6–8).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 13:7 ‘do what is honorable’: “Paul’s deepest longing was for his spiritual children to lead godly lives (cf. 7:1)—even if they persisted in doubting him. Paul was even willing to appear ‘disqualified,’ as long as the Corinthians turned from their sin (cf. Rom. 9:3).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 13:11 ‘full restoration’: “Paul urged the Corinthians to strive for full restoration (Gk. katartisis, vv. 9, 11). The related verb (Gk. katartizō) is used to describe the disciples’ mending of their nets (Mt 4:21). Paul wanted the Corinthians to repair the problems in their midst in order that they, as a body, might be whole. A list of eight sins are characteristic of a divided church, followed by sins of immorality (2Co 12:20–21), which had earlier caused Paul to write 1 Corinthians. Paul was glad for the repentance that had already taken place (2Co 7:9) but was keenly aware that the Corinthians needed more in order to become complete.”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 13:12 ‘a holy kiss’: “A sign of greeting in biblical times (Matt. 26:49; Luke 7:45), much like the modern handshake. For Christians, it further expressed brotherly love and unity (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 13:13 ‘all the saints’: “Those in Macedonia (possibly Philippi), from where Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. While encouraging unity within the Corinthian church, Paul did not want the Corinthians to lose sight of their unity with other churches.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 13 ‘Reflections’: “What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. If we cannot remove them, then we must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly.
“Our Lord was surrounded with enemies from the moment of His birth. They constituted a real and lasting problem which He simply had to endure for the period of His earthly life. He escaped it only by dying.
“Paul had his thorn in the flesh. We do not know for sure what it was, but it required large supplies of grace to enable him to endure it. At first he thought it belonged among the things he could pray his way out of, but at last he was compelled to learn to live with it. The forceful masculine Paul must have been humbled by this experience. His whole temperament would lead him to attack this thing in bold, determined prayer, to rush upon it like David and drive it from him for good. And that would have been a thrilling thing to do. It was less colorful to admit temporary defeat and adjust himself to the presence of an unsolved problem; but by so doing he gained a lesson he could have learned no other way. Paul was a better man for his thorn.”

• A. W. Tozer, Of God and Men

2 Corinthians 13 ‘Summary’: ”Imagine that you are going to write a letter like the ones the apostle Paul wrote. The purpose of your letter is to encourage other Christians-perhaps new believers-and help them grow in their faith. You want to equip them for their walk with Christ. You want to confront them about issues that may become stumbling blocks for them. You want to warn them about Satan’s tactics and strategies. You want to help them see what they are doing right-and how God will bless their efforts. You want to establish yourself as someone who can and will help them. How would you go about doing this?
“Your first step would be to identify your recipients and present your credentials. You would structure your arguments based on what you believe would appeal the most to your audience and provide your credentials to them. Paul was often questioned as to why people should listen to him. He always answered with absolute humility but never downplayed the authority and calling that God had given him to proclaim the gospel. In the same way, you can never downplay the gifts God has given you or the hard-earned wisdom you have acquired.
“Your next step would be to consider the content. What spiritual topics are closest to your heart? What wisdom would you impart? What lessons from your life would you share? What would you confront your readers about? What warnings would you send?
“Finally, you would consider your closing. What final thoughts would you want your readers to take away? What greetings would you send? What compliments or blessings would you offer to them?
“You may never be comfortable enough with your literary skills to write a letter like the apostle Paul did for the churches in which he ministered. But it can be a helpful exercise to consider the possibility. If you have been a Christian for a while, you have experience, perspective, and wisdom that is valuable to other people. You also have the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to share what you have with others-perhaps as a mentor, a Bible study partner, or a Sunday school teacher.”

• David Jeremiah, 2 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

My Thoughts

Paul is planning his third visit.  He will come in strength, as Jesus is strong.

Examine yourself.  Christ is in you unless you fail the test.

Paul wants them to pass the test so that when he comes, he will not have to deal harshly with anyone.  He wants them all to be restored.

Rejoice in the restoration of the church back to its foundation in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Peter mentions the holy kiss in one of his letters.  Paul mentions the holy kiss in four letters, all European churches, Romans, Corinthians (both letters), and one letter to the Thessalonians.  These greeting customs change today from one ethnic group to the next.  The holy kiss may have been widespread, but more so with Europeans.  The distinction is that it has nothing to do with romance and all to do with brotherly love.

As usual, Paul ends this letter with a blessing of Grace.  Added to it are love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

2 Corinthians 13 1. Misunderstanding gentleness and compassion as negative traits was a real problem in Corinth. How is that same problem true in your community? In your church?
“2. If you were searching for a new pastor or new small group leaders, what leader-ship profile (modelled by Paul) would you look for? How do you fit that profile?
“3. In which area of your spiritual life will you aim for “perfection” (13:9) this week? In which area will you be content with ‘weakness’ (12:9-10)? How can others pray for and encourage you?
“4. As you leave this last study, give a ‘benediction’ to each other, praying specifically for one another’s needs.”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Second Corinthians 13 has one set of questions.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.