2 Corinthians 13:5-14 Lesson 357

2 Corinthians 13:5-14
Lesson 357

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Look for Paul's final instructions.

"Examine yourselves."
"Do no evil."
"Be perfect."

Conclusion and final appeal.

Ancient Greek papyrus of 2 Corinthians 13:5-13.

From www.earlybible.com

The way to salvation:

First, acknowledge that we have all sinned.
Second, repent and confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord and that He died for our sins and was resurrected.
Lastly, pray, study the Bible, and make Jesus Christ a part of your life.

Forgiveness of sins and salvation comes through the Son of God.

The Second Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Corinthians

The King James Bible

2 Corinthians 13:5-14
Last words of advice

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.

Margin notes:

"Examine yourselves." (13:5) - Are you practicing your faith?

"Jesus Christ is in you." (13:5) - Paul is echoing Jesus from John 14:20 and 17:23.

"I pray to God that ye do no evil." (13:7) - Paul was always concerned with the churches spiritual welfare.

"Not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest." (13:7) - "Not that we should get approval, but that you should do what is right."

"But for the truth." (13:8) - "But only for the truth."

"This also we wish, even your perfection." (13:9) - "This is our wish, that your faith grows to maturity."

"According to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification." (13:10) - "According to the authority the Lord gave me to strengthen you (spiritually)."

"Be perfect." (13:11) - "Be mature (in your faith)."

"Be of good comfort." (13:11) - "Be filled with divine solace."

"Holy kiss." (13:12) - A kiss on the cheek, forehead, or hand given as a sign of peace, respect, friendship, and love. It is carried over from an old Jewish custom and still practiced in some Eastern European and Russian Orthodox churches as a greeting (Matthew 26:49) or goodbye.

"All the saints salute you." (13:13) - "All Christians greet you."

New Living Translation

2 Corinthians 13:5-14

5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

6 As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.

7 We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won't need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come-even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.

8 For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.

9 We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.

10 I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won't need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.

Paul's Final Greetings

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet each other with Christian love.

13 All of God's people here send you their greetings.

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. How do we "examine" ourselves? (13:5)

"The more you read the Bible, the more you'll love its Author. Visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

English pastor and author Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. We "examine" ourselves by testing our attitudes, motivations, and behavior. Are they godly?  Paul tells us to find Jesus living within us (13:5) and to trust His influence and guidance.  When we feel Jesus moving in our lives, we know we're building a relationship with God. It starts slowly and builds as we learn more about Christ and the Holy Scriptures. Question yourself, are you a good Christian? Are you enjoying the "fruits of the spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23)?  No one can do this for you; it requires a daily, ongoing, personal search for God's truth.



Application thought for the day:

Which of Paul's personal qualities do you find most striking?

Go back and review 2 Corinthians.  What insights on relationship building can you take from 2 Corinthians and apply to your life?

This is the final lesson of "The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians."

We'll take a short breather and then begin "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle To The Galatians" with fresh minds.

God Bless!

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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