2 Corinthians 13:1-14

Vs. 1

2 Corinthians 13:1 “1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

We’ve already established that Paul has been to the church in Corinth 2 other times, but now he desires to come a 3rd time.

And the next sentence seems out of place

2 Corinthians 13:1 “1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

What does this have to do with anything that Paul has been saying?

Look back to 2 Corinthians 12:20–21 “20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.”

Paul is saying, I’m coming a 3rd time and I’m afraid that I will catch you as a parent catches a child in the act of sin.

So, knowing that I’m coming, don’t do what so many children do - Bobby did it.

Or John made me do it…

Don’t start accusing one another to make yourselves look better

Rather, every charge must be established by the evidence of 2 or 3 witnesses.

Deuteronomy 19:15 “15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”

Matthew 18:15–16 “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

1 Timothy 5:19 “19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“In the judgment of God, therefore, it is better that many offenders should go unpunished through lack of testimony, than that the security of reputation and life should be endangered by allowing a single witness to establish a charge against any man.” - Charles Hodge

In other words, it’s better to let the guilty go free in this temporary state, than to condemn an innocent man.

God will judge and justice will be had.

Trust that God is the sovereign one. So establish every charge on the testimony of 2-3 witnesses.

Vs. 2

2 Corinthians 13:2 “2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—”

I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again… Judgment is coming for those who fail to repent

Where has he said this before?

1 Corinthians 5:1–13 ESV

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Paul is telling the church - the elders of the church - to purge the evil from its midst.

If you don’t, I will.

Why? Isn’t it all about grace and mercy and love?

Why church discipline?

Trinity Psalter Hymnal P. 937-938 - WCF 30.1-3 (mainly 3)

1 Corinthians 11:27–30 “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”

This is why we have church discipline

Vs. 3

2 Corinthians 13:3 “3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.”

You have been listening to these false Apostles this whole time.

You’re looking for proof that it’s Christ speaking through me

I’ve been showing you my weaknesses and boasting in them

But don’t think my message is weak

Don’t confuse my weakness with Christ.

Don’t think that because I am weak, Christ is weak.

“He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.”

You seek proof that Christ is speaking in me? - Look at how Christ will work among you - whether in blessing or in judgment.

I speak this as an apostle of Christ.

Vs. 4

2 Corinthians 13:4 “4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.”

“Let’s look at the ultimate example of weakness and strength.

Christ was crucified in weakness - in his humanity - in his human nature

there was weakness

But now, he lives by the power of God.

Christ - as to his divine nature - the very fact that he IS God… he is powerful and he is alive because he is God.

So just as Christ was feeble in one respect, yet powerful in another…

So we - his true Apostles - are weak in one sense, and powerful in another.

Another way of putting it is, “everything we are, we are because of Christ.”

Everything we have, we have because of Christ.”

When we deal with you, we are dealing with you as Christ would deal with us.

AND we are dealing with you on the basis of the authority granted to us by Christ.

Vs. 5

2 Corinthians 13:5 “5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

So check yourselves!

You’ve looked for proof that Christ is in me…

Check yourselves… is Christ in you? If the answer is yes, then the Spirit will testify that he too is in me.

If the answer is no, then you have failed the test.

Today is the day of salvation. It is always the right time to check ourselves to see if Christ is in us.

Vs. 6

2 Corinthians 13:6 “6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.”

Look to Christ - is Christ in you? Have you come to know him?

Have you come to love him?

Have you come to serve him?

If this is the case, you will recognize brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those that have authority over you in the Lord.

And if it were granted by God, let us be the best sheep we can for those under-shepherd that Christ has appointed.

Vs. 7

2 Corinthians 13:7 “7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.”

The analogy that Paul uses here can actually cause us to lose track of what he is doing if we’re not careful.

Paul is warning the church that his Apostolic role might have to come out if those men and women don’t repent.

But he’s saying, I would rather you not even have to see that side. “I pray to God that you may do no wrong.”

I don’t want you to have sinned in such a way that I have to prove that I am an apostle by kicking you out. I want you to do what is right, and you never see the Apostolic side, and it even appear as if I never was - at least in judgment to you.”

That’s every elder or pastor’s dream

That a church never have to see the disciplinary side, but for all the reasons we listed above - when that time comes, it is for the good of the church that discipline take place.

Vs. 8

2 Corinthians 13:8 “8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.”

This verse limits the scope of the authority that God has given both to the Apostles and to the elders of the churches today.

There is a standard that they must live by.

They are not allowed unlimited power - but are called to use the authority given to them for the building up of the church of God.

Matthew 18:15–18 “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Elders are bound by the truth of God’s word. They cannot add to nor take from, but must teach and apply the whole counsel of God.

Vs. 9

2 Corinthians 13:9 “9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”

We want to see you flourish - we want to see you grow - we want to see you abounding in grace and in the knowledge and love of the Lord.

I will gladly take on weaknesses, infirmities, sufferings so that I may be weak and you may be strong.

Every good parent is like this.

Let me be weak so that you can be strong.

Isn’t this the message of the Gospel

For our sake, he bore our weaknesses (our sins) in his body on the tree.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Vs. 10

2 Corinthians 13:10 “10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”

I want to greet you in joy - I want to greet you in kindness and in grace and in mercy -

hear my heart Corinth - let me be the weak one - you grow in grace

Our elders do the same here.

They give strong warnings to those who have sinned and continue to sin without repentance. They implore them to repent, the beg them to repent - all the while pointing them to Christ and him crucified .

But if they refuse to turn from that sin -

Their authority is exercised and the path to the kingdom is blocked - until they repent.

2 Corinthians 13:10 “10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”

So let the elders use their authority to build you up, be an encouragement to them as they are an encouragement to you.