SUMMARY
In preparation for his third visit with the Corinthians, PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More urges them to examine themselves to test whether they are living in the faith. The same proof—the presence of the MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified... More within them, crucified and living with power—serves as the criterion for testing both whether Paul is a true apostleDerived from a Greek word meaning "one who is sent," an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person's idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus... More and whether their own behavior has been good and fitting.
ANALYSIS
Paul’s reason for challenging those he calls “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5; 2 Corinthians 12:11), and the Corinthians who give them power, is not simply to defend himself. Rather, he wants to build up their conscience so that they can stand up to those who claim to have spiritual authority over them, but in fact just want to tear them down so that they can have power over them (2 Corinthians 12:19; 2 Corinthians 13:10).
Thus, Paul wants them to begin preparing for his third visit to them, when he will ask them to give an account of their community life, following the biblical pattern that any charge against another needs to be sustained by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1-2; cf. Deuteronomy 19:15; MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. More 18:15-20). He fears that when he comes there will still be dysfunction in the way they relate to one another—such as “quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:3). In addition, he fears that some among them have lost their sense of self-respect and are participating in behavior that defiles their own bodily integrity, such as sexual exploitation or other forms of self-abandonment (2 Corinthians 12:21).
But Paul is not simply interested in having them measure themselves against each other, or against some ideal standard, for that matter. That is precisely what he has criticized the false apostles of doing—that they seek to compare and measure themselves against one another (2 Corinthians 10:12). In fact, in contrast to the kind of “proof” that they want from him—letters of recommendation based on some external standard (2 Corinthians 3:1)—he maintains that the “proof” that the Messiah is speaking in him lies precisely in the fact that the Messiah is not only within them, but is, indeed, powerful in them (2 Corinthians 13:3). As he explains, if the Messiah was crucified in weakness, then this Messiah lives by the power of God. And that means, in turn, that although we as individuals are weak in him, having been crucified with him, we nonetheless also live with him and with another by the power of God (2 Corinthians 13:3-4).
As a result, the Corinthians can appeal to the same “proof”—the Messiah’s presence within them—in order to examine both Paul’s competence as an apostle and the integrity of their own behavior toward others and themselves. For this reason, they are to try themselves (peirazō)—that is, literally, put themselves under a trial. In so doing, they are to test (dokimazō) whether they are living in the faith. What Paul wants them to recognize in this process is that the Messiah is already in them (2 Corinthians 13:5). And, as they meet this test—discovering the Messiah in them—he hopes they will discover that Paul and his associates have also not failed at this test. But, more importantly, he hopes that they will not fail to meet this test—that they will not do anything bad, but only what is good and fitting, even if Paul and company appear to have failed (2 Corinthians 13:6-7). And the reason for this, which he knows they can recognize in their own conscience, is that in the Messiah, we do not have power to go against the truth; we only have power for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8).
RELATED PASSAGES
Genesis 1:1-31 — God Saw That It Was Good
Deuteronomy 19:15-21 — Law Concerning Witnesses
Psalm 26:1-12 — Test Me, O Lord, and Try Me
WisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... More 2:12-24 — Let Us Test the RighteousA righteous person is one who is ethical and faithful to God's covenant. Righteousness in the Old Testament is an attitude of God; in the New Testament it is a gift of God through grace. In the New Testament righteousness is a relationship with God... More One
Matthew 4:1-11 — The Temptation of Jesus
Matthew 18:15-20 — Dealing with Offenses within the Church
Romans 12:1-3 — Discerning the Will of God
1 Corinthians 3:12-23 — Fire Will Test the Work of Each Builder