131 This third time do I come unto you; on the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every saying be established; 2 I have said before, and I say 'it' before, as being present, the second time, and being absent, now, do I write to those having sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare, 3 since a proof ye seek of the Christ speaking in me, who to you is not infirm, but is powerful in you, 4 for even if he was crucified from infirmity, yet he doth live from the power of God; for we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him from the power of God toward you. 5 Your ownselves try ye, if ye are in the faith; your ownselves prove ye; do ye not know your ownselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, if ye be not in some respect disapproved of? 6 and I hope that ye shall know that we—we are not disapproved of;
7 and I pray before God that ye do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is right, and we may be as disapproved; 8 for we are not able to do anything against the truth, but for the truth; 9 for we rejoice when we may be infirm, and ye may be powerful; and this also we pray for—your perfection! 10 because of this, these things—being absent—I write, that being present, I may not treat 'any' sharply, according to the authority that the Lord did give me for building up, and not for casting down.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13:1-10
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13:1-6
(Read 2 Corinthians 13:1-6)
Though it is God's gracious method to bear long with sinners, yet he will not bear always; at length he will come, and will not spare those who remain obstinate and impenitent. Christ at his crucifixion, appeared as only a weak and helpless man, but his resurrection and life showed his Divine power. So the apostles, how mean and contemptible soever they appeared to the world, yet, as instruments, they manifested the power of God. Let them prove their tempers, conduct, and experience, as gold is assayed or proved by the touchstone. If they could prove themselves not to be reprobates, not to be rejected of Christ, he trusted they would know that he was not a reprobate, not disowned by Christ. They ought to know if Christ Jesus was in them, by the influences, graces, and indwelling of his Spirit, by his kingdom set up in their hearts. Let us question our own souls; either we are true Christians, or we are deceivers. Unless Christ be in us by his Spirit, and power of his love, our faith is dead, and we are yet disapproved by our Judge.
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13:7-10
(Read 2 Corinthians 13:7-10)
The most desirable thing we can ask of God, for ourselves and our friends, is to be kept from sin, that we and they may not do evil. We have far more need to pray that we may not do evil, than that we may not suffer evil. The apostle not only desired that they might be kept from sin, but also that they might grow in grace, and increase in holiness. We are earnestly to pray to God for those we caution, that they may cease to do evil, and learn to do well; and we should be glad for others to be strong in the grace of Christ, though it may be the means of showing our own weakness. let us also pray that we may be enabled to make a proper use of all our talents.