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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday May 13, 2018
PAUL’S
FINAL ADVICE TO THE CORINTHIANS
2
Corinthians 13
There can be no coercive work
involved in ministry in the Christian Church. The authoritative spiritual
powers granted by GOD do not include an element of coercion. Christian
spiritual leaders are only “spokespersons” for CHRIST, and so CHRIST speaks
through them, and anyone who refuses to listen, is not just ignoring the
messenger, he or she, in reality, is ignoring GOD. However, because GOD gave us
wills that free, everyone must choose to follow CHRIST, or to reject HIM,
voluntarily.
Here in 2 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul,
under the authority of JESUS CHRIST, warns the church at Corinth of a third
visit that he planned to make there in the near future. He had already warned
those who had violated their pledges to CHRIST, that there would be a great
rebuke delivered by him when he came, because of their continued sin, and their
continued clinging to their former lifestyles outside the precepts and
principles of the Christian way.
When people looked at Paul, they literally
saw a man petite and frail, battered and beaten down by various persecutions (2
Cor. 11:22-33), and to top it off, he wasn’t a great speaker (2 Cor. 10:10)
like many of the false “super apostles”, which is what Paul called them (2 Cor.
12:11). Yet Paul tells the Corinthians here in verse 3 that he will give them
all the proof they want that CHRIST speaks through him.
Paul didn’t want the Corinthians to get it
twisted or confused and start comparing what they see in him physically is a
picture of what CHRIST is like. Only his messages, actions, and behavior show
them a picture of what CHRIST is like, not his physical appearance. CHRIST is
not weak in his dealings with them, Paul says (v.3), but rather, HE is a mighty
power among them. Although it seemed to them that CHRIST died on the cross in
weakness, HE now lives among them by the mighty power of GOD. And so, while he
may be weak in appearance, the mighty power of GOD lives in him and all the
people who work with him, and they use that mighty power in dealing with them,
and their foolishness every day.
The
Apostle Paul then urges the church at Corinth to “judge”, or “examine” themselves
(anakrino judgment) to see if their “faith” is indeed a “saving faith”. They
need to see for themselves if their faith is a “genuine faith” that moves them
to positive actions toward one another, and toward obedience to GOD, and, if an
unbeliever is able to see a difference in their lifestyles, verses the
lifestyle that they now lead. And if they cannot tell if CHRIST was among them,
using their current behavior and lifestyles as a barometer, that means that
they, by way of their own examples before the world, had failed the test, and
are “not approved”, “adokimoi” in the Greek, (ad-o-kim-ohee) by GOD (Vs.5-6).
Paul’s second visit to the church at
Corinth had been a very humbling experience for him and his fellow workers
because of the offensive way that were treated, and because of the way that
some in the church had fallen away from the teachings of CHRIST JESUS. He
admonished the Corinthians of the consequences of choosing to live their lives
contrary to principals of CHRIST (backsliding), after pledging themselves to
HIM.
It is the responsibility of the Christian
to never oppose the truth, and in fact, choose to follow and stand by the truth,
regardless to where it leads you, and regardless to whom it convicts, be it
family member, friend, or perceived enemy. GOD glorifies HIMSELF through us
when HE uses the backdrop of our weaknesses in order to perform great deeds
before mankind.
Paul closes out this second letter to the
Corinthians by encouraging them to rejoice, change their ways, encourage each
other, and live in harmony and peace. In other words “aim for perfection”
“katartizesthe” (kat-ar-tid-est-he), starting by repenting and putting oneself
back into a position where one can be used by GOD for good works. Only then,
will the GOD of love and peace abide with them. It was Paul’s sincere desire
that the Corinthians behave in such a way that the love of GOD, the grace of
CHRIST JESUS, and the fellowship of the HOLY SPIRIT could abide among them,
without being grieved.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
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