Thursday, November 3, 2016

2 Corinthians 13 Are you complete?

7Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. 8For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. 10For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

Paul's greatest desire was for the church of Corinth to grow in the truth of Jesus Christ, to repent of all sin and to love one another.

David Guzik commentary;
i. Even so, Paul admitted, though we may seem to be disqualified. If one judges a genuine Christian life by worldly standards (emphasizing "power" and "success"), Paul might seem to be disqualified. It was by these standards that Job's friends were convinced that his hardships were the result of sin in his life. However, one could say that only by judging with worldly standards.

 Paul could only work effectively for the truth, not against the truth.
i. "This passage is of special interest as fixing the limits of all ecclesiastical power, whether ordinary or miraculous . . . The promise of our Lord, that what the church binds on earth shall be bound in heaven, is limited by the condition that her decisions be in accordance with the truth." (Hodge)

e. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong: If Paul's weakness could contribute to the strength of the Corinthian Christians, he would be glad. His real concern was that the Corinthians may be made complete.

f. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness: Paul preferred that the Corinthian Christians would clean up their act before he came to see them. He wanted to use his authority for edification, not destruction.

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/guzik/2_corinthians/13.htm

What should we learn from today's scripture? Repent from sin, don't judge by worldly standards, work effectively for the truth in Jesus Christ, understand what the church binds on earth it is bound in heaven, your weakness could contribute towards someone being strong and be complete in Christ.
Blessings, David

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