2 Corinthians 13:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

NIV: This will be my third visit to you. 'Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

NASB: This is the third time that I am coming to you. ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER SHALL BE CONFIRMED.

CSB: This is the third time I am coming to you. Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

NLT: This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, 'The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses' ).

KJV: This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

NKJV: This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”

The end of chapter 12 turned the tables on the believers in Corinth. Paul has spent much of the letter answering charges against himself by a group of false apostles. He has lowered himself to the level of boasting, albeit sarcastically, about his qualifications as an apostle of Jesus. Before long, however, Paul made it clear the Corinthians are in no position to declare Paul valid or invalid. Rather, his defense has been for their sake—so they won't reject the truth and accept a lie. It will be the believers of Corinth, not Paul, facing scrutiny when he arrives. He has listed several sins among them that have either been reported to him or that he witnessed when he was with them on his previous visit (2 Corinthians 12:19–21).

Paul repeats that this will be his third visit to Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:14). His first visit was when he lived among them and established the church in Corinth, leading many to faith in Christ (Acts 18:1–18). His second visit was short and difficult, resulting in an awkward confrontation and a lack of support from the congregation as a whole.

On this next visit, Paul is planning to come to put them on a kind of spiritual trial. He quotes from Deuteronomy 19:15, as Jesus did in Matthew 18:16–17. It's unclear if Paul is planning to interview witnesses to confront those still involved in ongoing sin. Perhaps he simply means he is serious about holding them accountable for sinful rebellion against Christ.

In any case, Paul expects them to take his upcoming visit seriously; they should deal with their own sinfulness before he arrives.

Second Corinthians 13:1–10 contains Paul's final warning to the Corinthians: repent from sin before he arrives to visit them. None will be spared from Christ's discipline if they remain unrepentant. They will see that Christ speaks through Paul when he executes Christ's powerful discipline among them. He urges them to examine themselves to see if Christ is in them and he prays for their restoration. Paul knows he has God-given authority to represent Christ among them, but he hopes he will not have to do so in a severe way when he arrives.

The final chapter of Paul's letter begins with a harsh warning. Nobody living in unrepentant sin when Paul arrives will be spared Paul's discipline. All will learn that Christ speaks through Paul—because Christ will deal powerfully with their sinfulness despite Paul's own weakness. Paul urges them to examine themselves and verify that Christ is in them and, by extension, that he is a true apostle. He prays for their restoration and hopes they will repent of all sin before he arrives so that he will not have to be severe in the use of his authority.

Second Corinthians 13 follows Paul's listing of two sets of sins he is concerned he will find among the Corinthians when he arrives. These are personal divisions and sexual immorality. He warns them once more that nobody will be spared from Christ's discipline if they remain in sin. Paul urges them to examine and test themselves to see if Christ is in them. He prays for their restoration and hopes they will repent of sin so that he does not have to be severe with them in his authority as Christ's representative when he arrives.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.