Commentary - 2 Corinthians 13:1-4

Bird's-eye view

We come now to the solemn conclusion of Paul's long and often painful correspondence with the Corinthian church. This is not the end of the letter, but it is the end of the argument. What follows are final greetings and benedictions, but here in these opening verses of chapter thirteen, Paul is laying his apostolic cards on the table. The tone is severe, judicial, and weighty. He is preparing for his third visit, and he wants there to be no misunderstanding about the nature of that visit if repentance has not been thorough. He is coming not as a mere teacher or a friendly church planter, but as an apostle of Jesus Christ, vested with the authority of Christ Himself. The central issue is the reality of Christ's power working through Paul's apparent weakness, a theme that has been central to this entire epistle. The Corinthians are being called to a final examination, but as we will see, it is an examination that must first be applied to themselves.

Paul establishes the legal basis for his impending judgment, appeals to his prior warnings, and directly confronts their demand for "proof" of Christ's authority in him. He does this by masterfully turning their worldly evaluation of strength and weakness on its head, pointing them to the cross of Christ. The cross is the ultimate display of power through weakness, and this paradox is the very pattern of authentic apostolic ministry. Paul is weak in Christ, precisely so that the power of God might be manifest toward them. This is not a threat born of personal pique; it is a summons to corporate holiness, grounded in the very character of the gospel.

Outline

Context In 2 Corinthians

These verses are the capstone of Paul's extended defense of his ministry against the "super-apostles" who had infiltrated the Corinthian church. These false teachers operated with worldly credentials, boasting of their strength, eloquence, and spiritual experiences. In stark contrast, Paul has spent chapters 10 through 12 glorying in his weaknesses, his sufferings, his "thorn in the flesh," because it is precisely in these areas that the power of Christ rests upon him. This final section brings that theme to a sharp, practical point. The Corinthians have been swayed by the world's definition of power and have begun to question Paul's legitimacy. Now, Paul is about to arrive in person, and he must make it clear that the authority he carries is not of this world. It is the authority of Christ, an authority that is powerful to build up, but also to tear down (2 Cor. 13:10). This is the final, solemn warning before the judge enters the courtroom.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER SHALL BE CONFIRMED.

Paul begins with a simple statement of fact that carries immense weight. This is his third planned visit. The first was his founding visit. The second was a "painful visit" (2 Cor. 2:1). This third visit is now on the horizon, and it will be decisive. He immediately grounds the nature of this visit in the legal principles of God's law, quoting from Deuteronomy 19:15. This is crucial. Paul is not acting as a lone ranger, on his own authority, or out of personal frustration. He is establishing a formal, judicial proceeding. The matter of the unrepentant sin in Corinth is now a formal case to be settled. The "two or three witnesses" can be understood in a few complementary ways. It could refer to his three visits as three separate "witnesses" to the Corinthians' state. It could refer to Paul, Titus, and Timothy. Most likely, it refers to the principle that when he arrives, he will not act on hearsay but will establish the facts of their rebellion and sin through proper testimony. The church is being put on notice: court is about to be in session.

2 I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone,

There will be no surprises. Paul is a faithful pastor, and faithful pastors warn before they strike. He has told them this before, during his painful second visit, and he is writing it down now so there is an official, written record of his intention. The warning is directed at two groups: "those who have sinned in the past" and "all the rest." The first group likely refers to specific, high-handed sinners, perhaps the man from 1 Corinthians 5 who had repented and been restored, but also others who were involved in sexual immorality and factionalism. "All the rest" are those who were complicit, who tolerated the sin, who were being swept along by the arrogance of the super-apostles. No one will be exempt from this judgment. His statement, "I will not spare anyone," is stark. The time for gentle appeals and long-distance rebukes is drawing to a close. Apostolic authority, when defied, has teeth. This is the authority to enact church discipline in its most severe forms, for the purpose of purifying the church and, ultimately, for the salvation of the unrepentant (1 Cor. 5:5).

3 since you are seeking proof that Christ speaks in me; He is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.

Here Paul diagnoses the root of their rebellion. They are demanding "proof" (dokimē) that Christ is truly speaking through him. They were looking for a worldly kind of power, the kind of flashy rhetoric and self-important swagger that the false apostles specialized in. They looked at Paul's suffering, his humility, his plain speech, and they mistook it for weakness. Paul's response is a sharp counter-thrust. You want proof of Christ's power? Don't look at me, look at yourselves. The very existence of the Corinthian church, their conversion from pagan idolatry, the spiritual gifts operating among them, all of it is proof that Christ is "mighty in you." The Christ who speaks through Paul is not some feeble, distant deity. He is the one who powerfully transformed their lives. To question Paul's authority was, therefore, to question the very power that had saved them. It was a profound self-contradiction.

4 For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God toward you.

This is the theological heart of the entire epistle, distilled into one sentence. Paul takes their charge of "weakness" and shows them that it is the central principle of the gospel. Christ Himself embraced the ultimate weakness in His crucifixion. To the world, a crucified messiah was the very definition of failure and impotence. But it was precisely through that weakness that the infinite power of God was unleashed in the resurrection. "He lives because of the power of God." This is the pattern for all Christian life and especially for apostolic ministry. Paul readily admits his weakness: "we also are weak in Him." He identifies his own sufferings, persecutions, and humble demeanor with the crucifixion of Christ. But that is not the end of the story. Just as Christ was raised by God's power, so also Paul and his fellow ministers "will live with Him because of the power of God toward you." When he arrives in Corinth, he will not be operating in his own human weakness. He will be operating in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, a power that will be directed "toward you" for judgment and for purification. They wanted a demonstration of power, and Paul promises them one, but it will be the power of the resurrected Christ, which first appeared in the weakness of the cross.