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2 Corinthians 13

Paul confronts the Corinthians with the need to test their faith, while directing his authority toward their restoration.

Paul is preparing for a third visit to the Corinthian church, where some have sinned and others are demanding proof that Christ speaks through him. He warns that his next visit may bring firm discipline and calls the Corinthians to examine their own faith. His prayer is for their restoration, and he explains that the Lord gave him authority to build them up. The letter closes with calls for peace, greetings, and a blessing.

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1This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
2I have warned previously, and I warn again, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now and to all the rest that if I come again, I will not spare,
3seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me who is not weak, but is powerful in you.
4For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
5Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know about your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
6But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified.
7Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we may seem to have failed.
8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your becoming perfect.
10For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
11Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13All the saints greet you.
14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
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Key verses
2 Corinthians 13:11Paul’s closing commands show the goal of his warnings: a restored church living in peace with the God of love.
2 Corinthians 13:5The Corinthians’ demand for proof of Paul’s authority turns into a call to examine whether Christ is in them.
2 Corinthians 13:14The final blessing places this troubled church under Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Where this chapter reaches

The call to examine oneself shares language with 1 Corinthians, where self-examination appears in instructions about the Lord’s Supper. The closing appeal for a shared mind and peace connects with Philippians, which also joins unity among believers with the fellowship of the Spirit.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does Paul’s stated purpose of building up shape your reading of his warnings?

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What would you want to examine in response to Paul’s question about faith and Christ’s presence?

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Questions people ask about 2 Corinthians 13

What does “Examine your own selves” mean in 2 Corinthians 13:5?

Paul tells the Corinthians to test whether they are in the faith and whether Jesus Christ is in them. They have demanded proof that Christ speaks through Paul; he turns the question toward their own standing. The surrounding verses connect this examination with honorable conduct and the church’s restoration.

Does 2 Corinthians 13:14 teach the Trinity?

Paul’s blessing names the Lord Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit together, associating them with grace, love, and fellowship. It is a key text for the doctrine of the Trinity. The verse is a blessing rather than a full explanation of how the one God exists in three persons.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).