2 Corinthians 13 (Tuesday, September 29)

[u/ExiledSanity]

My apologies for not being able to participate much over the past few days, have had company in town and been pretty busy; should be back to normal this week for Lamentations.

2 Corinthians 13 (ESV)

Final Warnings

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ² I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— ³ since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. ¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings

¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints greet you.

¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       Speaking of those who sinned in vs. 2 Paul says that if he comes to Corinth again he will not “spare them.”   What will he not spare them from?

2.       In vs. 5 the Corinthians are instructed to examine and test themselves to be sure they are “in the faith.”  How are they (and we) supposed to test and examine ourselves in this regard?  How do we know if we are in the faith or not?

3.       Paul closes the letter expressing to the “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”  What is the fellowship of the Holy Sprit, do we have it today?  Do you have it?

4.       What did you learn from 2 Corinthians as a whole?

[u/Scared_Eggplant4892]

1. It seems to me that this is about the concept of following through with threats of excommunication or disfellowshipping those who have already been warned and have not repented of the sins that Paul addressed them for. He's saying that he's not all bark and no bite, and that the Christ who sent him to build things up also has it within His power to tear down when needed.
2. This is about reading the Word and getting into Scripture and then examining our own lives and choices and actions in response to the call of God's love letters to us. Are we living like we should? Making the tough choices? Does our talk and walk match? Are we loving God with all of our hearts? How about our neighbors - are we showing them love? When the Holy Spirit is convicting us, do we listen, or talk over Him? When you really partake in this kind of examination, you KNOW if you're in the faith or not.
3. I've always struggled with the Holy Spirit more than any of the other aspects of the Godhead. Maybe it's because I used to dabble in the occult and some of the miraculous aspects of our God can blend into magic (at least in my head) and so it makes me cautious, worried I will try to use God (in any of His aspects) to manipulate things (including God) to "work in my favor." So, for a long time, I threw the baby out with the bathwater and walked with only a real relationship with 2 of the 3. It's only been in the last 5 years that God has opened my eyes to who and what the Holy Spirit is, and how He works in and with and through us. Now, I start my mornings with long, quiet walks in nature to commune with God and the Holy Spirit, to thank Jesus for all He has done and is doing. And a big part of that is just SHUTTING UP and listening to what He's trying to tell me, and then responding.
4. A lot of 2 Corinthians is Paul defending his ministry, but his reputation isn’t the main issue. He’s trying to get a church he loves to stop confusing impressive people with faithful ones. Following Christ doesn’t mean you’ll avoid suffering or have it all together. God works through weak people who depend on Him. Through Jesus, He reconciles us to Himself, and through His Spirit, He changes us. That should show up in real life: turning away from sin, repairing relationships, giving generously, holding on through hardship, and refusing to fall for false teaching. Paul isn’t trying to build a fan club. He wants them to follow Jesus and actually live like they mean it.

[u/winkyprojet]

3.

The Greek word used:  κοινωνία.

In ancient and biblical Greek (koinonia): It expresses the idea of sharing, participation, association or fraternal communion. 

In the New Testament, it refers to the bond uniting believers with each other and with God.

Saint Paul wishes believers the grace of Jesus, his merciful one.

He desires love, the love of God, that He take an interest in us and draw closer to us.

And the communion of the Holy Spirit.

It is the fact that the Holy Spirit brings us closer to one another.

The Holy Spirit is in each of us; we have him in common. He is able to draw near to us and unite us.

If we do not have communion, we would be separated and divided against each other.

Man has free will through his soul and is guided by his spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a spirit like the spirit of Jesus, and it can act on all the spirits of the universe.

When the universe was nothing but water, the Holy Spirit could act on every drop of water.

A nd the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is the power of God.

If believers pray to God to send rain, it is the Holy Spirit who acts to send the drops of water to earth.