2 Corinthians 13: Examine Yourselves Whether Ye Be in the Faith

I finished a dining table last week and carried it into the house. Six boards, edge-glued, clamped, sanded through four grits. It looked good in the shop under the overhead lights. Then I set it where the morning sun comes through the east window. The light hit the surface at a low angle and I saw every place where the sanding had been uneven. Three spots I had missed and a scratch I had not noticed. The table was the same table. The light just showed me what was really there.

That is what 2 Corinthians 13 feels like. Paul is turning on a light. He is about to visit Corinth for the third time and he wants the Saints to look at themselves before he gets there. Not because he enjoys confrontation. Because he would rather find them ready than have to correct them.

Meaning of Examine Yourselves Whether Ye Be in the Faith

The center of this chapter is verse 5. Paul writes it plainly. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves." He is not asking them to compare themselves to each other. He is asking them to look at their own lives and see if Christ is actually there.

I think about that table in the morning light. The flaws were not hidden. They were just invisible until the conditions were right. Paul is creating those conditions. He is telling the Corinthians to put their lives under a light that shows the truth.

It is easy to assume you are fine. You go to church and pay your tithing and say the right things. But Paul is after something deeper. He wants to know if Christ is actually in you. Not if you believe the right things about him. If he is present in your daily choices, your reactions, the way you treat the people around you.

I read 2 Corinthians 10 a few weeks ago and Paul talks about weapons that are not carnal. This chapter is the other side of that. The weapons are spiritual but so is the inspection. You cannot fake the fruit of the Spirit forever. Eventually the light hits the surface and you see what is really there.

Paul's Final Warnings to the Corinthians

The first four verses of this chapter are direct. Paul says he will not spare those who have sinned and not repented. He quotes the law about two or three witnesses. He is building a case.

But here is what I notice. Paul does not want to use his authority. He says in verse 10 that he writes these things so that when he comes he will not have to deal sharply with them. He is giving them a chance to fix it themselves. That is the difference between a warning and a threat. A warning gives you time to change.

I have done this with my kids. Before we go into a store I tell them what I expect. I do not want to correct them in the middle of the aisle. I want them to remember the boundary and choose to stay inside it. Paul is doing the same thing with the Corinthians. He is setting the boundary before he arrives.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

How to Conduct a Spiritual Self-Examination

The chapter does not give a step-by-step process but Paul gives enough to work with. He says to prove yourselves. That means testing. Putting your faith against real conditions and seeing if it holds.

I test my joints the same way. I clamp them, I put weight on them, I look for gaps. If a joint fails under pressure, it was not a good joint. It just looked like one. Paul is saying the same thing about faith. If your faith cannot handle scrutiny, it might not be real faith.

Here is what I have found works for a spiritual self-examination. I ask myself three questions. When was the last time I changed my mind about something because of what I read in the scriptures. When was the last time I apologized to someone without being asked. And when was the last time I did something for someone else that cost me something real. If I cannot answer those questions, I have some work to do.

What Is the Benediction in 2 Corinthians 13

The chapter ends with one of the most familiar verses in scripture. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

It is a benediction. A sending forth. Paul has spent two letters correcting, pleading and teaching. Now he releases them. He gives them the three things they need to go forward. Grace, love and communion.

I think of it like the final coat of oil on a piece of furniture. The structure is already built and the joints are already cut. The oil does not change the wood. It protects it and brings out what is already there. The benediction does the same thing. It does not add anything new. It seals the work that has already been done.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Paul sound so severe at the beginning of 2 Corinthians 13

Paul is dealing with a community that had become complacent. His severity is meant to provoke repentance before he arrives so that his actual visit can be one of joy rather than discipline.

What does it mean to examine yourself in the context of this chapter

It means to honestly evaluate whether your life produces the fruit of the Spirit. Paul is urging the Saints to look beyond their claims of faith and verify if Christ is actually transforming their character and actions.

What is the significance of the final blessing in 2 Corinthians 13

The benediction summarizes what a believer needs. Grace provides enabling power. Love provides the foundation and the communion of the Holy Ghost provides unity and guidance.

How is 2 Corinthians 13 relevant to daily life

The call to self-examination never gets old. It is easy to drift into a comfortable faith that does not cost anything. Paul reminds us to check ourselves regularly and make sure we are still moving in the right direction.

— D.