Coming with Authority

13 This will be (A)the third time I am coming to you. (B)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” (C)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent [a]I write to those (D)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again (E)I will not spare— since you seek a proof of Christ (F)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty (G)in you. (H)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet (I)He lives by the power of God. For (J)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, (K)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you [b]are (L)disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

Now [c]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though (M)we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad (N)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, (O)that you may be made complete. 10 (P)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the (Q)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. (R)Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love (S)and peace will be with you.

12 (T)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

13 All the saints greet you.

14 (U)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and (V)the [d]communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 13:2 NU omits I write
  2. 2 Corinthians 13:5 do not stand the test
  3. 2 Corinthians 13:7 NU we
  4. 2 Corinthians 13:14 fellowship

Final Warnings and Greetings

13 This will be my third time to visit you. And remember, “For every complaint there must be two or three people to say that they know it is true.”[a] When I was with you the second time, I gave a warning to those who had sinned. I am not there now, but I am giving another warning to them and to anyone else who has sinned: When I come to you again, I will punish you. You want proof that Christ is speaking through me. My proof is that he is not weak in dealing with you but is showing his power among you. It is true that Christ was weak when he was killed on the cross, but he lives now by God’s power. It is also true that we share his weakness, but in dealing with you, we will be alive in him by God’s power.

Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. Don’t you realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Of course, if you fail the test, he is not in you. But I hope you will see that we have not failed the test. We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Our concern here is not for people to see that we have passed the test in our work with you. Our main concern is that you do what is right, even if it looks as if we have failed the test. We cannot do anything that is against the truth but only what promotes the truth. We are happy to be weak if you are strong. And this is what we pray—that your lives will be made completely right again. 10 I’m writing this before I come so that when I am there I will not have to use my authority to punish you. The Lord gave me that authority to make you stronger, not to destroy you.

11 Now, brothers and sisters, be filled with joy. Try to make everything right, and do what I have asked you to do. Agree with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Give each other the special greeting of God’s people.[b] All of God’s holy people here send you their greetings.

13 I pray that you will enjoy the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship[c] of the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 13:1 Quote from Deut. 19:15.
  2. 2 Corinthians 13:12 the special greeting of God’s people Literally, “a holy kiss.”
  3. 2 Corinthians 13:13 fellowship This can mean a sharing or participation in the Holy Spirit or the loving association and unity among believers that is created by the Spirit.

13 ESTA tercera vez voy á vosotros. En la boca de dos ó de tres testigos consistirá todo negocio.

He dicho antes, y ahora digo otra vez como presente, y ahora ausente lo escribo á los que antes pecaron, y á todos los demás, que si voy otra vez, no perdonaré;

Pues buscáis una prueba de Cristo que habla en mí, el cual no es flaco para con vosotros, antes es poderoso en vosotros.

Porque aunque fué crucificado por flaqueza, empero vive por potencia de Dios. Pues también nosotros somos flacos con él, mas viviremos con él por la potencia de Dios para con vosotros.

Examinaos á vosotros mismos si estáis en fe; probaos á vosotros mismos. ¿No os conocéis á vosotros mismos, que Jesucristo está en vosotros? si ya no sois reprobados.

Mas espero que conoceréis que nosotros no somos reprobados.

Y oramos á Dios que ninguna cosa mala hagáis; no para que nosotros seamos hallados aprobados, mas para que vosotros hagáis lo que es bueno, aunque nosotros seamos como reprobados.

Porque ninguna cosa podemos contra la verdad, sino por la verdad.

Por lo cual nos gozamos que seamos nosotros flacos, y que vosotros estéis fuertes; y aun deseamos vuestra perfección.

10 Por tanto os escribo esto ausente, por no tratar presente con dureza, conforme á la potestad que el Señor me ha dado para edificación, y no para destrucción.

11 Resta, hermanos, que tengáis gozo, seáis perfectos, tengáis consolación, sintáis una misma cosa, tengáis paz; y el Dios de paz y de caridad será con vosotros.

12 Saludaos los unos á los otros con ósculo santo.

13 Todos los santos os saludan.

14 La gracia del Señor Jesucristo, y el amor de Dios, y la participación del Espíritu Santo sea con vosotros todos. Amén.