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Paul Tells the Corinthians to Prepare for His Visit

13 This is the third time that I’ll be visiting you. Every accusation must be verified by two or three witnesses. I already warned you when I was with you the second time, and even though I’m not there now, I’m warning you again. When I visit you again, I won’t spare you. That goes for all those who formerly led sinful lives as well as for all the others. Since you want proof that Christ is speaking through me, that’s what you’ll get. Christ isn’t weak in dealing with you. Instead, he makes his power felt among you. He was weak when he was crucified, but by God’s power he lives. We are weak with him, but by God’s power we will live for you with his help.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves! Don’t you recognize that you are people in whom Yeshua Christ lives? Could it be that you’re failing the test? I hope that you will realize that we haven’t failed the test. We pray to God that you won’t do anything wrong. It’s not that we want to prove that we’ve passed the test. Rather, we want you to do whatever is right, even if we seem to have failed. We can’t do anything against the truth but only to help the truth. We’re glad when we are weak and you are strong. We are also praying for your improvement.

10 That’s why I’m writing this letter while I’m not with you. When I am with you I don’t want to be harsh by using the authority that the Lord gave me. The Lord gave us this authority to help you, not to hurt you.

Farewell

11 With that, brothers and sisters, I must say goodbye. Make sure that you improve. Accept my encouragement. Share the same attitude and live in peace. The God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All of God’s holy people greet you.[a]

13 May the Lord Yeshua Christ’s good will,[b] God’s love, and the Holy Spirit’s presence be with all of you!

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 13:12 Some English Bibles count the last sentence of verse 12 as verse 13. Verse 13 is then counted as verse 14.
  2. 2 Corinthians 13:13 Or “grace.”

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

13 This is my third visit to you. The Holy Writings tell us that when people think someone has done wrong, it must be proven by two or three people who saw the wrong being done. During my second visit I talked to you who have been sinning and to all the others. While I am away, I tell you this again. The next time I come I will be hard on those who sin. Since you want to know, I will prove to you that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when He works in your hearts. He uses His power in you. Christ’s weak human body died on a cross. It is by God’s power that Christ lives today. We are weak. We are as He was. But we will be alive with Christ through the power God has for us.

Put yourselves through a test. See if you belong to Christ. Then you will know you belong to Christ, unless you do not pass the test. I trust you see that we belong to Him and have passed the test. We pray to God that you do no wrong. We do not pray this to show that our teaching is so great, but that you will keep on doing what is right, even if it looks as if we have done much wrong. We cannot work against the truth of God. We only work for it. We are glad when we are weak and you are strong. We pray that you will become strong Christians. 10 This is why I am writing these things while I am away from you. Then when I get there, I will not have to use strong words or punish you to show you that the Lord gives me this power. This power is to be used to make you stronger Christians, not to make you weak by hurting your faith.

11 Last of all, Christian brothers, good-bye. Do that which makes you complete. Be comforted. Work to get along with others. Live in peace. The God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet each other with a kiss of holy love. 13 All those here who belong to Christ say hello. 14 May you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ. May you have the love of God. May you be joined together by the Holy Spirit.

Final Warnings

13 This will be my third visit to you.(A) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”[a](B) I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:(C) On my return I will not spare(D) those who sinned earlier(E) or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.(F) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,(G) yet he lives by God’s power.(H) Likewise, we are weak(I) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him(J) in our dealing with you.

Examine yourselves(K) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.(L) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you(M)—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak(N) but you are strong;(O) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.(P) 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh(Q) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.(R)

Final Greetings

11 Finally, brothers and sisters,(S) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.(T) And the God of love(U) and peace(V) will be with you.

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(W) 13 All God’s people here send their greetings.(X)

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,(Y) and the love of God,(Z) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit(AA) be with you all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 13:1 Deut. 19:15