2 Corinthians 13 (3)

Pray Psalm 52.1-4.
Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness.
Selah
You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.

Sing Psalm 52.1-4.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
Why do the mighty boast in sin? God’s love endures, it knows no end!
They with their tongues vain boasts repeat, and like a razor, work deceit.

Men more than good in evil delight, and lies prefer to what is right.
They utter words both harsh and strong with their devouring, deceitful tongue.

Read 2 Corinthians 13.1-6; meditate on verses 5, 6.

Preparation
1. What did Paul tell the Corinthians to do?

2. What did he say about himself?

Meditation
Paul had good reasons to call the Corinthians to examine themselves. They were not acting like fruit-bearing believers. Schism, lawsuits, blinking at scandalous sin, abuses of worship and the Lord’s Supper, boasting in men: It was a bad scene, with little evidence of the grace of God at work.

When Barnabas came to Antioch to follow-up the report of new believers there, he was able to see the grace of God at work (Acts 11.23). He saw people caring for one another, sharing meals together, relieving one another’s needs, bearing bold testimony to Jesus, and growing together in Him. This is what he’d seen in Jerusalem, and he obviously saw it abounding in Antioch as well.

In Corinth, such evidence of faith was lacking. Now Paul was coming to visit them again, and he was hoping and expecting to see the grace of God. He called on the believers to examine themselves. Were they really saved? Was there evidence of grace at work in and through them? Or were they still lost in sin and simply playing at being believers?

And if they needed an example to emulate, Paul pointed to himself, just as he had done in 1 Corinthians 11.1. Because Paul imitated Jesus, and he was confident that his example was sufficient to give the Corinthians a good look at what the Savior expected in the way of fruit.

And what about us? Has the grace of God reached us? Is it flowing through us to refresh the souls of others? Do we seek the Lord, that we might be like Him? Or are we just playing at the faith? Let us examine ourselves, today and every day.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Let’s look back in time to Goliath, Saul, and David.
Goliath will take the part of temptation and sin.
Saul will play the part of the one who should examine and test himself, doesn’t, and fails.
And David will assume the role of the examined, tested, and victorious Christian.
Stage set.

Goliath the evil, calls out, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together” (1 Sam. 17.8-10). Our enemy taunts us with the same words.

Saul and his army examined themselves, tested themselves, and determined that “when they heard the words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Sam. 17.11). Immediate fail.

Enter David, stage left. He examined and tested his own heart and said: “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” This is where his victory began.

“Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
“Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17.26, 32, 36, 37). David was using past victories to bolster his courage in the present. We can do the same.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Sam. 17.45-47). Victory was his before he slew the giant.

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56.3, 4)

That was a little poem David wrote when the Philistines captured him in Gath. Yes, those Philistines. Goliath of Gath Philistines—David’s vengeful, angry, and grudge-holding enemies—yet his attitude toward them never changed. Been there, done that: God will bring me victory.

How do we compare when we put ourselves into that scene? When we fight our Goliaths? Again and again. Do we lean into our past victories like David? Do we find strength in God’s sufficient grace like Paul?

Or do we look at temptation, discouragement, and fear, and like Saul, give up before we even battle it?
May we never find ourselves like David when he did not fight, but gave in to temptation and sin. Those events were ugly, memorable, and murderous.
We much prefer the David who fought against such things!

Paul says to us: Examine and test yourselves. Do you know for sure that Jesus is in you? (2 Cor. 13.5)
Jesus says to us: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16.33). And because He has, we have too. Just like David on a good day.

Examined, tested, victorious.

For reflection
1. What about yourself should you examine?

2. How might you conduct such an examination of your soul? Your life?

3. What should you do if your examination reveals something that shouldn’t be there?

They ought to know if Christ Jesus was in them, by the influences, graces, and indwelling of his Spirit, by his kingdom set up in their hearts. Let us question our own souls; either we are true Christians, or we are deceivers. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13.1-6

Pray Psalm 52.5-9.
Pray that God will enable you to bear much fruit for Him today. Pray for all the believers in your Personal Mission Field, that they may bear much fruit as well.

Sing Psalm 52.5-9.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
God will forever break them down, uproot, and cast them to the ground!
He from their safety tears them away, no more to know the light of day.

The righteous see and laugh and fear, and say, “Behold, what have we here?
Such are all who at God conspire, and wealth and evil ways desire.”

But as for me may I be seen in God an olive ever green!
Ever in God, most kind and just, shall I with joy and gladness trust!

Thanks evermore to our Savior be raised! His faithfulness be ever praised!
Here with Your people, loving God, I wait upon Your Name, so good!

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth was in need of revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today is in need of revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.