All through this letter, Paul has been defending his apostolic ministry – not just himself, but the message he brought to the Corinthians. In this last section, he shifts to more directly addressing the Corinthians’ relationship with Christ, and the question of what living like Christ actually looks like. The calls them to examine and test themselves, to see if they are showing evidence of the gospel of Christ.
Paul is not asking in order to say no, but rather, calling back to the opening of the letter, the answer “is always ‘yes’ in Christ.” He believes that they will indeed pass the test, despite everything. He asks the Corinthians to see what he sees in them. Paul sets up this final examination as a righteous trap, designed to shift their attention from themselves to Christ within us, and to seek the evidence of Christ in our lives. We should be able to see this evidence, as should others. This introspection should not be self-absorbed, but rather focused on Christ in us. As a result of this self-examination, we should see where we are living like Christ, and where we are not, so that we can change that.
Paul then moves to his prayers for the Corinthians, but he twice interrupts himself to emphasize that this is not about him. He may well have failed on his part, but that does not matter as long as the Corinthians change their ways and live as a restored church in the light of Christ. Paul’s whole goal in this letter is to build up the church in advance of his arrival.
This is why he spends so much time defending his apostolic ministry. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of the gospel and its impact on the lives of the Corinthians. Paul is far more concerned with the actions of the Corinthians than his own reputation.
This leads to Paul’s hope, not just for the Corinthians but also for us. He ends with five works he wants to see erupt in the church, moving them towards a unified community centered on Christ.
First, he calls them to rejoice, because of the great gift Christ has given them. Second, he calls them towards restoration, the same call he has been making all through the letter. Third, he calls them to comfort one another. To comfort one another, we must know one another. Fourth, he calls on them to agree with one another. This doesn’t mean complete agreement in all things, but rather that we consider the choice between “being right” and being unified. Fifth, he calls them to live in peace – in Shalom, with each other and with Christ.
Overall, he calls them to a community that builds each other up upon the foundation of Christ. Christ is like the big Lego baseplate upon which all of us, as Legos, build up the church. The task of living in peace and community is a big one, but Paul promises that the God of love and peace will be with them in that task. We are not to try to enlist him in dissension or disunity.
Paul closes the letter with a Trinitarian call for the grace of Christ to make itself known to the Corinthians, and the infinite love of God the Father, and all this to express itself through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This triune God, in community with Himself and with us, is both the model and the empowerment for living in community with each other. This means we must look at our interactions with each other in the light of Christ, not in light of our own agendas.
This brings us back to the notion of self-examination, seeking Christ within us. There are two ways we do this wrong. We can live our lives without ever looking for God, running on autopilot and focusing only on the things of this world. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.” It is a passive neglect of this vital relationship.
Sometimes, though, the neglect is more active. Jesus is in us, but we do not want to look at him. Either way, God is patient and persistent, and always working to restore us to right relationship with Him. He is with us, and we do not need to live like He is not. Take advantage of the fact that He is working in you and amongst you. Where is Christ at work in you?
– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 1, 2018
2 Corinthians 13:5-14
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