II Corinthians 13:1:
13:1This third-time I go towards you: "on (the) mouth of two witnesses and three (witnesses) every spoken-matter will be caused-to-stand."
Continuing from the last chapter, Paul writes to the Corinthian and Achaian holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God):
This is a reference to what was previously spoken by God and recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy 19:15. A witness is someone who has information or knowledge of that-which he is attesting to, and can therefore confirm it on the strength of his-own authority. By using the singular form of the word "mouth," emphasis is given to the fact that different witnesses of the same event should give the same spoken account of that event.
On the mouth of two witnesses and three witnesses (by-reason-of and depending-upon the speech that proceeds from the mouth of two or three witness, at least two) every spoken-matter will be caused-to-stand (all/every matter spoken by me plus one or two other witnesses will be set in place, as opposed to being caused to fall or fail).” A ‘spoken matter’ refers to a portion of the whole of God’s Word that contains the specific discourse.
Let us read from the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 19 (KJV):
Deuteronomy 19:15:
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
There was to be no unfounded accusations or statements going on within the church. If there were any charges made against Paul and those with him, or against any other member of the church, every spoken-matter must be in the presence of the words of the witness-given from two or three witnesses – otherwise these charges will be made to fall (fail); they will not stand because they will be proven to be lies.
Likewise, if there is any spoken-matter spoken and claimed to be in accordance with God and the things of God, then it too must be in the presence of the words of the witness-given from two or three witnesses (e.g.: God, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's previously-revealed and written Word, Paul, those with him) – otherwise that spoken-matter will be made to fall (fail); it will not stand because it will be proven that it is not in accordance with God and the things of God.
[Reference: Numbers 35:30; Matthew 18:15-17; John 8:17 and 18; I Corinthians 4:18; II Corinthians 1:15, 12:14; I Timothy 5:19.]
II Corinthians 13:2-4:
.2I said-beforehand2, and I say-beforehand as being present the second-time and (physically) being absent now, to the (people) having sinned-beforehand2 and to all the remaining-people, that if-ever I may come again I will not spare (you), .3since you seek-after proof of Christ uttering-forth in me, (Christ) who is not weak into you but he is able in you, .4for also he was crucified out-from weakness but he lives out-from (the) ability of God, for also we are weak in him but we live in him out-from (the) ability of God into you.
Paul continues: I have definitely communicated with words to you previously, and what I foretold you has not changed regarding this matter, and I say beforehand (foretell, lay it out for you in this letter before the event may occur) – as though I were beside you for the second-time, but physically I am away-from you at the present time…
…if it should ever happen that I come again and would be physically there among you, then at that time I will not spare you (I will not abstain from using or doing things to/with you that may not be such a pleasant experience for any of us)…
…since you look for proof (this word “proof” dokime means: that-which has the quality and character of having already been tried, tested, and has been proven to be true, it is the evidence that proves it as fact and demands the mind to accept its validity) of Christ speaking in me (that the resurrected Christ is being the efficient, instrumental cause emanating from within me enabling the action of speaking what I say to you) –
In truth, even Christ was crucified out-from weakness (his crucifixion was due to his being without-strength in the physical, flesh category just as every one of us is now in the physical, flesh category), but contrary to having been crucified (staked and so died), the resurrected Christ lives (he is presently and actively alive) – how? – out-from the ability of God. Christ’s being alive now originated-from and is due to God’s able-power, the capability of, belonging-to and proceeding-from God – this is in the spirit category.
Regarding myself and those with me, we are weak in him in the physical, flesh category because we still have our physical, fleshy bodies with its soul-life. But contrary to the physical category, we are living – how? – in him out-from the ability of God into you. We are alive in the holy spirit category within the sphere of action of the resurrected Christ, and this originates-from and is due to God’s able-power, the capability of, belonging-to and proceeding-from God, directed to you. God’s ability in Christ in us is the source of what myself and those with me say and do directed to/for you.
Christ has not come yet to gather all of us holy-people together with him, at which time we will also receive our new spiritual bodies – see I Corinthians chapter 15, I Thessalonians 4:13-17, and Philippians 3:21.
[Reference: Romans 6:6-13, and 15:17-19; I Corinthians 2:1-8; II Corinthians 1:15 and 23, 4:10-12, and 12:6, 9, 10, and 14; Philippians 2:7-10; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:25-29; I Peter 3:18.]
Verses 5 and 6:
.5You must make-trial-of yourselves if you are in the belief, you must prove yourselves, or don't you fully-know yourselves that Christ Jesus (is) in you since (it is) not-something (that) you are unapproved-people – .6but I hope that you will know that we are not unapproved-people!
You holy-people must make trial of yourselves (try yourselves, in the good sense of putting yourselves to the test in order to ascertain) if you presently and actively are within the belief (behaving within the sphere of action of the faith, trust relative to God and the things of God).
The verb translated “to make trial of” is the same verb that can also be translated “to tempt” because it can be used in the good sense or in the bad sense, which in English has two different words in order to better understand the meaning.
You must make-trial-of yourselves if you are in the belief, you must prove yourselves (put yourselves to the test, examine yourselves so as to approve or disapprove this to be the case).
Or don't you fully-know yourselves (don't you have full, clear and exact personal knowledge about yourselves) that the resurrected Christ Jesus is within you right now in the holy spirit category – since it is not true that you are unapproved-people (people who are not approved by God or by the Lord Jesus Christ, people who have not passed the test or examination of having received the gift of holy spirit, which is the spirit of Christ in you).
But I hope (expect to come to pass at a future time when I, and those with me, will actually be present with you again) that you will have personal knowledge (have a truly active and relative knowing) that emphatically we (myself and those with me) are not unapproved-people! We are as you are in the holy spirit category because we all have the spirit of Christ in us.
[Note: some manuscripts have the words "Jesus Christ" which (if in fact these are the original words) would emphasize obedience and service towards God – Jesus who is the Christ has already received his spiritual body and continues to believe and obey and serve his Father, God, and he is the one who continues to help us to do likewise via the gift of holy spirit which he poured-forth on the day of Pentecost – see Acts chapter 2, 16:7, and Philippians 1:19.]
The Corinthian and Achaian holy-people were approved in the spirit category; each one of them had holy spirit-life within them. However, it was up to each one of them to live their everyday lives according to that foundation of belief which they had been taught by Paul and others. They were sons of God and that would not change, but their close-fellowship relationship with God depended on whether or not they continued to believe and obey God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the state of their walk/behavior may have fluctuated away from the belief that God has given us to believe, His Word to us.
[Reference: Romans 1:28, 8:9-11, and 10:8-11; Colossians 1:27.]
Verses 7-9:
.7But we pray towards God (for) you not to do not-one bad-thing, not in order that we may be brought-to-light (as being) approved-people, but in order that you may do the beautiful-thing and we may be as unapproved-people; .8for we are not able (to say or do) something against the truth but on behalf of the truth, .9for we joy whenever we may be weak and you may be able-people; this also we pray: your full-equipment.
We pray (myself and those with me express our prayerful wish or desire of commitment as a vow) towards God (not anyone or anything else) that you would not do any bad-thing (literally: not do nothing bad; this double negative in Greek gives great emphasis).
Why do we pray to God regarding your behavior? It was not for the purpose and result that emphatically we would be brought-to-light (that God's light would shine upon us causing us to be evidenced) as being approved-people (people who are approved by God or by the Lord Jesus Christ, people who have passed the test or examination in the walk/behavior category). But on the contrary, we pray towards God regarding your behavior for the purpose and result that you holy-people would do the beautiful-thing (perform that-which has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness), even though we, on the other hand, would be in comparison to unapproved-people in some people's estimation in the walk/behavior category.
No matter what people may have thought about Paul and those with him, the truth is that they were approved-people in the holy spirit category and they remained approved-people in the walk/behavior category as they said and did what God and the Lord Jesus Christ wanted them to say and do.
Also we should note that Paul and those with him prayed to God to help the other holy-people in the walk/behavior category. It was not available for Paul, nor any of those with him (and the same is true today), to force them to behave properly by means of what is promulgated in our society many times as "picture it happening," or "use mind-power," or "believe for it to happen,” or “believe for it to be okay." If Paul and those with him had already received any specific revelation to believe regarding this from God or from the Lord Jesus Christ then they would have had to believe the revelation and act accordingly, not pray about it!
We (myself and those with me) are not able (we do not have the able-power, the capability, see verse 4 above) to say or do anything which is in a downward direction against the truth (what the essential reality is, the inherent verity, what is in accordance with what God says). But contrary to not being able to say or do something against the truth, we are able (we have the able-power, the capability) to say or do something on behalf of (in the interests of) the truth; for we rejoice at whatever time it would happen that we ourselves are weak (without-strength in the flesh, physical category) and at the same time you Corinthian and Achaian holy-people are able-people (people with ability, with capability in the walk/behavior category).
Also, we pray this (in addition we express our prayerful wish or desire of commitment as a vow for the following to happen): your full-equipment. “Full-equipment” means being made fully-equipped, put down in a fitting straight/right order, the pieces framed together, fitted-out, having all that is needed in the walk/behavior category to carry-out the requested duties or functions for God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Reference: Acts 4:20; Romans 14:18; II Corinthians 8:21; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:11-13; I Thessalonians 3:9 and 10.]
Verse 10:
.10Because-of-this, I write these-things being absent in order that being present I may not cuttingly-away use (what I use) according to the authority which the Lord gave to me into edification and not into pulling-down!
It is on this account (for this reason) I am writing these-things to you now – even though I am away-from you at the moment – for the purpose and result that when I am present with you (being-beside you in Corinth and Achaia) I may not cuttingly-away use (furnish what is needed for use severingly, abruptly, in a manner that is cutting; metaphorically: severely) what I use in accordance with the authority (the authoritative power, permitted right) which the Lord Jesus Christ has given to me to use…
… in the walk/behavior category!
The Lord Jesus Christ gave Paul authority to carry-out his apostleship in accordance with what the Lord instructed, and this was always in order that those to whom he would minister would receive edification – even though at times it was necessary for Paul to be abrupt in what he said and did! Paul was obligated to say and do what was deemed necessary by his Lord/Master. Of course, it was up to each individual to make his/her own decision to listen and receive what Paul taught and thus become edified, or to reject it and thus reject the edification that was made available to him/her.
[Reference: Romans 11:22; I Corinthians 4:21; II Corinthians 10:4 and 8-11, and 12:19; Ephesians 4:11-13; Titus 1:13.]
Verse 11:
.11As-to-the-rest, brothers, you must joy; you must fully-equip-yourselves; you must encourage-yourselves; you must think the same-thing; you must live-peaceably – and the God of love1 and peace will be with you.
Again here, towards the end of this letter, Paul addresses the Corinthian and Achaian holy-people as "brothers" reminding them that they have all received the same gift of holy spirit which is the deposit of the new covenant from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ – including Paul himself.
He writes: as far as the rest (the remaining-matters relative-to God and the things of God) are concerned, brothers:
…and the God of…
…will be in company and association with you during the everyday living of your lives in the walk/behavior category.
What a great promise from God via Paul to these Corinthian and Achaian holy-people – of course, it was up to each one of them to behave according to what God says during the everyday living of their lives in the walk/behavior category.
All holy-people already have Godly-love and peace in the spirit category, and this does not change because we are His sons having the spirit of Christ within us.
[Reference: Romans 12:15-18, 15:33; II Corinthians 1:3 and 4; I Thessalonians 5:16.]
Verses 12 and 13:
.12You must greet one-another in a holy kiss. .13All the holy-people greet you.
You holy-people are obligated to greet (draw to yourselves, salute) one-another in a holy kiss (a sanctified love-token, the considerate expression of your Godly-love for one-another within the sphere of action of the brotherly or friendly kind of love).
All the holy-people, who are in the area where I am while I am writing this letter to you, send their greetings to you.
In some cultures today the literal act of kissing another may not be acceptable - but what Paul wanted them to do was to greet one-another with loving respectful consideration and affection as is fitting of brothers and sisters in Christ being children of God. This is applicable to all holy-people today also. We are to greet one-another being holy-people in the same manner because we are children of God having received exactly the same holy spirit within us which is the spirit of Christ, the deposit of the new covenant.
[Reference: Acts 20:1; Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 16:20; I Thessalonians 5:26.]
Verse 14:
.14(May) the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love1 of God and the sharing-in-common of the spirit (be) with all of you.
Paul's opening address to these holy-people included grace, and now he closes-out this letter by expressing this prayerful desire: may it be that…
…is in company and association with all of you, in full manifestation during the everyday living of your lives in the walk/behavior category (you already have these in the spirit category).
Notice that Paul writes "spirit" (singular). All of us holy-people have the same holy spirit-life within us, not separate entities! We are limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ. We have the new creation which is the spirit of Christ in us and it is via this holy spirit that our Lord Jesus Christ extends his grace to us as we walk/behave ourselves during the everyday living of our lives according to his will, which is also God's will.
[Reference: I Corinthians 1:9; II Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:23, 2:1, 4:23; Colossians 1:27; Philemon 1:25. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
How wonderful it is that we have the privilege of being able to read Paul's teaching in this second letter which he wrote to the Corinthian church and all the holy-people in the whole of Achaia, and we have the privilege of being able to learn from it also!
(May) the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the sharing-in-common of the spirit (be) with all of you.
