Paul gives his final preparations regarding his planned trip to Corinth.
Sometimes when the medicine is not taken then the surgery has to follow.
Paul has tried to counsel and encourage the Corinthian church with only limited success. Now he is coming in person to deal with the problems that have continued in spite of his letters.
…..I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone,(2)
What if we received in advance a letter from an evangelist warning us to be ready because he was not going to spare anyone?
PAUL’S THIRD VISIT WOULD BE A CONFIRMATION OF HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEMS ARE:
Every parent may not read or write but all can count to three. Whenever a child is doing wrong a common response from a parent is to count…one…two …three.
Many children must grow up thinking that the word ‘three’ is another word for ‘duck’ or ‘run for your life’ because it is the last word many parents say before they go off on the child.
How many times have you read certain passages in the Bible and still not made the appropriate change in your life? Paul has now written 4 times and was planning his 3rd visit and yet some of the Corinthian problems have yet to be fixed.
What are some things we still might not be getting regarding the Christian life?
1) Prayer really is important
2) God’s Word is the only truth that a life can be built on.
3) Telling others about Christ is something He wasn’t kidding about.
4) Christians really are supposed to love one another and get along
5) Gossip truly is a sin.
6) God truly blesses some people so they can give to other and not hoard what they were given.
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. 2 I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone,
I really liked the movies that were made about a decade ago regarding the life of Wyatt Earp. One was made staring Kevin Costner and the other with Kurt Russell. I remember a scene in the one with Kurt Russell where after one of his brothers was killed he shouts out to the street, ‘Tell them I am coming and hell is coming with me’.
What if we got a letter from Paul saying “I am coming to you Holly Brook Baptist and we are going to deal with all the things I have written to you that you have yet to do AND I will spare no one’!!!. Would you try to miss that Sunday?
What would you try to quickly change? What if he sat in on your next team meeting? Sunday School?
I still remember my first year here at Holly Brook when I was standing at the back when at the start of the church service I heard Michael Sims announce, ‘It is a great privilege to have Zig Zigler visiting with us today’. My heart dropped realizing I was about to preach to one of the most famous motivational speakers in the world.
I was also suffering from a recent concussion from car wreck.
The good news was that he actually asked our sound room for a copy of the message and then called me later on asking my permission so if he could make it available at his speaking events. Maybe I need some more concussions.
Paul’s point was that if after all these letters and previous visits certain problems were not yet addressed then it would be time to throw down.
PAUL SAID THAT SINCE THEY WERE SO GOOD AT TESTING HIM THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO TEST THEMSELVES:
3 since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me,
These people were so good at examining others and missing the LOGS in themselves. Are people still like this today? Do they see and comment on all the ‘perceived sins’ in other people’s lives and yet do a sorry job of seeing their own faults and sins?
If they were truly saved then there should be a power within them. The proof of their genuine faith would be the evidence of that power that would be found upon examination.
and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4 For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. 5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test?
We are to test ourselves for a true faith. When was the last time you did a self-examination of your spiritual life?
How many take for granted a genuine faith?
How many examples of a truly on fire, dynamic, unquestionable faith are available for comparison in today’s church? Many people think they are ok spiritually because of how they stack up to those in the pews around them.
What if Paul was sitting on your row? Those in Corinth thought they were ok because of how they looked next to other Corinthian believers.
Paul was coming to church and things were going to soon change.
6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
Paul would pass….Paul would set the curve..called us to follow his example.
When was the last time you examined your life and looked for proof of your relationship with Christ?
If you were a prosecuting attorney with someone on the witness stand who was accused of being a follower of Jesus Christ then what would you look for as evidence? What would be evidence of a ‘new creature in Christ”? New thinking? New goals? New habits? New relationships? New priorities? New spending habits?
Word Paul uses for ‘fail the test’ is where we get our word ‘reprobate’ from. The concern that the test will show evidence that we are living in a way as if God did not exist. Our world revolved around ourselves and not God will.
PAUL FINALLY SAYS THAT HE HOPES THE WORST CASE WILL NOT BE WHAT HAPPENS:
7 Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.
Paul hopes that all his concerns will be either unfounded or not still be a problem by the time he arrives.
9 For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. 10 For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
Paul gave them two option concerning which Paul they wanted to see.
Paul hopes that when he finally sees the church face to face that the result of his strong letters will be a genuine change. The kind of change that will be a proof of their true faith in Christ.
11Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Verse 11 gives us some great ideas for things to work on regarding being a church. If we get this list down then everything else is downhill.
Good passage to read before each business meeting.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.(Note the Trinity in the last verse!)
A.T.Robertson – In the Jewish synagogues where the sexes were separated, men kissed men, the women, women. This was the Christian custom also and is still observed in the Coptic and the Russian churches. It was dropped because of charges made against the Christians by the pagans. In England in 1250 Archbishop Walter of York introduced a "pax-board" which was first kissed by the clergy and then passed around. Think of the germ theory of disease and that kissing board!
1) One day it will be made evident the truth about how close or far we are from God’s will in our lives. His coming will make it clear.
2) We need to truly test ourselves by God’s Word to look for the evidence of a genuine faith. Even if we have no doubts about our salvation we should look for evidence of a truly surrendered life.
