2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Christ Jesus is in you—unless you fail this test? 6 And I hope that you will realize that we ourselves have not failed the test.
As Paul begins to wind down the letter, he asks the Corinthians one of the most important questions we can ever ask ourselves or another person: “test yourself.” Look deep within and be honest with yourself. Are you where you should be in your relationship with God? Have you been reconciled to God through Christ and have experienced new creation power (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)? Have you fully committed yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Paul wants the Corinthians to test themselves to see if they believe and live out what the gospel of Christ. He uses the phrase, “in the faith,” implying that this is orthodox doctrine. Do the Corinthians believe what Paul has preached? Or, are they following the false teachers and their distorted gospel?
There is an important link Paul makes in these verses between believing in the true gospel and having Christ Jesus within us. Right knowledge and genuine faith go together. A person cannot say that he or she believes in Jesus and then not accept the truth of the gospel. To fail the test of orthodoxy threatens the hope of having Christ within. This does not refer to various opinions or minor doctrines that separate denominations. This is getting to the heart of the matter of belief in God’s offer of grace and new life through faith in Jesus Christ. A distorted gospel is about self, pride, comfort. A true gospel is about the cross and commitment.
This letter offers the Corinthians the opportunity to look deep within to see what they truly believe and to act on this. If they believe, Christ Jesus is already in them. They need to become who they already are in Christ. They may be babies in the faith, with limited understanding and struggles, but they are still in the faith. If they do not believe in the gospel and they realize that they are empty inside, it is not too late to change the situation. Paul is being evangelistic here and trying to get the Corinthians to change and grow in their faith. Those who are spiritual leaders can learn that when we deal with people, we must point them in the right direction, even if we have to use some strong words at times, but remember to always offer hope to people. Paul put himself and his ministry colleagues out as an example of those who have followed the way of the cross and are living in resurrection hope.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Christ Jesus is in you—unless you fail this test? 6 And I hope that you will realize that we ourselves have not failed the test.
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