2 Corinthians 13:1-6 Prepare for the Third Visit
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 22, 2020 2 Corinthians 13:1-6
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
(Understanding the Text) Paul is writing this before visiting the Corinthians a third time. The first time he came, he presented the gospel. The second time he came he warned them in person to get their act together because if he came a third time, he would show them what he had power to do against sinners. Paul compares his visits to the testimony of two or three witnesses. He witnessed the first time, but they were given the opportunity to repent and accept Jesus as their Savior. He witnessed a second time, and they did not repent, but it was not yet time to condemn and reject. Now, Paul is coming a third time, and he is telling them that this would be the third witness. It was the tie breaker. If they repented, they were on the Lord’s side, but if they refused to repent, they would be cast out by Paul.
(Revelation of God) When I first read this kind of passage from Paul, I got the feeling of a dad saying “Don’t make me get up.” like it is empty threats. What I forget is that through the Spirit, Paul had recourse to many powerful actions, even death, as Peter did with Saphira and Ananias. The Corinthians might say “Nanny Nanny Boo Boo, you can’t make us,” but the truth was that Paul could make them. He had reminded them of his past miraculous signs which were for their good already, so they knew that Paul worked with the power of the Holy Spirit. They knew that he did have the power to enforce his words, and most of all, they knew that he really did serve the same Lord that they had sworn allegiance to. To reject Paul in this was to reject Jesus Himself.
“For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.” Paul compares himself to Jesus, who was crucified and killed, yet did not stay in the grave. Paul says that appearances are deceiving. It may look like he is weak, but through the power of God, he has unlimited strength. Jesus looked weak on the cross, but He wasn’t. People saw His true power at the resurrection, but that power was present at the cross. Just because he seemed weak, didn’t make Him weak. It simply meant that He was restraining His power out of love for those around Him.
Paul says to remember that when they accepted the Messiah, He came to live in them. Paul says to examine themselves and look for Jesus living in them. I always only took this to mean find your sins and cut them out of your life, but that is not what it says. It says to look to see where we are in the faith. It reminds us that Jesus lives in us. Paul is saying to listen to what the Spirit says not what the world says. Failing to meet the test is not failing to overcome sin. Failing to meet the test is looking inside and not finding Jesus there. Failing to meet the test is realizing that you don’t want to serve the Christ. Failing to meet the test means that your faith in God is gone. Paul says that when they look at him through the eyes of their faith in Christ, he hopes that they will see that he also is a servant of Christ who is living for Jesus, not self or the world. In the end, Paul says that it is about your relationship to Jesus. Do you want Jesus in your life or not? Do you recognize another person with a relationship with Jesus, or are you blinded to that relationship?
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I want to always have a relationship with You. However, my picture of You is flawed, and I cannot see You clearly. I have too many leftover images that the world plasters on You. I pray to see You clearly and love You and that my faith will pass the examination when I look in myself.