Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on 2 Corinthians 13.
Relatives are coming for a several day visit. What preparations do you make? (1) clean up the house, (2) stock up the refrigerator, (3) site seeing plans, (4) set schedule for visiting others in the family, (5) arrange time off from work. Of all of these, cleaning the house comes first. Why? How do you feel if you visit someone and the house is a mess? Generally, embarrassed. But, visiting family and friends is a kind of adventure. When I was growing up on 27th Street, there were always an assortment of aunts, uncles and cousins visiting Grand momma. Now, there were only three bedrooms upstairs. My Uncle Claud had one small room, hardly 9x9, just enough room for a bed and a dresser. It was so tight in there that you had to open the hall door to pull out a dresser drawer. Then Aunt Irma and her husband, Winifred, had the corner room overlooking scenic 27th Street and Hampton Boulevard. That only left my and Jack's bedroom which was directly over the living room. It had a grate in the corner that allowed the heat from the pot bellied stove in the living room to rise up into our room which never warmed our room in the winter time enough to melt the ice formed in our glass of water. Jack and I slept in a double bed and there was a twin bed in our room so we had the only unclaimed bed in the house. So, the visitors would share our bedroom. It might be Aunt Ginny between husbands or my cousin, Marie, who went to Maury even though her mother lived in Portsmouth. My grandmother didn’t do anything special for these guests and they didn’t expect anything special. The visitor was generally a relative that was looking for a temporary bed and they weren’t real choosy where they slept.
In today’s study, Paul is going to visit the church at Corinth. Now, there is something that you have to realize about this part of the letter. Chapters 10 through 13 are probably a part of that nasty letter that Paul had written earlier which is the basis for a lot of Bible studies. It dealt with his earlier problems. Remember what problems caused Paul to write a nasty letter? Paul was accused of (1) not being an apostle, (2) not having any real power, and (3) was in the ministry for his own personal gain. A rabble rouser had challenged Paul right in front of the whole church and Paul was shocked and dumb founded.
Things had been going bad for the Corinthian church. There were competing factions that were trying to control the church causing disunity. And to top it off, Paul had promised to come there and straighten things out, but had gone to another church instead. This really ticked off the congregation. With these accusations against him, Paul was faced with the difficult problem of dealing effectively with the accusations immediately. If he let it go on - if he didn’t respond - he wouldn’t have any moral authority for helping them solve their unity problems. The only way he could help them was by re-establishing his credentials and to do that he had to take some pretty hard stands and use some rough language. This letter had to pin them to the wall and force them to deal with this disunity. Paul has been stewing about the accusations and is going to let it all hang out. No more Mr. Nice Guy. His taking off the gloves and coming out swinging.In this closing chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul is going to act on the unity problem. If there is to be any coming together in the church, the people had to stop looking at others trying fault them so they could judge them. Instead of using all that time judging others, each member should look at himself and examine his own life and actions in light of what Christ teaches. The irony here is that if they do this - examine themselves first - they will not only grow spiritually, but the church will grow, too. So lets see if Paul can get nasty.
2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. "Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses." 2 I warned those who sinned previously 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 be lenient---
Just imagine. It’s high noon in a dusty western town. Paul is strapping on his six shooters as he looks up at the clock and sees that time is running out. The donkeys carrying the bad guys are pulling into the station as he opens the door and steps out on the deserted street. Hand poised over his holster, he walks down that dusty street to meet his accusers. And Paul is the fastest gums in Corinth. Is that how it happened? No, but that’s the feeling I get when I read these verses. A showdown between Paul and his detractors. This situation has gone on long enough. What warning does Paul give them? If it becomes necessary for Paul to come again to deal with this matter, he won’t be lenient. What does it mean to be lenient? To be mild, gentle and merciful. He has visited them and cut them a lot of slack and it didn’t work. Suppose you are in a confrontation, and you act gentle and easy going, how might the your opponent see you? They might see you as weak. A few years ago I had an unpleasant confrontation with a neighbor and after I cooled down, I went to him and apologized for getting mad. He took this as weakness on my part and instead of shaking hands and letting bygones be bygones, he chose to push the envelope even further and tear into me. I had no other choice than to walk away and just avoid him from then on. Paul had taken the nice guy approach and to be honest with you, it hadn’t worked. Now he was going to be tough. Paul is going to end it right here and now and blow the smoke off the end of his six shooter.
Now to be honest, according to some Bible experts, Paul didn't say "lenient." They say that the actual words translated as "lenient" implied that Paul would come with a big stick. What did Teddy Roosevelt say? Speak softly and carry a big stick. Paul says he is carrying that big stick right now and it's bigger than Grand momma’s switches. You see, this warning included a punishment. And that's probably the point. Paul was prepared to administer punishment in the form of that big stick, but he relented and by doing so, showed leniency. But, it didn't say he threw away that big stick.
If they didn’t clean up their house, they might be evicted. Unless things change, unless there is repentance, Paul is going to clean house and those who still don’t get the message they might get whacked with that big stick. You see, it isn’t Paul’s feeling of rejection or the rude behavior of a few people in Corinth that matters. It is the future of this young church. If they go off half cocked without the foundation of Paul’s and the other missionaries’ experience then, they will probably end up as a lot of little splintered groups, weak and moving further and further away from Christ. Folks, this is tough love. Paul is telling them I love you so much, I’m willing to punish you for your own good.
Paul says that if you have charges to make, what had you better have there with you? Two or three witnesses. In other words, he is saying if he and the problem group can't settle this in a friendly way, let's go the legal route. We'll have an official trial with testimony and witnesses. By Jewish law, for the charges against Paul to stick, there had to be at least two witnesses whose testimony supported the accusers. Paul said, "So much has been said about me that was not true. You better line up a bunch of guys who will testify that I am the skunk you say I am, cause I’m dragging you before Judge Judy and when you present your case, Judge Judy will point to her forehead and ask you, ‘Do you see STUPID written there?’ It’s time to stop this accusing stuff and get down to the facts. Let’s get ready to rumble!”
How many times as a child did you hear, “I’m doing this for your own good”? That was an argument that I failed to endorse as I recovered from a switching. When you had your own children, did you like to punish them? It is sometimes hard to punish children. It seems that today it is harder than when we were coming along. I don’t remember my Grand momma fretting over if I wasn’t going to like the switching I was going to get for crossing Hampton Boulevard by myself. She knew that minding her and doing what she said was for my sake and safety. That is what tough love is all about - seeing someone hurt a little now in order that they won’t be more seriously hurt later. Paul loved the Corinthian Church and because of that love, he is willing to punish them for doing something that will eventually hurt them.
2 Corinthians 13:3 since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.
Paul’s second visit had been painful for him. He had not been aware of the personal attacks on him and it hurt to have the church members who he considered his children run him down right to his face. Paul didn’t take decisive action then because he had been blind sided. His tormentors took this lack of action to be indicative of weakness and as evidence that Christ was not working through him. They thought that Paul just lacked the power to take bold and decisive action. They pointed to his letters and said that he was a big man in his letters, but, when confronted with real problems, he showed his true colors. All talk and no action. Paul takes on this challenge and says, “Ok, you want to see Christ’s power in me. You want a piece of me? You’ve got it!” Now those who support Paul will be glad to see Paul fight back, but, for a lot of the people in the church this is going to be a very unpleasant event.Did Christ ever seem weak? Yes. When? When he was there hanging on the cross. His enemies kept taunting him saying that if he had all this power, why didn’t he just fly down from the cross. You see, Christ’s suffering on the cross wasn’t about Christ’s power. It was about his loving us so much that he was willing to accept our suffering for our sake. The power of Christ didn’t come from the cross, it came from the resurrection. That same power, that same Christ, is present in Paul and will be demonstrated when Paul next comes to visit them.
2 Corinthians 13: 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? ---unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed.
When you were in school, how did you prepare for a big test? Check the notes you took during class. Read over the text covered by the test. Study with a brain who always seemed to know the questions the teacher asked on a test. For me, checking my notes was a lost cause I couldn't make out the scratching. They seemed a batch of disjointed partial statements which, as I studied them, didn’t even seem to deal with the class I was taking. Reading the text book was a loser, too. It made no more sense the second time than it did the first time I read it. My only hope was studying with a real smart classmate, preferably female. Why a female, you ask? For the following reasons: (1) girls always took good notes; (2) the notes were always readable; and (3) if I played my cards right, I would not only pass the test, but I would have a date for next Saturday night.
Coming to them and judging them in the power of Christ is not what Paul would rather do. Not too many people really enjoy a confrontation. It still isn’t too late for them to change their ways. Remember in A Christmas Carol, when Scrooge is faced with all the things that were going to happen: the death of Tiny Tim, the lack of sorrow by his associates at his own death and the maid selling his bed curtains. He asks the Spirit of Christmas Future, “Are these the things that will happen or might happen? Can I change my ways and change the course of things to come?” It wasn’t too late for Ebeneezer and it wasn’t too late for Corinth. If they repent, Paul won’t come with that big stick. But if they leave Paul no other choice, then he is prepared to take what ever action necessary that will bring them back to the church they have the potential to be. Paul tells them to look into their own hearts and use what they have learned, that Christ is in them and will help them see where they have to change. Paul would rather they tackle the problem and lick it themselves. In facing their problems and winning, they will be stronger and more resistant to future temptations. This is how Paul would rather this whole matter be handled.
2 Corinthians 13:7 But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong---not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect
But suppose this happens; suppose that the Corinthians do see the truth and repent so that Paul doesn’t have to discipline them severely in the power and authority of Christ. Some might say that this proves their point about Paul. He is too weak to follow through with his threats. They were hollow threats. To them, Paul had failed again. Paul says, “Ok, if that is what you think, it is all right with me." What is the most important thing for Paul? That you grow stronger and not that Paul grows stronger. Paul tells them that is what he prays for - that they become stronger. Isn’t that what we pray for our children, that they become better persons than ourselves? That they be spared some the hardships that we may have had? If one of them becomes sick or hurt, don’t we wish that it had been us and not them? We are willing to be weaker if they are stronger. That is what Paul is telling the Corinthians. If it means that Paul is considered weak, but, they are strong, then so be it. Paul can live with that.
2 Corinthians 13:10 So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
He recognizes that his patience, love and confusion may have struck some as weakness, but he knows that he has the power and authority of Christ and, if necessary, he will use it to correct them. This power is a two edged sword, though. It can build up or tear down and Paul is willing to use either edge to deal with this problem. When should the sword be used to tear down? When the base is so rotten that it cannot be used to build on. How do you repair a house that has crumbled down to the ground? In this verse, Paul makes one last plea for them to search their hearts and root out those things that are creating disunity. If they don’t, then Paul is quite prepared to come to them and start swinging that sword.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Paul tells them to do four things. What are they? (1) Put things in order; (2) listen to his appeal; (3) agree with one another and (4) live in peace. If they do these things, what will God do? Live with them. Here in his final words to the Corinthians, Paul speaks from his heart. It is in these verses that we see how hard it is for Paul to punish people who he loves. And we can see the humanity of Paul, because, he feels the same things we would in that same situation. They are his brothers and sisters. They are the only family that he has. When they are hurting, Paul is hurting. When we put all of this into the family context, we can see how much we share with Paul in the pain and lost that is felt when there is disunity in the family. Paul pours out his heart to them. He prays and wants only the best for them and that desire is what has motivated his words and actions. Paul pleads, “Please listen to me. Do the right thing. When you do, you will find a new peace in the congregation and a unity that bonds you all together.” This is what God wants for them - that they have peace and unity.
As a sign of reconciliation, Paul suggests that they greet each other how? With the holy kiss. You have to understand that face masks didn't exist in Corinth. What is a “holy kiss?” A “holy kiss” is a kiss exchanged between saints or “holy ones”. This was a common way to greet others at a worship service then as a way to reaffirm their fellowship. It is too bad that we don’t do this more often today. There are some in our church that always hug and kiss. When somebody comes up to you and gives you a hug, how does that make you feel? You wonder what you did to deserve it. It kind of makes me feel special even though they do it to everybody. The people in the church at Corinth should remember that they aren’t in this all by themselves. While they have to do the self examination thing, they also have the grace of Christ, the love of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to bring unity among them.Paul’s letter ends with a plea for reconciliation. It could have been written to any of the churches today. All churches have some forms of disunity. Some are more pronounced than others, but it is there. If we look at the problems Paul had with the church at Corinth, we might see that Paul brought some of this on himself. Paul, earlier on, blamed the Corinthians for their weaknesses. Pointing out the weaknesses of others is no way to get cooperation. Paul had to make this testing and self examination for himself, too, and he found out some things about himself that he had to work on. Remember, some of this started because Paul had promised to visit them and reneged on the promise. So if there is to be reconciliation with others, it has to start with a true image of who you are.
If we are to get our church house in order, to agree with one another, to live in peace and greet each other with love, we have to personally be willing to take the steps necessary. We have to respect our brothers and sisters and understand that they take positions based on their needs and beliefs. We can list a lot of things that can be done to come together as a church, but one thing remains at the top of the list. We have to want to be united. In marriage counseling, there can never be a hope of reconciliation if the husband and wife aren’t committed to trying to find a solution and answer to what is dividing them. If one of them doesn’t want to find an answer, there will never be a chance for the marriage to continue. The same is true with the church. If everyone isn’t dedicated to unity, then there will never be any peace.
You see the bottom line is we can control whether our church and relationships are loving and peaceful or if they are split and angry. Grand momma always had a bed ready for somebody. she was prepared. If Paul was coming to visit your house next week, what would you do to prepare for the visit? When you clean house, maybe you might want to start with who you see in the mirror.
Prayer: Father, give us the courage to examine ourselves and our church and to work for reconciliation and unity. Then the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit will be with all of us for ever and ever. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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