2 Corinthians Chapter 13 - Think and Reflect | True Jesus Church Singapore

After Paul’s heartfelt admonishments, it’s time for the Corinthian believers (and us!) to do some reflections of our own.

In 2 Cor 13, Paul urges the Corinthians to reconsider their faith and the beliefs that could potentially lead them away from Christ (2 Cor 13:5). Let us also take a moment to reflect on how we should test ourselves to examine whether we are in the faith.

Acknowledge our imperfections

In Revelations 3, the church of Laodicea confidently assured themselves that they had need of nothing because they were abundant in riches – only to be rebuked by the Lord Jesus for not knowing that they were in fact “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. (v17)

We may not pride ourselves in our financial status, but we may share a similar mindset with the Laodiceans towards the good attributes that we possess: diligence, attention to detail, familiarity with Scripture etc.

There is nothing wrong with recognising our strengths. However, the first step to testing our faith is to acknowledge that despite our many positive qualities, we also have many weaknesses. Let us not say “I have need of nothing”, but remember that we always have room for improvement, especially in the eyes of God.

Setting God’s word as our standard for living

More often than not, we use other people as a yardstick to measure our own character, looking at which of their good or bad habits we share before making an analysis of ourselves. For example, we might look up to certain exemplary church workers, but think lowly of others. Sometimes, we may actually harbour the same sentiments as the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 when quietly comparing ourselves to people of the world: “Thank God I’m not like that.”

However, our sense of morality and conscience is very relative to our environment. Man is not without sin (Ecc 7:20; Rom 3:23), and their good qualities do not last forever. Conversely, Psalms 119:160 tells us: “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgements endures forever.” God’s standards are unchanging and perfect. Reflecting on ourselves using His guidelines will undoubtedly help us accurately discern our strengths and weaknesses.

This also means that we have to be open to listen to the entirety of God’s word, even the parts that we dislike listening to. Paul’s words were often difficult for the Corinthian believers to swallow because they were bold and sometimes harsh, giving them the impression that he was intentionally picking on them. However, Paul repeatedly emphasised that his words – no matter how harsh – were for their benefit and edification, not a reflection of any personal agenda against them (2 Cor 1:24, 12:19, 13:10).

Similarly, we may sometimes feel targeted by the words of the service leader, but we should not assume that they are out to condemn us of our wrongs. Instead, Hebrews 12:6 tells us, “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” Instead of being partial to the word of God, let our ears always be open to receive His message to us.