Long Goodbye
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Do No Evil 2 Corinthians 13:7-14
Lets get our context and by way of introduction by reading the previous text
1 This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” 2 I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare—3 since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
Paul established over and over what he was reaching out to them on. Their sins and refusal to self correct was bringing the pain if they didn’t do it. Our actions matter. Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
We need to examine our lives in light of the Word. Are we in Him? Is He in us?
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Lets just go through the text now, beginning with the first sentence.
2 Corinthians 13:7 (NKJV)
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.
Now, break this apart for me what would doing no evil look like to most? Just doing nothing, but what does Paul say it looks like? Like being “honorable”. Evil is kakon: acting with bad actions that have the intent of being harmful or damaging.
The contrast honorable is: kalos: its acting with a positive moral quality, praiseworthy, being deeply concerned about good actions.
The point Paul says, whether we are qualified or disqualified, you should do what is right. Much like he said that they should never follow another Gospel even if he came to them with it. Galatians 1:6–10 our behavior should never be dependent on anyone else. We do what is right not because of Paul but because Jesus calls us to it. Because its right. Paul makes a point on this by saying,
2 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV)
8 For (Because) we can do nothing against the truth,
but for the truth.
Now, we are to do what is right because its right. Paul had told the church there (even when its hard) that they needed to stand in the truth of jesus. It’s also why he has to do whats right.
2 Corinthians 10:8 “For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed—”
John said that love really lived out is done in Truth. 1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
Again, we should all do what is right because we are called to the truth.
2 Corinthians 13:9 (NKJV)
9 For (Because) we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.
Now he had said, in his weakness we are made? His power is perfect in our weakness and Paul says that the Holy Spirits work will make them not blown up, but grown up. And he says, this we also pray! They ask the Lord to make them Mature.
You will be made; Complete: complete: katartisin: maturity. Here and in v11. Both words mean to become be made mature. The way that Paul uses it is usually as much moral as growth, Restored, Rightly prepared, Blameless, Integris. Just what we want to be.
Its a Jesus plus us. Remember we talked about how in our sanctification we are called to work it, struggle with it.
Made edified (built up). God does the work, we just swing the hammers.
Let us build one another! Everything Paul did focused on that! 2 Corinthians 12:19 “Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification.”
2 Corinthians 13:10 (NKJV)
10 Therefore (because of all these things) I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
Paul writes as one that has the authority to do all that he is sending, and they know it.
He doesn't want to “put them on blast”, he wants to be cutting (apotomos: sharpness - severe cut - show harshness toward others) while he is away, rather than having to just love on them when he gets there. This is all for Jesus. This cutting, is painful and not easy - but sometimes dealing with corruption is messy. Painful.
Edification: oikodomen - to build a structure. Paul used mostly as metaphor for Spiritual and Moral growth. Its a process and result. And it takes trust and effort.
Matthew 7:24–27 ““Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.””
dunno about you but I wanna build it the right way.
Destruction: kathairesin - sounds like complete/mature which is katartisin, but is the complete opposite. Its a destructive process of tearing down. A prime example of one who destroyed by process was Judas. John 17:12 “12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Son of apoleias, waste, destruction. A wasted son. Judas is waste/destruction personified.
think about it. Took money from donations (from Jesus Himself y'all), its the same with Godly repentance or worldly sorrow. Just being sad because you got caught isn't repentance. Changing, lining up with God, is and to not build or be built right, has consequences. 1 Corinthians 10:10 “10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.”
The goal is never to destroy. But always to build. In 8-10 He was concerned about the Corinthians’ welfare (cf. Phil. 2:20–21). Perfection (katartisin) may be translated “restoration.” This noun occurs only here in the New Testament but is kin to the verb katartizesthe translated “aim for perfection” in 2 Corinthians 13:11 and elsewhere used for repairing nets (Matt. 4:21).
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Finally - leipos - here the series ends. We have reached it. Goodbye for now Paul.
Become complete (katartisin) mature. You do it. How?
be of good comfort, be comforted but be a comfort. Parakaleisthe - to come alongside. You also need to let others come alongside to comfort. I’m terrible at this, and I need to do better. I repent right now to anyone I offended with my actions - if i sinned against you let me know, i will confess and beg your forgiveness.
autos phreneo - to have that renewed mind. Be unified in the truth.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
(you know what I am doing after) this is really a common cultural greeting among close friends or family. We hug. Mostly. The idea though was to be close, united.
13 All the saints greet you.
When we realize that others are praying for us, going through the same things we are and Paul reminds them that very spiritual guys who are with Paul, churches that he shares about their struggles are there!
Could've been the usual suspects plus the churches in Macedonia (Tim, Titus, Dude from Corinth, Churches: Berea, Thessalonica, Philippi)
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
He closes with a trinitarian closing, Son, Father, Holy Spirit.
Grace of Jesus 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” John 1:16–17 “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Love of God in all that has been done, v11. His love is shown in 1 John 4:7–11 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Fellowship of the Holy Spirit - 2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” Truly we are never alone, never forsaken. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”” Psalm 27:1 “1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” ; Psalm 118:6 “6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
In closing; I would ask you the following question. Do you and I fail? Does any of us walk a perfect walk? The church in Corinth, with Paul, Peter, Apollos mentoring them, teaching, discipling, was characterized by failure (explain). Judas was with Christ Himself.
Yet any and all can come to Christ in repentance and receive complete, immediate forgiveness. I have always said that even Judas, had he not committed suicide could have experienced Gods grace, mercy and forgiveness. Its why Paul told them, 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Paul when he began the First letter wrote, 1 Corinthians 1:1–3 “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Do you think the Corinthians respond positively to Paul’s warning? Most scholars say, yes. Paul had conditioned the expansion of his ministry in other areas on the problems in Corinth being resolved (10:15–16). He followed the writing of this letter with a visit of three months during which time he wrote the letter to the Romans. In that letter he wrote “Now … there is no more place for me to work in these regions” (Rom. 15:23). His appeal had been heeded. The Corinthians were now obedient.
And brethren we can as well.