What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 13:1? This is the third time I am coming to you Paul reminds the Corinthians that he has already ministered among them twice and is preparing for a third visit (2 Corinthians 12:14; Acts 18:1-18; Acts 20:2-3). • Repetition underscores seriousness. Like a loving father who warns his children more than once (1 Corinthians 4:14-21), Paul’s repeated return shows both patience and resolve. • It also highlights accountability. Each visit gives opportunity to repent and realign with the gospel Paul first preached (Galatians 1:8-9). • The statement carries apostolic authority; Paul’s presence is not casual travel but shepherding oversight (Philippians 1:24-25). Every matter must be established Here Paul quotes a well-known judicial principle from the Law—justice is never based on rumor but on verified evidence (Deuteronomy 19:15). • He applies that courtroom standard to church life. Issues such as immorality, divisiveness, and false teaching require careful confirmation (1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Titus 3:10-11). • This guards against hasty judgments while also preventing sin from being ignored (Proverbs 18:13, 17). • The phrase reminds believers that God values truth in both doctrine and relationships. By the testimony of two or three witnesses Paul’s citation sets out how the evidence is to be gathered (Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; 1 Timothy 5:19). • In Corinth’s case, those witnesses include – Paul’s three personal appearances, – his earlier letters (1 Corinthians; the “severe letter,” 2 Corinthians 2:3-4), and – faithful coworkers like Titus who reported back (2 Corinthians 7:6-16). • The witness principle ensures that discipline, if required on Paul’s arrival, will be righteous and irrefutable (2 Corinthians 13:2-3). • Ultimately, God Himself stands behind true testimony; when He judges, no charge is uncertain (Revelation 19:11). summary 2 Corinthians 13:1 reveals Paul’s pastoral method: repeated personal engagement, unwavering commitment to scriptural justice, and reliance on confirmed testimony. He is coming a third time, not to threaten but to ensure that truth prevails and the church matures in holiness—always on the solid foundation God laid for orderly, righteous judgment among His people. |
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