Saturday 24th June
Read 2 Corinthians 13:1-4
“This will be my third visit to you. ‘Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’2 I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: on my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.” (NIVUK)
Part of the modern dislike of Paul reflected in the hearts and minds of many believers relates to passages such as this. Taken out of context it could seem like he is claiming apostolic authority and threatens to beat them with it when he arrives. Our discomfort with these words reflects our ruthlessly defended independence. We will not be bullied. We will not be told what to do. We will not be treated like children and are willing to pay the consequences for our own sins as long as everyone minds their own business.
But this is the very opposite the Christian way. I recall a sermon by John Stott where he went through all the ‘one another’s in the New Testament. They are everywhere and pop up in every context. There is an inter-dependance rather than an independence to the Christian walk. We revolt against Paul’s words because we fail to grasp this.
Gary Millar captures it beautifully in his commentary on these words. “I think this is one of the great challenges we face in many places today. We really don’t do confronting. And when we do it, we don’t do it very well. We are too private, too independent, too proud, perhaps even too selfish. But holding one another at arm’s length, and silently insisting on our autonomy flies in the face of the radical one-anotherness of the New Testament, and, in the light of this passage, undermines the confronting love which God calls us to in Christ.”
