Explore The New TestamentSample

SAY WHAT? (What is the passage saying?)

• Paul closes his letter to the Corinthians with strong words. He tells them that he will be visiting again for a third time. He hopes they'll have dealt with the sins they had been struggling with the previous two times he visited. 
• He also makes it clear that they have been so busy judging him that they haven't examined themselves. He wants them to take time to consider whether they really live in the truth of  God.
• And, finally, he wants them to aim for perfection, to think about what he wrote them, and try to get along and live in peace. He shares that they can do this, even when they are weak, through God's power.

SO WHAT? (What are the underlying principles?)

• The people of Corinth had judged Paul's faith when they should have been judging their own. Jesus taught us not to be concerned with the "speck" in someone else's eye, but instead to focus on our own sin (see Matthew 7:3-4). Like the Corinthians, we should examine ourselves 'to see whether we are in the faith.'

NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?)

• Take some time for self-examination. Are you too busy criticizing how other people live to deal with the issues in your own life? Some questions you could ask yourself include:
  • Do I really love God and people?
  • What's the real motivation for the good things I do?
  • Does God’s Holy Spirit affirm my faith (for more, see Romans 8:9,16)?
  • Do my actions honor Jesus?