Coming with Authority
1 This willbe2 Cor. 12:14the third time I am coming to you. Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; Heb. 10:28"By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." 2 2 Cor. 10:2I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those 2 Cor. 12:21who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again 2 Cor. 1:23; 10:11I will not spare— 3 since you seek a proof of Christ Matt. 10:20; (1 Cor. 5:4; 7:40)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty (1 Cor. 9:2)in you. 4 Phil. 2:7, 8; (1 Pet. 3:18)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet (Rom. 1:4; 6:4; 1 Cor. 6:14)He lives by the power of God. For (2 Cor. 10:3, 4)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves asto whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, Rom. 8:10; (Gal. 4:19)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are 1 Cor. 9:27disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
Paul Prefers Gentleness
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 2 Cor. 6:9we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad 1 Cor. 4:10when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:12; (1 Thess. 3:10)that you may be made complete. 10 1 Cor. 4:21Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the 1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Cor. 10:8authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
Greetings and Benediction
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Rom. 12:16, 18Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love Rom. 15:33; Eph. 6:23and peace will be with you.
12 Rom. 16:16Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13 All the saints greet you.
14 Rom. 16:24The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and Phil. 2:1the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.