Endless Possibilities – 2 Corinthians 13:1-10

2 Corinthians 13:1-10 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. On the testimony of two or three witnesses every word will be confirmed. ² I gave warning, and I give warning —as when I was present the second time, so now while I am absent—to those who sinned before and to all the rest: if I come again, I will not be lenient, ³ since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me. He is not weak toward you, but powerful among you. ⁴ In fact, He was crucified in weakness, but He lives by God’s power. For we also are weak in Him, yet toward you we will live with Him by God’s power.    ⁵ Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test. ⁶⁷ Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong, not that we may appear to pass the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we [may appear] to fail. ⁸ For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ In fact, we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your maturity. ¹⁰ This is why I am writing these things while absent, that when I am there I will not use severity, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down. And I hope you will recognize that we are not failing the test.

In verse 9 Paul lets the Corinthians know the partial content of his prayer for them.  He prays for their maturity, completeness.  They need to be made complete.  The word used here is the same word used in Mark 1:19 when James and John are pictured mending their nets.  The word mend is here translated perfection.  It means to make perfect something that is not so now.  It is to put something in the appropriate condition.  There is inherent in the word and assumption of brokenness.  God would make us complete.  Realize, without God acting in your life you will never be complete/mature.  You cannot fill that void in your life until you give your life to Christ and then He becomes the holy filler.

Maturity/Completeness come about over a long time as we spend time with the Lord in His word, in prayer, in worship, in fellowship and in service to Him.  As we near the end of this month I pray that we are all closer to maturity now than we were when we started the month.  Moreso, I pray that disciplines are being established in us that will continue through the rest of our lives here on this earth.