“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Corinthians 13:11 Mean?
2 Corinthians 13:11 is Paul's final word to a church he's spent two emotionally exhausting letters addressing. The rapid-fire imperatives — "be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace" — are his parting charges, and each one carries more weight than its brevity suggests.
"Be perfect" translates katartizesthe, which doesn't mean sinless perfection. It means to be restored, mended, put back in proper order — like setting a broken bone or mending a torn net. Paul is telling a fractured church: let yourselves be repaired. "Be of good comfort" (parakaleisthe) means to be encouraged, or more literally, to let the Paraclete — the Comforter, the Holy Spirit — do His work in you. "Be of one mind" (to auto phroneite) — align your thinking, pursue the same purpose. "Live in peace" (eirēneuete) — stop the infighting.
Then comes the promise tied to the command: "and the God of love and peace shall be with you." This isn't a transaction — do these things and earn God's presence. It's a description of reality: when a community chooses restoration, comfort, unity, and peace, they find that God has been in the middle of it all along. His presence isn't the reward for getting it right. It's what makes getting it right possible.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean to you that 'be perfect' actually means 'be mended' — not flawless, but restored?
- 2.Which of Paul's four commands feels most needed in your life right now: restoration, comfort, unity, or peace?
- 3.Is there a fractured relationship or community in your life that you've stopped trying to mend? What would it look like to begin again?
- 4.How do you experience God's presence differently when you're at peace versus when you're in conflict?
Devotional
After two letters of correction, theological argument, and raw emotional honesty, Paul ends with this. Not a lecture. Not a warning. A benediction.
"Be perfect" — and before you shut down at that word, hear what Paul actually means. He's not asking you to be flawless. He's asking you to be mended. To let the broken places be set. To stop pretending the fractures aren't there and instead submit them to the One who repairs. That's a completely different ask than "try harder."
"Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace." These feel almost impossibly simple after everything the Corinthians have been through. But maybe that's the point. After all the complexity — the divisions, the arguments, the painful confrontations — Paul's final word is stunningly basic: be healed. Be encouraged. Agree on what matters. Stop fighting. And notice what follows when you do: "the God of love and peace shall be with you." Not will show up eventually. Shall be with you. As if He's already there, waiting for you to stop long enough to notice.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Finally, brethren, farewell,.... Or "rejoice", with spiritual joy in Christ, their Saviour and Redeemer; in his person,…
Finally, brethren - (λοιπὸν loipon). The remainder; all that remains is for me to bid you an affectionate farewell. The…
Finally - Λοιπον· All that remains for me now to write is, to wish you all manner of happiness, and so to take my…
Thus the apostle concludes this epistle with,
I. A valediction. He gives them a parting farewell, and takes his leave of…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture