2 Corinthians 13:5

My Notes

What Does 2 Corinthians 13:5 Mean?

2 Corinthians 13:5 is Paul's final challenge to the Corinthian church — a command to turn the scrutiny they've been aiming at him back toward themselves. After spending four chapters defending his apostleship against their criticisms, he redirects the examination.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith" — the Greek heautous peirazete ei este en tē pistei (test yourselves whether you are in the faith) uses peirazō (test, try, examine, prove) — the same word used for testing metals to verify their authenticity. The test is not abstract: "the faith" (tē pistei — with the article) is the specific, apostolic Christian faith. Are you in it? Not near it, not familiar with it, not nostalgic for it. In it.

"Prove your own selves" — the Greek heautous dokimazete (prove/test/approve yourselves) uses a different word for testing — dokimazō means to test for the purpose of approving, to assay, to examine and verify as genuine. The doubling of the command (peirazete... dokimazete) intensifies the urgency: test and prove. Examine and verify. Don't assume.

"Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you" — the Greek ē ouk epiginōskete heautous hoti Iēsous Christos en hymin (or do you not recognize yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you) shifts from examination to recognition. Paul expects the answer to be yes — Christ is in you. You should be able to recognize His presence. The self-examination isn't designed to produce doubt. It's designed to produce assurance that's been tested rather than assumed.

"Except ye be reprobates" — the Greek ei mēti adokimoi este (unless you are unapproved, failing the test, counterfeit) uses adokimos — the opposite of dokimos (approved, genuine, tested and found true). A reprobate in this context isn't a terrible sinner but someone who fails the test of genuine faith. The possibility is real but presented as the exception, not the expectation.

Paul's challenge: stop examining me and start examining yourselves. The confidence that Christ is in you shouldn't be an untested assumption. It should be a verified reality.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Paul says 'examine yourselves' — a command to self-scrutiny. When was the last time you genuinely tested the reality of your faith rather than assuming it was there?
• 2.The examination is designed to produce assurance, not anxiety. How does the expectation that Christ IS in you change the way you approach self-examination?
• 3.Paul uses metallurgical language — testing for genuine metal. What would 'putting your faith in the fire' look like practically? What would the test reveal?
• 4.The Corinthians were examining Paul instead of themselves. Where might you be focused on evaluating other people's faith while avoiding the harder work of examining your own?

Devotional

Stop examining me. Start examining yourselves.

That's Paul's challenge. The Corinthians have spent four chapters (10-13) questioning his credentials, his authority, his legitimacy. And in his final words to them, Paul turns the spotlight around: instead of testing whether I'm a real apostle, test whether you're real believers.

The command is double: examine and prove. Test and verify. Paul uses two different Greek words for testing — one that means to scrutinize for authenticity, and another that means to assay for approval. The self-examination he's calling for isn't a casual glance in the mirror. It's a metallurgical test. Put your faith in the fire and see what comes out.

But here's the turn most people miss: Paul expects the test to come back positive. "Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you?" He's not trying to make them doubt. He's trying to make them know — really know, in a tested-and-verified way — that Christ is in them. The examination isn't designed to produce anxiety. It's designed to replace assumption with assurance.

There's a difference between untested confidence and tested confidence. Untested confidence says, "I'm fine" without ever looking. Tested confidence says, "I've looked, and Christ is here." Paul wants the second kind. The kind that survives scrutiny. The kind that doesn't need to avoid self-examination because it's already been through it.

The question he asks — "know ye not your own selves?" — implies that self-knowledge is possible and important. You can know whether Christ is in you. You should know. And the knowing comes not from avoiding the question but from facing it honestly.

So face it. Examine yourself. Prove your own self. And find what Paul expects you to find: Christ in you. Tested and real.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture