devotional post # 2220

2 Corinthians 13:5-7

2Co 13:5 Test yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Evaluate yourselves. Or do you not understand this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?– unless you actually are unqualified!
2Co 13:6 I hope you will discover that we are not unqualified.
2Co 13:7 But we are praying to God that you may not keep doing us wrong– not that we may appear to be qualified, but that you may keep doing what is right, even if it means our disqualification.

turning the table

Paul now reaches the heart of the matter. The Corinthians have been taught to test Paul and his team, to scrutinize their credentials, to question their motives, and to doubt their authority. The “super‑missionaries” (Paul’s ironic huperlian apostolon) had convinced the church that Paul was the one who needed examination. But Paul turns the entire accusation on its head.

He says, in effect:
“You want to give tests? Then start with yourselves.”

Not because Paul wants to shame them, but because the gospel itself is at stake. Their rejection of Paul is not ultimately a rejection of him—it is a rejection of the message he brought, the Christ he preached, and the Spirit who worked among them.

Paul’s Motivation Is Not His Reputation

Paul is not trying to salvage his image. He is not trying to regain popularity. He is not trying to win back influence. His concern is singular: the gospel must take root and thrive in Corinth. If that means Paul himself is disqualified from future ministry there, so be it. He would rather the Corinthians walk faithfully with Christ under someone else’s leadership than walk away from Christ while clinging to him.

That is the heart of a true missionary.

“Test Yourselves” — Dokimazō

Paul urges them to dokimazō—to evaluate, examine, and document their standing in the faith. This is not a vague spiritual feeling. It is a sober assessment:

• What has God done among you?
• How did you come to faith?
• Who preached Christ to you?
• What fruit did the Spirit produce?
• What changed in your lives?

If they simply look honestly at their own history, they will see that Christ was truly among them—and that He worked through Paul’s team, not through the flashy newcomers.

Paul’s Confidence

Paul is confident that if the Corinthians examine themselves, they will rediscover the truth:

• The gospel came to them through suffering servants, not self‑promoting celebrities.
• The Spirit confirmed the message through signs and transformed lives.
• The “super‑missionaries” offer promises but produce no fruit.
• Their teaching leads backward into sin, not forward into holiness.

Paul knows that self‑examination will expose the emptiness of the new leaders’ claims.

A Pastoral Insight for Today

This passage is not just ancient conflict. It is a mirror for the church in every generation.

• We are often quick to test leaders.
• We are often slow to test ourselves.
• We can be dazzled by charisma and blind to character.
• We can forget the gospel story that first changed us.

Paul calls us back to the basics:
Look at what God has done. Look at who brought you the gospel. Look at the fruit. Look at Christ.

When we do that, the noise of false promises fades, and the truth becomes clear again.

LORD, give us the wisdom to see when we are falsely judging those who minister to us.