The test of our faith is whether Christ lives in us and this will be seen in the presence of his holiness and love.
We are left in no doubt that Paul cherishes the church’s highest good—their “restoration” (13:9), their “building up” (13:10), their stability as a Christian community with the Lord at the center (13:5). What are the ways to achieve these great aims?
Self-examination (13:5), which may be a painful process of self-analysis, dealing ruthlessly with the present condition and not refusing to face the unpleasant sight of our own sins and failures. But this leads to:
Repentance, ie a confession of our past evil ways as deserving God’s judgment and a turning from them (12:21). Paul had no room for cheap grace or any easy way back to favor. Penitence and all that is involved in abandoning sinful practices and attitudes is an indispensable condition to restoration and renewed fellowship.
The apostle’s prayers are also a force to be reckoned with (13:7-8), because he carries the burden of the church’s good on his pastoral heart and longs to see them in a right relationship with the Lord and himself.
Threat, which Paul is not afraid to use (13:10), reminding his readers that he may have to deal severely with the offenders if they do not, in his absence, set matters right. And he will have no scruples in claiming the God-given authority which he has, as apostle to the Gentiles, to ensure the church’s highest wellbeing.
Optimism is a final factor, for Paul was irrepressibly hopeful for his churches. He has confidence that as the truth is mighty and it prevails (13:8) so, once the Corinthians perceive the truth of the appeal he makes, they will accept it and act upon it. So he expects that all will be put right in the end (13:9).
Note 13:5: “Jesus Christ is in you”—better, “among” you (as in Mark 10:43, which uses the same phrase). It is the church as a whole which is called to the test, not individuals, though, of course, the church is made up of individual members.
