II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.
Paul had written and prayed much for these people in the Corinthian church. He was most concerned about their divisive selfishness, which ripped the church apart, with many people acting as if they did not need the Body. As he wraps up his letter, he reminds them that it is his intention to come there and address any unresolved issues, and those who were creating them. He was not being a bully; he did not want to use his apostolic authority to come in and bash heads. His hope, his reason for writing and coming, was for their restoration to the Body and to Christ. So, he says: "It's time for soul-searching". Are you living a selifsh life, away from God's people, thinking you know and do better than others? Do you feel like you are too good for that church? Then probably the very opposite is true. You are the problem. Come back and ask Christ to set you straight.
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