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I had the opportunity to encourage a friend who was struggling in their faith and doubting their salvation, and was struggling to understand the context of first Corinthian‘s 13. I had the opportunity to encourage them, and I thought I would share it here.
1Corinthians 13 examine yourselves
First off let's be real, if we are called to examine ourselves there could not be one bad fruit, just as Jesus stated in Matthew 7. Therefore we should all be terrified and trembling because Paul states there are none righteous and also that in us dwells no good thing. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Romans 7:18 KJV
Paul never once doubted the Corinthians salvation, in fact he calls them babes in Christ and carnal; in the mist of their envy, strife, fornication,gossip, he still refers to them as brothers and sisters. So why would he call them to doubt there salvation after giving them hope and assurance through out the whole book? Let’s dive in and see what he is actually saying.
False apostles crept in deceiving the Corinthians, and now all of a sudden the Corinthians wanted proof of Paul's apostleship and that God was speaking through him. So Paul's says something interesting, examine yourselves, but why? Let's review context.
The apostle Paul calls the Corinthians his seal of apostleship, “Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”1 Corinthians 9:2 NIV
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV
Since Paul is the one who won the Corinthians to the Lord, Paul is basically saying, "if you want proof of my apostleship and that God is speaking through me, examine yourselves, if Christ is in you, (which Paul continually declares that Christ is in them) then Christ is in me!" Paul is saying the Corinthians were his proof that he was a genuine apostle, and if he is a reprobate then all of them are reprobates as well because they believed and were saved because of him winning them to Christ
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.”
2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Paul is saying if he fails the test they all fail they test, because he won them to Christ. Paul is saying if Christ is in me he is in you, and if Christ is in you he is in me. He won them to Christ.
Look not to yourself for proof of salvation, Look to Christ, the author and FINISHER of our faith.
Just as prophesied, he is our acceptable sacrifice, “If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.”
Leviticus 1:3-4 NIV
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
1Corinthians 13 examine yourselves
First off let's be real, if we are called to examine ourselves there could not be one bad fruit, just as Jesus stated in Matthew 7. Therefore we should all be terrified and trembling because Paul states there are none righteous and also that in us dwells no good thing. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Romans 7:18 KJV
Paul never once doubted the Corinthians salvation, in fact he calls them babes in Christ and carnal; in the mist of their envy, strife, fornication,gossip, he still refers to them as brothers and sisters. So why would he call them to doubt there salvation after giving them hope and assurance through out the whole book? Let’s dive in and see what he is actually saying.
False apostles crept in deceiving the Corinthians, and now all of a sudden the Corinthians wanted proof of Paul's apostleship and that God was speaking through him. So Paul's says something interesting, examine yourselves, but why? Let's review context.
The apostle Paul calls the Corinthians his seal of apostleship, “Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”1 Corinthians 9:2 NIV
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV
Since Paul is the one who won the Corinthians to the Lord, Paul is basically saying, "if you want proof of my apostleship and that God is speaking through me, examine yourselves, if Christ is in you, (which Paul continually declares that Christ is in them) then Christ is in me!" Paul is saying the Corinthians were his proof that he was a genuine apostle, and if he is a reprobate then all of them are reprobates as well because they believed and were saved because of him winning them to Christ
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.”
2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Paul is saying if he fails the test they all fail they test, because he won them to Christ. Paul is saying if Christ is in me he is in you, and if Christ is in you he is in me. He won them to Christ.
Look not to yourself for proof of salvation, Look to Christ, the author and FINISHER of our faith.
Just as prophesied, he is our acceptable sacrifice, “If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.”
Leviticus 1:3-4 NIV
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
