Do No Evil 2 Corinthians 13:7

Paul the apostle instructed the church members in Corinth to, “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves”, and he added the question, “Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” Paul also stated, “But I trust that you shall know that we are not reprobates.” In chapter thirteen and verse seven of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members to, “I pray to God that you do no evil” where we read:

Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved,

but that you should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.

The verse begins, “Now I pray to God that you do no evil;” Paul began with the word, “now” or “at this present time and moment” “I pray” which means “Paul made oration and wished” “to God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “that you do” or “that the church members perform, make ready, acquire or produce” “no evil” which refers to “no wrong, wickedness, trouble, injury, perniciousness and destructiveness”. Paul “wished to God” the church members would not “perform or commit” any “wickedness or wrong”.

The verse continues, “not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.” Paul added the words, “not that we should appear” which means “not that Paul and his companions would cause to shine, shed light, be bright and resplendent” “approved” or “accepted and pleasing”, “but” or “nevertheless, nonetheless and moreover” “that you should do that” which means “that Paul and his companions would perform or commit the thing” “which is honest” or “that is beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, suitable and admirable”, “though we be” or “even though Paul and his companions exist and appear” “as reprobates” which means “not standing the test, not approved, unfit and spurious”. Rather than practicing “evil”, Paul desired for the church members to “perform” that which is “excellent and precious” even if he and his companions appeared as “unapproved and unfit”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how he prayed to God the church members would not involve themselves in “evil” or “evil works”. They were commit “honest” things even if Paul and his companions were thought of as “unfit and unapproved”. Jesus Christ came into the world to “save sinners”, and afterwards, they are to forsake “evil ways” and perform “honest” ones. Though people consider some “Christians” as “reprobates”, this in no way exempts those who follow Jesus from “evil practices”. May all who read these words understand and perform that which is “honest” and forsake every “evil” way.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “we can do nothing against the truth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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