Examine Yourselves Whether You Be in the Faith 2 Corinthians 13:5

Paul the apostle shared with the church members in Corinth that Jesus, “was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God”, and he added, “for we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you”. In chapter thirteen and verse five of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members to, “examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith” where we read:

Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves.

Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The verse begins, “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves.” Paul began with the words, “examine yourselves” or “the church members were to try, make trial and prove themselves”, “whether you be” which means “if they were” “in the faith” which means “belonged to the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ”; “prove your own selves” or “test, examine and scrutinize whether they were genuine”. Paul challenged the church members to “test and examine” whether they were really believers in Jesus or not, and he reemphasized they should “prove” themselves in it.

The verse continues, “know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?” Paul added the words, “know you not” which means “did the church members recognize, acknowledge, understand, ascertain and perceive” “your own selves” or “their own selves”, “how that Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “is in you” which means “was within the church members”, “except you be” or “unless perhaps the church members were” “reprobates” which means “certain ones who were unfit, unproved and spurious”? Paul questioned whether the church members knew whether Jesus Christ was within them. Otherwise, they must be “unfit and unapproved” in His Kingdom.

When we meditate these words of Paul, we see his exhortation to the church members. They were to “closely inspect” and “prove” whether they were believers in Jesus or not. If Jesus Christ did not dwell within them, they were as “reprobate” unbelievers and “unfit” for God's kingdom. Jesus wants every person to “examine” themselves to be certain they are “in the faith”, and should they find themselves lacking, today is the day of Salvation. May all who read these words take heed, “examine”, “know themselves”, and come to believe and trust fully in Jesus today.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “I trust you shall know that we are not reprobates”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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