2 Corinthians 13:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle knew that what he had said, especially toward the end of the epistle, was severe.

Above he had said: "I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. I beg that when I am present I may not have to use the bold confidence with which I intend to act against some who think of us as walking according to the flesh."

He also said: "We are ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete" (2 Cor 10:1-2, 6).

Again he said: "For I fear that when I come I may not find you as I wish, and that you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarrels, envy, anger, strife, slanders, whisperings, pride, disorders."

After greatly frightening them and setting forth threats, he now presents the justification for this. I have written so, he says, because I wish the threats and severity to remain only in writing and not to be carried out in deed. For I will certainly punish those who have not corrected themselves, since the Lord gave me authority. By this he shows that the Lord Himself punishes through him. And showing that he does not wish to use his authority to punish them, he adds: "for building up, and not for tearing down." That is, the Lord does not wish to tear down, or to punish, but to build up, that is, to do good. Yet to punish the incorrigible is also building up.

For this reason I write these things while absent, so that when I come to you I may not have to deal with you more severely, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for binding and loosing sins in heaven and on earth (Mt 18:18).

The Apostle showed that punishment also is building up. For when one or two are punished, the whole community receives benefit. Thus, when Ananias and Sapphira received punishment, it is said, "great fear came upon all who heard" (Acts 5:5). Here the Apostle ended his severe speech and gave the Corinthians useful counsel.

"Do you still think that we are merely defending ourselves before you?" Thus St. Paul the Apostle concludes the apologetic part of his epistle.

Then, having said that the chief aim of his words is the correction of the Corinthians, the Apostle fears that he may indeed find them as he does not wish. He fears having to mourn over many who sinned before and did not repent.

In this grievous case, the Apostle will have to use severity without sparing them. This is precisely because the Corinthians seek tangible proofs of his apostolic authority, and whether Christ speaks in him.

"Examine yourselves and test yourselves," the Apostle adds. "But concerning us, I trust that you will know that we are what we ought to be" (2 Cor 13:6).

Although the Apostle threatens the Corinthians, he does not at all wish to carry out his threat. Therefore he prays that no one may prove worthy of punishment.

It would be better for him to seem unable to manifest miraculous power, provided only that all become good Christians. Such people cannot be punished. One can only rejoice over them and pray that they may become more perfect.

This is what the Apostle is ready to do. The whole epistle is directed to this end. For this also power was given him by the Lord, namely, for the good ordering of Christian life, not merely for punishment.

The prophet Jonah once mistakenly thought otherwise, and for this he himself underwent God's chastisement.

This is the goal toward which everything said in this final section was directed, 2 Cor 12:19-13:10. He had said, "If, when I come, I find the uncorrected still uncorrected, I will not spare."

Now he says: I write about this so that I may not in fact act unsparingly among you. I have no desire at all to act this way toward you.

"I want my severity to be in words only, not in deed. I want the epistles to be severe, and the threats to continue, but not to come into effect" (Saint Chrysostom).

But for this desire of mine to be fulfilled, you must correct yourselves in everything and appear perfect.

For I do not say that I do not want to act unsparingly toward you in order to indulge you. I say it to move you to correct yourselves willingly, and not through punitive measures.