9 For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.
Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete.
Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.
If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.
On account of such a one I will have glory: for myself I will take no glory, but only in my feeble body. For if I had a desire to take credit to myself, it would not be foolish, for I would be saying what is true: but I will not, for fear that I might seem to any man more than he sees me to be, or has word from me that I am. And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain. And about this thing I made request to the Lord three times that it might be taken away from me. And he said to me, My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me. So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.
Now our prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that it may be put to our credit, but so that you may do what is right, whatever we may seem. Because we are able to do nothing against what is true, but only for it.
For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ: Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:
Not as if I had even now got the reward or been made complete: but I go on in the hope that I may come to the knowledge of that for which I was made the servant of Christ Jesus. Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before, I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus. Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:
Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God.
For this reason let us go on from the first things about Christ to full growth; not building again that on which it is based, that is, the turning of the heart from dead works, and faith in God,
To the great meeting and church of the first of those who are named in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of good men made complete,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 13 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 13
In this chapter the apostle threatens to be severe against obstinate sinners, and assigns the reason thereof (v. 1-6); then he makes a suitable prayer to God on the behalf of the Corinthians, with the reasons inducing him thereto (v. 7-10), and concludes his epistle with a valediction and a benediction (v. 11-14).
2Cr 13:1-6
In these verses observe,
2Cr 13:7-10
Here we have,
2Cr 13:11-14
Thus the apostle concludes this epistle with,