"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Interestingly, 2 Corinthians 13:5 is the only occasion in the KJV that the English word "examine" is used in translation of the Greek word Paul used.
This Greek word is found about 38 times in the New Testament. In my brief research, only about five of those 38 times is the word used in a good/positive sense.
All other occasions of the word are bad/negative. Some of them refer to the malicious tests of Satan (e.g. Matthew 4:1 and others). Some of them refer to the malicious/wicked tests of mankind testing his fellow man (e.g., the Pharisees and Jewish leaders that tempted/tested Jesus maliciously, Matthew 16:1 and others).
Keep this in mind as we look at the context of 2 Corinthians 13:5.
The primary focus of the 2 Corinthians epistle was to address the false accusations against Paul himself and the other apostles. With chapter 13 (as we know it) being the close of the letter, Paul is bringing down the hammer one last time—this is not a love letter, but it is a letter of love.
If we read 2 Corinthians 13:5 on the surface without contextual understanding, we might easily think it is a general and kind warning for every Christian. However, the truth is, it is stern rebuking.
I wonder if Paul by inspiration purposely chose the word translated "examine" because of its frequent usage in a negative/bad sense. I'm not suggesting Paul was being malicious. Rather, he would have been using irony to rebuke the maliciousness of the Corinthian brethren.
They were believing the false accusations and false claims against Paul and the apostles, so much so, that they were seeking more proof (test results) that they were true apostles and Christians, all because of the maliciousness of the false teachers they were believing.
So, if the statement of 2 Corinthians 13:5 does not apply directly to us, is there still application we can take from it? Absolutely.
First, there is the lesson of always interpreting Scripture in light of its context.
Second, there is the lesson in principle that we should never maliciously test others, especially not brothers and sisters in Christ.
Third, there is the lesson in principle that we do need to examine ourselves to make sure that we are in the faith. While this principle is not directly applicable from 2 Corinthians 13:5, it is applicable from other passages.
For example, Paul wrote to Timothy, "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
In the process of doing this, Timothy would have to "examine" himself continually. This principle applies to all today as well.
Are we examining ourselves? Are we avoiding the malicious testing of others? Are we keeping the Scriptures in their contexts? Are you in the faith (Galatians 3:26–27)?
Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, Miss. He is a regular contributor to your Tate Record Church Page.
