9 for we rejoice when we may be infirm, and ye may be powerful; and this also we pray for -- your perfection!
Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;
night and day exceedingly beseeching, that we might see your face, and perfect the things lacking in your faith.
Having, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God;
if to boast it behoveth `me', of the things of my infirmity I will boast;
Of such an one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities, for if I may wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for truth I will say; but I forebear, lest any one in regard to me may think anything above what he doth see me, or doth hear anything of me; and that by the exceeding greatness of the revelations I might not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch. Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me, and He said to me, `Sufficient for thee is My grace, for My power in infirmity is perfected;' most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Christ may rest on me: wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, in damages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses -- for Christ; for whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful;
and I pray before God that ye do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is right, and we may be as disapproved; for we are not able to do anything against the truth, but for the truth;
unto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ, till we may all come to the unity of the faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ,
Not that I did already obtain, or have been already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by the Christ Jesus; brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and one thing -- the things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before stretching forth -- to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. As many, therefore, as `are' perfect -- let us think this, and if `in' anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,
whom we proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,
Salute you doth Epaphras, who `is' of you, a servant of Christ, always striving for you in the prayers, that ye may stand perfect and made full in all the will of God,
Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,
to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,
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,