2 Corinthians 13 (NKJV) (2024)

Send yourself back to school! Study the Bible with access to 50+ premium resources in BibleGateway+ with over $3,100 in valuable resources!

Bible Book List Bible Book List

Font Size

Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content

Coming with Authority

13This will be ^(A)the third time I am coming to you. ^(B)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ²^(C)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[a]I write to those ^(D)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(E)I will not spare— ³since you seek a proof of Christ ^(F)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty ^(G)in you. ⁴^(H)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet ^(I)He lives by the power of God. For ^(J)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

⁵Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, ^(K)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[b]are ^(L)disqualified. ⁶But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

⁷Now ^[c]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though ^(M)we may seem disqualified. ⁸For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹For we are glad ^(N)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, ^(O)that you may be made complete. ¹⁰^(P)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(Q)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

¹¹Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. ^(R)Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love ^(S)and peace will be with you.

¹²^(T)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³All the saints greet you.

¹⁴^(U)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and ^(V)the ^[d]communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 13:2 NU omits I write
2 Corinthians 13:5 do not stand the test
2 Corinthians 13:7 NU we
2 Corinthians 13:14 fellowship

Cross references

2 Corinthians 13:1 : 2 Cor. 12:14
2 Corinthians 13:1 : Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; Heb. 10:28
2 Corinthians 13:2 : 2 Cor. 10:2
2 Corinthians 13:2 : 2 Cor. 12:21
2 Corinthians 13:2 : 2 Cor. 1:23; 10:11
2 Corinthians 13:3 : Matt. 10:20; [1 Cor. 5:4; 7:40]
2 Corinthians 13:3 : [1 Cor. 9:2]
2 Corinthians 13:4 : Phil. 2:7, 8; [1 Pet. 3:18]
2 Corinthians 13:4 : [Rom. 1:4; 6:4; 1 Cor. 6:14]
2 Corinthians 13:4 : [2 Cor. 10:3, 4]
2 Corinthians 13:5 : Rom. 8:10; [Gal. 4:19]
2 Corinthians 13:5 : 1 Cor. 9:27
2 Corinthians 13:7 : 2 Cor. 6:9
2 Corinthians 13:9 : 1 Cor. 4:10
2 Corinthians 13:9 : 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:12; [1 Thess. 3:10]
2 Corinthians 13:10 : 1 Cor. 4:21
2 Corinthians 13:10 : 1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Cor. 10:8
2 Corinthians 13:11 : Rom. 12:16, 18
2 Corinthians 13:11 : Rom. 15:33; Eph. 6:23
2 Corinthians 13:12 : Rom. 16:16
2 Corinthians 13:14 : Rom. 16:24
2 Corinthians 13:14 : Phil. 2:1

Listen to 2 Corinthians 13

Close NIV

Final Warnings

13This will be my third visit to you.^(A) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”^[a]^(B) ²I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(C) On my return I will not spare^(D) those who sinned earlier^(E) or any of the others, ³since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.^(F) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(G) yet he lives by God’s power.^(H) Likewise, we are weak^(I) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him^(J) in our dealing with you.

⁵Examine yourselves^(K) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.^(L) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you^(M)—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. ⁷Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. ⁸For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹We are glad whenever we are weak^(N) but you are strong;^(O) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.^(P) ¹⁰This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh^(Q) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.^(R)

Final Greetings

¹¹Finally, brothers and sisters,^(S) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.^(T) And the God of love^(U) and peace^(V) will be with you.

¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss.^(W) ¹³All God’s people here send their greetings.^(X)

¹⁴May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(Y) and the love of God,^(Z) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit^(AA) be with you all.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 13:1 Deut. 19:15

Cross references

2 Corinthians 13:1 : 2Co 12:14
2 Corinthians 13:1 : Dt 19:15; S Mt 18:16
2 Corinthians 13:2 : ver 10
2 Corinthians 13:2 : 2Co 1:23
2 Corinthians 13:2 : 2Co 12:21
2 Corinthians 13:3 : Mt 10:20; 1Co 5:4
2 Corinthians 13:4 : 1Co 1:25; Php 2:7, 8; 1Pe 3:18
2 Corinthians 13:4 : Ro 1:4; 6:4; 1Co 6:14
2 Corinthians 13:4 : ver 9; S 1Co 2:3
2 Corinthians 13:4 : S Ro 6:5
2 Corinthians 13:5 : 1Co 11:28
2 Corinthians 13:5 : La 3:40; Jn 6:6
2 Corinthians 13:5 : S Ro 8:10
2 Corinthians 13:9 : S 1Co 2:3
2 Corinthians 13:9 : 2Co 4:12
2 Corinthians 13:9 : ver 11; Eph 4:13
2 Corinthians 13:10 : S 2Co 1:23
2 Corinthians 13:10 : 2Co 10:8
2 Corinthians 13:11 : 1Th 4:1; 2Th 3:1
2 Corinthians 13:11 : S Mk 9:50
2 Corinthians 13:11 : 1Jn 4:16
2 Corinthians 13:11 : S Ro 15:33; Eph 6:23
2 Corinthians 13:12 : S Ro 16:16
2 Corinthians 13:13 : Php 4:22
2 Corinthians 13:14 : S Ro 16:20; 2Co 8:9
2 Corinthians 13:14 : Ro 5:5; Jude 21
2 Corinthians 13:14 : Php 2:1

Next2 Corinthians 12Galatians 1Next

New King James Version (NKJV)

New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 13 (NKJV) (2024)

Coming with Authority

Paul Prefers Gentleness

Greetings and Benediction

Footnotes

Cross references

Final Warnings

Final Greetings

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV