39 The Pattern of Sanctification: Perfection, Affection, and Benediction
(2 Corinthians 13:11–14)
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (13:11–14)
In fighting the “the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12), Christians face three implacable foes: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is hostile to believers (as it was to their Lord; John 7:7), because though they were once part of it (Eph. 2:2), they are no longer. Jesus warned His followers, “Because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:19; cf. 17:14; 1 John 3:13). Christians are not to love the world (1 John 2:15–16; cf. James 4:4) or be conformed to it (Rom. 12:2), but rather are to overcome it (1 John 5:4).
The flesh is man’s unredeemed humanness. Unlike the external assaults from the world, it attacks people from the inside where they are weak (Matt. 26:41; Rom. 6:19). In light of that, Peter cautioned believers “to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). The flesh is inherently evil (Rom. 7:18) and hostile to God (Rom. 8:7–8), and it produces unspeakably wicked deeds (Gal. 5:19–21). The redeemed “are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:9) and must not live as “men of flesh” (1 Cor. 3:1; cf. Rom. 8:12–13). To that end, they are to “make no provision for the flesh” (Rom. 13:14) and cleanse themselves from its defilements (2 Cor. 7:1).
Manipulating the world and the flesh to assault believers is the main operation of the devil, Satan. Once the most exalted of all created beings, the “anointed cherub who covers” (Ezek. 28:14; the reference is to Satan’s privileged position as an angel guarding God’s throne), he is now the epitome of evil. There is no truth in him, Jesus declared, but he is a liar by nature (John 8:44). In fact, he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) to “[blind] the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel” (2 Cor. 4:4). Accuser (Rev. 12:10), tempter (1 Thess. 3:5), and hinderer (1 Thess. 2:18), Satan is indeed a formidable adversary, who threatens to devour believers if they are ignorant of his schemes (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11). If they are to successfully resist him (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8–9), believers must “put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:11) and not give him an opening to attack them (Eph. 4:27).
Like all believers, the Corinthian church was under siege from those three formidable adversaries. The world system was exceptionally vile in Corinth, one of the most debauched cities of the ancient world. The city was so evil that in the Greek language “to Corinthianize” meant to go to bed with a prostitute. Unfortunately, much of the evil pervading the surrounding culture continued to find a foothold in the flesh of the Corinthians even after their salvation. As a result, they were falling victim to the sins that they had indulged in before they came to Christ. And the devil, who specializes in false religion, made his presence felt through the false apostles who deceived many of the Corinthians. As do all believers, they faced all three enemies.
As he drew this magnificent letter to a close, Paul gave a final summary of his concerns for the Corinthian church. He was not primarily concerned with their prosperity, success, health, comfort, self-esteem, or prestige. Instead, he listed three worthy goals that every pastor should have for his congregation: perfection, affection, and benediction. Along with repentance (2 Cor. 12:20–21), discipline (13:1–2), submission to authority (13:3– 4), self-examination (13:5–6), obedience (13:7–9a), and integrity (13:9b), they form a strong defense against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
PERFECTION
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (13:11)
Finally introduces Paul’s farewell remarks to his beloved brethren at Corinth (cf. 1:8; 8:1). The key to understanding this verse lies in the phrase be made complete. Katartiz? (be made complete) is the verb form of the noun katartisis, (v. 9). It has the sense here not of adding something that is lacking, but of putting things in order, of adjusting things that are out of adjustment. It is used, for example, to speak of fishermen mending their nets (Matt. 4:21). Paul exhorted the Corinthians to mend their ways, to straighten themselves out, and restore harmony among themselves. Spiritual wholeness comes when the church, both collectively and individually, is in complete conformity to God’s Word. To equip the saints to do so is the responsibility of the church’s leaders (cf. Eph. 4:11–16).
As the imperative form of the verb katartiz? indicates, believers are commanded to pursue integrity; it is not optional. As they grow in grace they must constantly reevaluate their priorities, get their behavior in line with Scripture, and be restored to spiritual wholeness. Theological errors need to be corrected; biblical knowledge needs to be increased; sin needs to be dealt with; violated relationships need to be restored; laziness, indifference, and apathy need to be turned into energetic, devoted service. In his first inspired letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). To the Thessalonians he wrote, “We night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith” (1 Thess. 3:10). Powerful evangelism is a by-product of spiritual integrity; it is the natural outflow of a church that is in holy harmony with God’s will.
The Corinthians certainly needed to get things in order; to repent of their sin, reject the false teachers, and return to Paul, acknowledging him as the genuine apostle that he was and submitting to the truth of God he preached. To help them align themselves with God’s truth, Paul gave them four final exhortations: four commands expressed by four imperative verbs.
The first is joy. Some translations (e.g., the KJV and NIV) render chairete (rejoice) “farewell” or “good-by,” since the word was also used as a greeting (it is so used in Matt. 28:9) and a farewell. In that sense, it is similar to the Hebrew word shalom, which literally means “peace” but is also used for “hello,” and “good-bye.” Using chairete as a greeting was appropriate, because joy is essential in the life of the church.
Christians are to be characterized by joy. It is one of the fruits produced in their lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Paul commanded the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4; cf. 2:18, 28; 3:1). In 1 Thessalonians 5:16 he wrote simply, “Rejoice always.” Peter exhorted his readers to “keep on rejoicing” (1 Peter 4:13). Joy is part of the legacy the Lord Jesus Christ left His followers. “These things I have spoken to you,” He told the apostles gathered in the Upper Room, “so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11), and promised them, “I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22). He asked the Father that His followers “may have [His] joy made full in themselves” (John 17:13). Scripture describes believers’ joy as great (Luke 24:52; Acts 15:3), abundant (2 Cor. 8:2), overflowing (2 Cor. 7:4), animated (Luke 6:23), inexpressible (1 Peter 1:8), and full of awe (Ps. 2:11).
Christian joy is not a giddy, superficial happiness that can be devastated by illness, economic difficulties, broken relationships, or the countless other vicissitudes and disappointments of life. Instead, it flows from the deep, unshakable confidence that God is eternally in control of every aspect of life for the good of His beloved children—a confidence rooted in the knowledge of His Word. God’s character, the saving work of Christ, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, divine providence, spiritual blessings, the promise of future glory, answered prayer, and Christian fellowship all cause believers to rejoice.
The second exhortation is to submit. Parakale? (be comforted) can refer to speaking authoritatively (cf. Luke 3:18; Acts 2:40; 20:1–2; Rom. 12:8; 1 Cor. 1:10; 4:16; 14:31; 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Thess. 3:12; 2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:9; 2:15; 1 Peter 5:1, 12) and could probably be better translated here, “exhorted” or “admonished.” Submission to authority was essential if the Corinthians were to get their church in order. That is why Paul told them in 1 Corinthians 4:14, “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.”
The command to be like-minded reveals a third exhortation: Be committed to the truth. The Greek phrase translated be like-minded literally means, “think the same thing” or “have the same convictions and beliefs.” The conformity Paul called for is the antithesis of a shallow, superficial truce based on the notion that doctrine is divisive and everyone’s opinion is equally valid. Nor is it a pragmatic working agreement with those who are not committed to “contend[ing] earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). Paul called for believers to have a common understanding of and conformity to the truth of God’s Word.
Paul exhorted the Philippians, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). Conformity must flow from “the unity of the faith,” which is based on a true “knowledge of the Son of God,” and results in spiritual maturity “to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Paul taught that like-mindedness comes from a common understanding of Scripture:
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 15:4–6)
When believers together heed what is written in the Scriptures, they will “be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus” and will “with one accord” and “with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Instead of downplaying the significance of doctrine, the church is called to be “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
It must be clearly understood that unlike the enforced conformity found in cults and false religions, the Bible does not call for mindless submission to some religious system or authority. Even the apostle Paul could “do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Cor. 13:8). The church does not adhere to an arbitrary human standard but to the Word of the living God.
The final demand Paul made of the Corinthians is unity, which underlies the command that they live in peace. Peace and unity flow logically from a common understanding of and submission to the Word of God. Even so, believers must pursue peace (Rom. 14:19) and be diligent to preserve it (Eph. 4:3). On the other hand, those who teach false doctrine “to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30) will shatter the church’s unity. But when believers’ minds are firmly fixed on the truth, the church will experience unity and peace.
The wonderful promise that attends obedience to these exhortations is divine blessing by the presence of the God of love and peace. He is called the God of love only here in Scripture but is several times referred to as the “God of peace” (Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20). As such, He is the source of both for His obedient children. When the church pursues spiritual wholeness, it will experience the powerful and enriching presence of God.
On the other hand, churches that lack joy, submission, truth, and unity will find themselves lacking God’s blessing. “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first,” declared the Lord of the church to the Ephesian church, “or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2:5). To have their light put out would be the opposite of having God in their midst. Jesus warned the church at Pergamum, “‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Rev. 2:16). Instead of peace, He would bring war. To the church at Sardis the Lord declared, “Remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you” (Rev. 3:3). Obviously, a thief does not bring peace, and neither does the Lord come to disobedient churches in peace. Finally, He warned the nauseatingly lukewarm church at Laodicea, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Rather than enjoying His blessed presence, they would be cast away from Him.
It is not, of course, only perfect churches that enjoy the blessings of God’s presence. There are no perfect churches, because all are made up of imperfect sinners. But those who diligently pursue completeness will enjoy the rich reward of God’s presence in love and peace.
AFFECTION
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. (13:12–13)
A kiss was a common form of greeting in the ancient Near East (cf. 2 Sam. 15:5; 20:9; Matt. 26:48; Luke 7:45). It typically was a cheek-to-cheek embrace between members of the same sex. In the early church it was not a mere formality, like a handshake in Western culture today. The holy kiss took on a special significance as a physical expression of brotherly love and mutual affection between church members (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Thess. 5:26). David E. Garland notes, “A holy kiss represents something more than a social custom. It is a sign of mutual fellowship among persons of mixed social background, nationality, race, and gender who are joined together as a new family in Christ” (2 Corinthians, The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999], 554. Italics in original.). That it was to be a holy kiss eliminates any suggestion of sexual impurity. Unfortunately, it gradually became a formal, institutionalized part of the church’s liturgy, lost its true meaning, and eventually faded from the church altogether. Today, it seems to be making a welcome comeback in some churches.
The brotherly love that Jesus commanded believers to demonstrate (John 13:34–35) is to be shown on every level. It involves sacrificial service and ministry to one another and compassionate meeting of needs. But brotherly love also involves affection. The holy kiss is a physical manifestation of that affection; in fact, Peter called it a “kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:14). It was often done at the Lord’s Table, where repentant sinners would be visibly restored to fellowship with a physical embrace. Paul wanted the Corinthians, rocked by conflict, division, and sin, to display their affection openly, because he knew it would help break down the barriers between them.
Though distance prevented them from giving the Corinthians a holy kiss, all the saints with Paul when he penned this epistle still wished to greet (send their love to) their Corinthian brethren. They would have been Macedonians since, as noted in the introduction to this volume, 2 Corinthians was written from Macedonia (probably Philippi). Brotherly love, then, is not to be confined to members of the same congregation; it is to be shared by all believers.
BENEDICTION
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (13:14)
To pronounce a benediction is to solemnly invoke a blessing, and Paul frequently did so in his epistles (e.g., Rom. 1:7; 16:20; 1 Cor. 1:3; 16:23; Gal. 1:3–4; 6:18; Eph. 1:2; 6:23–24; Phil. 1:2; 4:23; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 5:28; 2 Thess. 1:2; 3:18; Philem. 3). No New Testament benediction, however, is as theologically rich and profound as this one. It is the only one that mentions all three persons of the Trinity. Two important features of this magnificent benediction call for closer examination.
First, as noted above, it is a Trinitarian benediction, reflecting a truth that is central to the Christian faith. Paul does not give here a formal, systematic exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity; this Trinitarian statement just flowed in natural and uninhibited fashion from him, as every blessing in the Christian life flows from the triune God.
Obviously, the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to the Christian faith. Those who deny it commit idolatry by worshiping a nonexistent false god, and thereby forfeit the possibility of salvation. While it does not contain a formal, precise theological declaration of the doctrine of the Trinity in one statement, Scripture nonetheless clearly and unmistakably teaches that the one true God has eternally existed in three co-equal and co-eternal persons. The biblical proof for the doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized in a simple syllogism: The Bible teaches there is only one God. Yet it calls three persons God. Therefore, the three persons are the one God.
That there is only one God is the undeniable teaching of Scripture. God Himself declared in Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me.” “You alone are God,” exclaimed David (Ps. 86:10). Through the prophet Isaiah, God made it clear that there is not now, never was, and never will be any other god: “‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me’” (Isa. 43:10). To the Corinthians, surrounded by pagan idolatry, Paul wrote, “Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one” (1 Cor. 8:4). (See also Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; 1 Sam. 2:2; 2 Sam. 7:22; 22:32; 1 Kings 8:23, 60; 2 Kings 19:15, 19; 2 Chron. 6:14; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 18:31; Isa. 37:16, 20; 44:6, 8; 45:5–6, 21; 46:9; Joel 2:27).
The Bible calls God the Father in such passages as 1 Corinthians 15:24; Galatians 1:1, 3; Ephesians 6:23; Philippians 1:2; and Jude 1, as few would dispute.
But despite the teachings of various demonic cults to the contrary, the Son is also called God. John opened his gospel with a powerful affirmation of Christ’s deity: “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ; v. 14], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The former skeptic Thomas (John 20:25) cried out when he saw the resurrected Christ, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). Romans 9:5 describes Jesus as “God blessed forever,” while Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 refer to Him as “our God and Savior.” God the Father calls the Son God in Hebrews 1:8, saying to Him, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.”
The Holy Spirit is also called God. In Acts 5:3 Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” But in the next verse he told him, “You have not lied to men but to God.” Second Corinthians 3:18 refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Lord, the Spirit.”
Thus, Scripture plainly teaches the profound, incomprehensible reality of the triune God (cf. Isa. 48:16; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:21–22; 1 Cor. 12:4–6).
But this benediction is not only Trinitarian but also redemptive. It is in salvation that the Trinity is most clearly seen. The love of God the Father caused Him to plan redemption and choose those who would be saved (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8–10). It was through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying as a sacrifice for sins that salvation was effected for the redeemed (Rom. 5:6; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). As a result of salvation, believers are ushered into the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, as He indwells them (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 6:19; Gal. 4:6) and places them into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
Paul’s benediction forms a fitting conclusion to this epistle, which despite all its stern rebuke of the Corinthians’ folly and sin ends on a note of blessing. It was the apostle’s desire that the Corinthians put themselves in a position to experience all the blessings that salvation brings. It was with that goal in mind that he defended his commission and his message, and that he rebuked, encouraged, and prayed for them. There can be no higher goal for any faithful pastor than that his people would know the full riches God grants them through redemption.