Examine & Test Yourself 2 Corinthians 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.”

Define These Two Words: Examine – “Yourselves is emphatic. Instead of putting Christ to the test, test yourselves. Rev., try, is better than examine. Examination does not necessarily imply a practical test. It may be merely from curiosity. Trial implies a definite intent to ascertain their spiritual condition” (Vincent). “to try, make trial of, test”: for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself” (Thayer). Test – “As the result of trying” (Vincent). “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize” (to see whether a thing be genuine or not), as metals” (Thayer).

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such

The Need For Such 1) Tendency to think to highly of self. “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

The Need For Such 2) Can be deceived. “Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (Colossians 2:4). “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3).

The Need For Such 3) A need for self-application. “Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7).

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination

Basis For This Examination 1) What they were to do. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- -unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Basis For This Examination 1) What they were to do. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- -unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Basis For This Examination 2) How could they know? “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith

Consider Faith 1) Taught the truth which produces faith. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

Consider Faith 2) Began to listen men & their wisdom. “For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?” (1 Corinthians 3:4,5). “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Consider Faith What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love

Consider Love 1) Told to show their love by their giving. “Therefore show to them, and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf” (2 Corinthians 8:24).

Consider Love 2) True love will manifest itself in other ways. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Consider Love What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love Consider Maturity

Consider Maturity 1) They obeyed the gospel – taught to grow. “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). “And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11).

Consider Maturity 2) They had failed to mature. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:1- 4).

Consider Maturity What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love Consider Maturity Consider Way of Life

Consider Way of Life 1) What they had been. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Consider Way of Life 2) Paul’s concern for them. “For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced” (2 Corinthians 12:20,21).

Consider Way of Life What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love Consider Maturity Consider Way of Life Consider – Concern

Consider Their Concern For Others 1) Need to be concerned about our brethren. “For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:10-13).

Consider Their Concern For Others 2) Even in their assembly. “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:17-21).

Consider Their Concern For Others What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love Consider Maturity Consider Way of Life Consider – Concern Consider – Salvation

Consider Their Relationship With God 1) They were saints. “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2).

Consider Their Relationship With God 2) His words of encouragement to them. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Consider Their Relationship With God What About Us?

Examine & Test Yourself Need For Such Basis of Examination Corinthian’s Need Consider Faith Consider Love Consider Maturity Consider Way of Life Consider – Concern Consider – Salvation