By Barnabas Piper
In past years I worked in various leadership and management positions. While I largely enjoyed the work, some of the leadership techniques offered by “experts” often felt kind of gross. One of these techniques was “kiss-slap-kiss” in which, when you are giving feedback to someone, you sandwich the negative critiques with positive affirmations. It always felt too calculated and manipulative to me rather than being appropriately honest and caring. And that is not what Paul was doing here at the end of 2 Corinthians.
First and Second Corinthians are probably Paul’s most pointed, corrective writing. He addressed conflicts and some pretty abhorrent sins and heresies throughout. He called believers to great faith in the midst of suffering. And as he closed, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2Corinthians 13:11). At first glance this looks a little bit like that technique to ease the sting of the harsh words, but Paul wasn’t out to ease hurt feelings. He was reminding his readers of the substance of our faith and hope and joy.
Verse 5 shows us this: “do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?” He is the source of our rejoicing. He is the basis for encouragement. And it is only in Christ that sinners like the Corinthians—and you and me—can be unified in one mind and find peace. When Paul spoke of testing in verses 5–7, he wasn’t creating barriers to faith and unity and joy in Jesus. He was exhorting his readers to examine the genuineness of their faith in Christ as exhibited in their lives to see if they had truly turned from sin to “rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches” (Psalms 119:14).
And he lifted up his readers in prayer, knowing they needed the Holy Spirit’s help to live in faith and obedience: “We also pray that you become fully mature” (2 Corinthians 13:9). Paul did this in all his letters so we can see what kinds of requests he made to God on the Corinthians’ behalf. “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will…so that you may walk worthy of the Lord…bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power…so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks” (Colossians 1:9–12).
This is Paul’s heart for his readers—not a little boost of positivity at the end but rich, grounded, substantial hope and unity in Jesus. That is why and how he can say “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice,” because of the work of Jesus in and for them and for us.
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