When Power Appears in Weakness
What the world calls broken, God calls a vessel for His power.
Paul’s final words to the Corinthians are both weighty and tender. In 2 Corinthians 13, he prepares them for his third visit, framing it as the third confirming witness in keeping with Deuteronomy 19:15. His prior leniency is over; if the church does not repent, they will see the power of Christ through judgment, not just gentleness. Ironically, they have sought proof of Christ speaking through Paul—but that proof will not come in grand signs or human strength. Rather, it will come through Paul’s Spirit-empowered firmness, even in weakness.
Paul then pivots to a crucial exhortation: examine yourselves. Don’t test Paul—test yourselves to see whether you are “in the faith.” The true test is this: is Christ in you? If so, you pass the test—not because you are strong in yourself, but because the indwelling Christ is your life. If you live by Him, you walk by faith, not by appearances.
Paul understands that true spiritual power doesn’t always look powerful. Christ was crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God. So too Paul and all who minister in Him—they may seem weak but operate in resurrection strength. Paul is willing to appear weak so the Corinthians might become strong in Christ. His desire is not to appear approved but to see them built up, fully restored.
In this closing chapter, Paul redefines strength—not as outward show or religious posturing, but as Christ’s life revealed through human humility, faith, and restoration.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
You are in the faith because I am in you. I have not abandoned you to perform tests as if I were absent. I dwell within you and manifest My power through your dependency, not your might. Christ was crucified in weakness but now lives by the power of God. You, too, are called to walk in Me—seeming weak in the eyes of others yet living with resurrection power.
Do not examine yourself through the lens of performance. Instead, look for My presence within. If I am in you, then you are approved. I will not fail or leave you unguarded. I work in you to will and to do My good pleasure. Your sufficiency is from Me, not from yourself.
There is no contradiction in being weak and being strong. These are not sequential stages but simultaneous truths. When you feel fragile, I am fully alive in you. My power is perfected in what the world calls frailty.
I long for your restoration—not through striving but through union with Me. I will do this, for I am faithful. Whether you look powerful or small, effective or unseen, I will be your source. I do not require visible success. I require yielded hearts. That is where My power flows.
Scripture references: 2 Corinthians 13:3–5, 2 Corinthians 13:9, Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 3:5–6, 2 Corinthians 13:4
Prayer of Confident Trust
Father, thank You that Christ is in me and that I can rest in that truth without needing to prove anything to others or even to myself. I trust that in my weakest moments, Your strength is fully at work. I don’t need to wait to feel strong—I already possess the power of resurrection life in Christ.
When I walk in humility or appear unimpressive, I trust that You are building others up through me, even when I don’t see it. I rest in the mystery of Your power made perfect in weakness. You are enough. Christ in me is enough. And that’s all I need to know.
Amen.
Devotional insights from the Grace and Truth Study Bible.
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