the Second Week after Easter
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Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)
2 Corinthians 13:3
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from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
ye seek: 2 Corinthians 10:8-10
Christ: 2 Corinthians 2:10, Matthew 10:20, Matthew 18:18-20, Luke 21:15, 1 Corinthians 5:4, 1 Corinthians 5:5
which: 2 Corinthians 2:6, 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, 2 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 9:1-3
Reciprocal: Joshua 3:10 - Hereby ye Habakkuk 2:1 - unto me 1 Corinthians 4:10 - we are weak 1 Corinthians 9:3 - them 2 Corinthians 10:1 - bold 2 Corinthians 10:4 - mighty 2 Corinthians 10:7 - even 2 Corinthians 10:11 - such 2 Corinthians 13:6 - General Galatians 2:20 - but Galatians 3:5 - worketh Colossians 1:29 - mightily
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me,.... This is the reason why he was determined, that should he come among them, he would not spare them, because they called in question his apostleship, and demanded a proof of it; which, of all men, they had the least reason to do; for they themselves were the seals of his apostleship, and the signs of an apostle had been done among them; they queried whether he was an ambassador of Christ, and was sent by him, and in his name; whether the message he came with was from him, and whether the Gospel he preached was his voice; and particularly whether he had such a power to punish delinquents, as he threatened them with the exercise of; a strange infatuation of the false apostles this, since Christ, who sent him, was with him, and spoke in him, and by him:
which to you-ward, says he,
is not weak, but is mighty in you; the Gospel of Christ, at the first preaching of it to them by him, was the power of God unto salvation to them; and was attended with divers signs and wonders, and gifts of the Holy Ghost; and besides, they had instances of the power of Christ towards them in an awful way, in punishing sinners; as in the delivery of the incestuous person to Satan, which was done by his Spirit being with them when assembled; and by smiting many of them with sickness, diseases, and infirmities, and with death itself, who had sinned, 1 Corinthians 5:4. Wherefore, seeing after all these instances of the voice and power of Christ in him, they yet questioned his apostolical authority, and sought proof of it; and especially since this was not so much a tempting of him, as a tempting of Christ in him, he was resolved not to spare them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me - see the notes on the previous chapters. They had called in question his apostolic authority; they had demanded the evidence of his divine commission. He says that he would now furnish such evidence by inflicting just punishment on all offenders, and they should have abundant proof that Christ spoke by him, or that he was inspired.
Which to you-ward is not weak - Or who, that is, Christ, is not weak, etc. Christ has manifested his power abundantly toward you, that is, either by the miracles that had been performed in his name; or by the diseases and calamities which they had suffered on account of their disorders and offences (see the note on 1 Corinthians 11:30); or by the force and efficacy of his doctrine. The connection, it seems to me, requires that we should understand it of the calamities which had been inflicted by Christ on them for their sins, and which Paul says would be inflicted again if they did not repent. The idea is, that they had had ample demonstration of the power of Christ to inflict punishment, and they had reason to apprehend it again.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 2 Corinthians 13:3. Since ye seek a proof of Christ — The conversion of the Corinthians was to themselves a solid proof that Christ spoke by the apostle; and therefore he could, with great propriety, say that this power of Christ, far from being weak, was mighty among them.