In 13:1 Paul goes on to say, “This third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” According to my knowledge, Paul never went to Corinth the third time. He was in Corinth in Acts 18 and again in Acts 20. Not long after that, he went to Jerusalem, where he was arrested, and then to Rome. Therefore, he did not have the opportunity to come the third time to Corinth.
In verse 2 Paul says, “I have previously said as present the second time, and I say beforehand, being absent now, to those who have sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare.” This indicates that Paul has been tolerating the situation. But should he come back the third time, he will not tolerate it any longer. He will not spare.
In verse 3 Paul continues, “Since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak unto you, but is powerful in you.” Christ is powerful in the believers while He is speaking in the apostle. This is indeed a strong and subjective proof to the believers that Christ speaks in the apostle.
Verse 3 indicates strongly how much some of the Corinthians were questioning concerning Paul. They were asking for proof of Christ’s speaking in Paul. No doubt, this kind of questioning opened the way for the Judaizers to come in.
It is rather difficult to understand Paul’s answer in verse 3. Here Paul says that Christ is not weak unto the Corinthians, but is powerful in them. What Paul seems to be saying is this: “Corinthians, you are questioning the proof of Christ speaking in me. While I am speaking, is Christ not in you? Who ministered Christ to you? Was it the Judaizers? You must admit that I am the one who ministered Christ to you. If Christ does not speak in me, how could you have Christ in you through my ministry? Before the Judaizers came to you, you already had Christ in you. When I came to Corinth, I ministered Christ to you. I imparted Christ to you. It is a fact that Christ has been imparted into you through me, in particular, by my speaking. Furthermore, the Christ who is in you is not weak unto you. On the contrary, He is powerful in you. Surely you would not say that you have a weak Christ. You know that Christ is powerful in you. Through whom did you receive this powerful Christ? You did not receive Him through the Judaizers. You must confess that it was through me that this powerful Christ came into you. Isn’t this a strong proof that Christ speaks in me?” Here we see Paul’s wisdom in catching the Corinthians. Being proud, they would never admit that they had a weak Christ. Paul knew they would say that the Christ in them was powerful. This would give him the ground to point out that they received this powerful Christ through his speaking. This was a proof of Christ’s speaking in Paul.
In verse 4 Paul says, “For indeed He was crucified out of weakness, but He lives by the power of God. For indeed we are weak in Him, but we shall live together with Him by the power of God toward you.” The weakness in this verse is that of the body, the same as in 10:10. For Himself Christ did not need to be weak in any way, but for accomplishing redemption on our behalf He was willing to be weak in His body that He might be crucified. However, now He lives, after being resurrected, by the power of God. In verse 4 Paul says that the apostles are weak in Christ, but live together with Him by the power of God toward the believers. The apostles followed the pattern of Christ, willing to be weak in the organic union with Him, that they might live with Him a crucified life. Thus, they would live together with Him by the power of God toward the believers. Apparently they are weak toward them; actually they are powerful.
If Christ had not been weak, He could not have been arrested, much less nailed to the cross. Only one who is weak can be crucified. For the accomplishment of redemption, Christ purposely became weak, so weak that He could be arrested and crucified. But now that redemption has been accomplished and Christ has been resurrected, He is no longer weak.
In verse 4 Paul points out to the Corinthians that the apostles are weak in Christ. Through the organic union, they are one with Christ to be weak. The purpose for their being weak in this way is for the sake of the building up of the church. When the apostles came to Corinth, they did not come in a way of strength, but in a way of weakness, for the purpose of imparting Christ into the Corinthians and of edifying them, perfecting them, so that they may be built up as the Body of Christ. Actually, the apostles were not weak. But they voluntarily became weak and, according to verse 4, continued to be weak in Christ.
The phrase “in Him” in verse 4 is very important. Probably you have never heard that we can be weak in Christ. Our concept is that to be in Christ is to be strong, not to be weak. Nevertheless, in this verse Paul says that we are weak in Him. Why are we weak in Christ? We are weak in Him in order to live a crucified life.
In these verses Paul seems to be saying, “Dear believers at Corinth, don’t you know how much you have caused me to be crucified? Many of you are still crucifying me. You put me on the cross when you accuse me of cheating you or of acting with guile. I have never done anything to cheat you. I have been weak in Christ and I continue to be weak in Him so that I may live a crucified life.”
In verse 4 Paul says not only that the apostles are weak in Christ; he also says that they will live together with Christ by the power of God toward the believers. We cannot understand fully what Paul means. My understanding is that in coming to the Corinthians a third time, Paul is telling them that he would no longer be weak toward them. On the contrary, he would be powerful to avenge.