13 This is the third time that I will be coming to visit you. Remember this: ‘There must be two or three people to say certainly that another person has done something wrong. Two or three people must agree what has happened.’ [ a ] 2 I have already warned those people who did wrong things before. I did that when I was with you on my second visit. Now I am warning them again, while I am away from you. So, when I come to you the next time, nobody will go free. I will punish those people and all the others who have done wrong things. 3 That will tell you what you want to know about me. You will surely know that I speak with the authority of Christ himself. Christ is not weak when he works in you. He shows his power among you. 4 People killed Christ on the cross as a weak person. But he now lives by God's power. We are also weak as we serve Christ, like he was weak. But we live, because he now lives. So, when we come to you, we will show God's power among you.
5 Think carefully about how you are living. Are you really believing the message about Christ? I hope you know that Jesus Christ is in you. You ought to know that, unless you have completely failed. 6 I hope that you will know that we ourselves have not failed. We do belong to Christ, as you do.
7 Now we pray to God that you will not do any wrong things. We do not pray this to show that God has accepted us as good. We pray like that because we want you to do what is right. We want that, even if we ourselves seem to have failed. 8 We can only work to show what is true. We cannot do anything against what is true. 9 We are happy when we seem to be weak, if you become strong as a result. We pray that you will become completely as you should be.
10 That is why I am writing these things to you now, while I am away from you. Then, when I arrive, I will not need to be angry with you. I will not have to use my authority to punish you. The Lord gave that authority to me to help you to become stronger as believers. He did not give it to me so that I could destroy you.
11 Now I say ‘goodbye’ to you, my Christian friends. Do only what is right. Let my message make you strong. Agree with each other. Live together in peace. I pray that God will be with you. He is the one who loves us and gives us peace in our minds. 12 When you meet, kiss each other as Christian brothers and sisters. 13 All God's people here say ‘hello’ to you. 14 I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be very kind to you all. I pray that God's love will be with you. And I pray that the Holy Spirit will help you to serve each other as friends.
13 This will be my third time to visit you. And remember, “For every complaint there must be two or three people to say that they know it is true.” [ a ] 2 When I was with you the second time, I gave a warning to those who had sinned. I am not there now, but I am giving another warning to them and to anyone else who has sinned: When I come to you again, I will punish you. 3 You want proof that Christ is speaking through me. My proof is that he is not weak in dealing with you but is showing his power among you. 4 It is true that Christ was weak when he was killed on the cross, but he lives now by God’s power. It is also true that we share his weakness, but in dealing with you, we will be alive in him by God’s power.
5 Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. Don’t you realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Of course, if you fail the test, he is not in you. 6 But I hope you will see that we have not failed the test. 7 We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Our concern here is not for people to see that we have passed the test in our work with you. Our main concern is that you do what is right, even if it looks as if we have failed the test. 8 We cannot do anything that is against the truth but only what promotes the truth. 9 We are happy to be weak if you are strong. And this is what we pray—that your lives will be made completely right again. 10 I’m writing this before I come so that when I am there I will not have to use my authority to punish you. The Lord gave me that authority to make you stronger, not to destroy you.
11 Now, brothers and sisters, be filled with joy. Try to make everything right, and do what I have asked you to do. Agree with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Give each other the special greeting of God’s people. [ b ] All of God’s holy people here send you their greetings.
13 I pray that you will enjoy the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship [ c ] of the Holy Spirit.
13 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
2 I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.
4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.
10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
12 Greet one another with an holy kiss.
13 All the saints salute you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
13 ( A ) This is the third time that I am coming to you. ( B ) On the [ a ] testimony of two or three witnesses every matter shall be confirmed . 2 I have previously said when I was present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have ( C ) sinned in the past and to all the rest as well , that ( D ) if I come again I will not ( E ) spare anyone , 3 since you are ( F ) seeking proof of the ( G ) Christ who speaks in me, who is not weak toward you, but ( H ) mighty in you. 4 For indeed He was ( I ) crucified because of weakness, yet He lives ( J ) because of the power of God. For we too are ( K ) weak [ b ] in Him, yet ( L ) we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.
5 ( M ) Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; ( N ) examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you [ c ] ( O ) fail the test? 6 But I expect that you will realize that we ourselves [ d ] do not fail the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong; not so that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, though we may [ e ] appear unapproved. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we ourselves are ( P ) weak, but you are strong; this we also pray for, [ f ] that you ( Q ) become mature. 10 For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present ( R ) I need not use ( S ) severity, in accordance with the ( T ) authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
11 ( U ) Finally, brothers and sisters , [ g ] rejoice, ( V ) mend your ways, be comforted, ( W ) be like-minded, ( X ) live in peace; and ( Y ) the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 ( Z ) Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 ( AA ) All the [ h ] saints greet you.
14 ( AB ) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ( AC ) love of God, and the ( AD ) fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
13 This will be my third visit to you. ( A ) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” [ a ] ( B ) 2 I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: ( C ) On my return I will not spare ( D ) those who sinned earlier ( E ) or any of the others, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. ( F ) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, ( G ) yet he lives by God’s power. ( H ) Likewise, we are weak ( I ) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him ( J ) in our dealing with you.
5 Examine yourselves ( K ) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. ( L ) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you ( M ) —unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak ( N ) but you are strong; ( O ) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. ( P ) 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh ( Q ) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. ( R )
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, ( S ) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. ( T ) And the God of love ( U ) and peace ( V ) will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. ( W ) 13 All God’s people here send their greetings. ( X )
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, ( Y ) and the love of God, ( Z ) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit ( AA ) be with you all.
