2 Corinthians 13: Final Warnings and Gospel Assurance

This final chapter brings a clear and serious call from St. Paul: take a hard look at your faith. Not to stir up fear or doubt, but to encourage repentance and renewal. The warnings are real, but they come from an apostolic and pastoral heart that cares deeply and wants to build up, not tear down. Thus, Paul's letter ends not with rebuke, but with blessing—offering one of the most beautiful benedictions in all of Scripture: the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 13.

What does it mean to follow Christ in weakness? What does true ministry look like in the face of criticism, suffering, and spiritual warfare? And how can the Church hold fast to the Gospel when pressured by the world—and even by false teachers within?

On Thy Strong Word, we walk verse by verse through, arguably, the apostle Paul’s most personal, emotional, and paradoxical letter: 2 Corinthians. From forgiveness and reconciliation to generous giving and boasting only in the Lord, 2 Corinthians calls every believer to follow Christ boldly. This is the way of the cross, where God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in you.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.