Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 13:1-4

"This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word established. I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you: for he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you." — 2 Corinthians 13:1-4 (ASV)

Having said many things to the disadvantage of the false apostles, the Apostle now speaks against those who have been misled by them. In this regard, he does two things: first, he rebukes those who have been misled; second, he congratulates those who remained faithful (2 Corinthians 13:11).

Concerning the rebuke, he does three things:

1. He threatens a severe sentence.
2. He discloses his judicial power (2 Corinthians 13:3).
3. He warns them to amend themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Within the first point, threatening a sentence, he again does three things:

1. He promises his presence.
2. He indicates the form of his judgment (2 Corinthians 13:1b).
3. He threatens a severe sentence.

First, therefore, he promises to come, saying, “Look, I am coming to you.” It is as if he is saying: Be assured that I am coming to you, so take care that I do not find you unprepared. He says, “This is the third time,” not because he had come a third time, but because he was prepared to come for a third time. He had actually come only once until now, although he was ready to come a second time but was prevented: But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills (1 Corinthians 4:19).

I will come, he says, and judge the wicked—however, in an orderly fashion, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses accusing or testifying against anyone, every charge from the accusers must be sustained. This is based on Deuteronomy 17:6: A person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness, and Deuteronomy 19:15: A single witness shall not prevail against a man.

Alternatively, the phrase in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand means something else. It is as if to say: What I say about my coming to you is as certain as the testimony of two or three witnesses. In this way, there will be order in the judgment.

He threatens a severe sentence, saying, I warned those who sinned before and all the others. Here he first suggests the judicial process to be followed, which requires that three warnings be given. In this regard, he says, “I have warned you before twice: once when I was present among you, and again now while I am absent.” In this way, he warns them three times. He says, “I warn... all the others,” as if to say: I warn everyone.

Second, having given the warning, he threatens the sentence. Therefore, he says, that if I come again I will not spare them. It is as if he is saying: I spared those who sinned the first time, but if they sin again or have not done penance, I will not spare them again. This would be just, because a person who is forgiven once and sins again would, if forgiven, grow in malice and become insolent. As the wise man says in Proverbs 13:24: He that spares the rod hates his son.

As a result, the Church has decreed that three admonitions must be given before it declares someone excommunicated. This is because it sometimes happens that some, although they are in sin and cause offense, are corrected by a mere word of warning and make satisfaction. But if they are not influenced by warnings, the severity of the sentence must be applied so that they do not grow more insolent: Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

Then, so that they would not belittle the Apostle’s power, he discloses his judicial power, saying, Do you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me? Here he does three things:

1. He shows that he has the delegated power to judge from Christ.
2. He shows Christ’s power (see 2 Corinthians 13:3b).
3. He shows that Christ’s power is distributed to others.

He says, therefore, if I come, I will not spare; rather, I will judge most severely. And I can do this because I have Christ’s authority to punish and forgive: What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:10); So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Therefore, he says, Do you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me? It is as if he is saying: Have no doubts about my power, because whatever I speak—whether passing sentence, forgiving, or preaching—I say from Christ: Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth (Exodus 4:12); For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict (Luke 21:15). Therefore, whatever a person says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is said to do it. Because the Apostle was moved by Christ to say this, he attributed it to Christ as the principal cause, saying, that Christ is speaking in me.

So that there would be no doubt about Christ’s power and might, the Apostle discusses the might of Christ when he says, He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. Here he shows Christ’s power first, concerning things manifested in them, and second, concerning things that are in Christ: For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.

He says, therefore: I have judicial power from Christ, who speaks in me and who is mighty in you by giving the gifts of grace, the distribution of the Spirit, and many other things you have experienced. Not only is he not weak in dealing with you, but he is powerful in you, because he has mightily delivered you from sin and turned you to good: The LORD, strong and mighty (Psalms 24:8); Your power is at hand when you will (Wisdom 12:18, Vulgate). And a little before this: For you show your strength when men doubt the completeness of your power .

Christ’s power has appeared not only in you, but also in himself, since he rose from the death of the cross—which he endured out of the human weakness he assumed in poverty—and now lives by the power of God, which is God Himself: The weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). Alternatively, “by the power of God” refers to the Father, who is also the power of Christ, because the power of the Father and of the Son are the same: I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18).

But this power of Christ is also distributed to us, for we also are weak in him. It is as if to say: That power pertains to us also, because we are weak in him—that is, in our aim—since we suffer many things, mortify ourselves, and humiliate ourselves for him: We are weak for Christ’s sake (1 Corinthians 4:10); His bodily presence is weak (2 Corinthians 10:10); Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:10).

Therefore, we shall live with him by the power of God toward you who are to be judged: Through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead (Galatians 1:1). The meaning is this: We are raised by the power by which Christ lives, and from that power we also have the power to judge among you. Therefore, we will live with a happiness similar to his, and this is by the power of God, which is a power at work in you—that is, in your consciences.