Examine Yourselves

In the concluding chapter of Paul's second letter to the Corinthian church, he exhorted them in 2 Corinthians 13:5:  "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified."  Paul willingly subjected himself to scrutiny of his hearers, even to those who doubted his qualifications and motivation as he ministered unto them.  He had not come to them boasting in his credential or flashing letters of recommendation as others had after him, and thus he was not given the respect and honour of which he was deserving for his service unto Christ and the Gospel.

After affirming his faithfulness to God and explaining how he suffered for the sake of Christ, his abundant revelations, infirmities and weakness, Paul urged the believers in the church of Corinth to examine themselves as to whether they were in the faith.  Many times Paul referred to them as brethren and encouraged them with compliments:  yet if they questioned the sincerity and spiritual fitness of apostle Paul, shouldn't they also examine themselves with the same lens?  I like how Paul did not make a judgment about them but exhorted them to examine themselves.  The godly, loving pattern of their lives would bear a resemblance to Jesus Christ if they were in Him, for having been born again He was in them by faith.  If they were disqualified or "reprobate," however, they would be unwilling to undergo such searching.  Blinded by pride, hardness of heart and hypocrisy, they would be unable in that state to see themselves in truth.

This concept of being "reprobate" or false silver is seen in other places in the Bible.  In ancient times the value of money was in itself, the precious materials the money was actually made of.  In our modern times money has a representative value and is made of more common, less precious materials because it is far more cheap and convenient to produce.  Precious metals would leave a streak when rubbed lightly upon a touchstone.  This was one way among many that aided shopkeepers, bankers and traders to recognise the true from the counterfeit.  Through the prophet God spoke of His people who bore no resemblance to Him in Jeremiah 6:28-30:  "They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, they are all corrupters; ²⁹ the bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the smelter refines in vain, for the wicked are not drawn off. ³⁰ People will call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them."  God sought to refine the children of Israel through judgment but bronze, iron and lead are not silver.  No skill in metallurgy or mixing of chemicals can transform the basic composition of lead into silver.  God's examination revealed them not to be His people in spirit and truth.

When Daniel revealed the interpretation of the writing on the wall to Belshazzar, "tekel" meant:  "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting." (Dan. 5:27)  Gold is a heavy metal, and God held kings to a high standard to uphold righteous judgment.  Compared to gold Belshazzar was like aluminium that did not measure up.  Paul gave professing believers in Corinth that charge to examine themselves, and with the aid of God's word, the power of the Holy Spirit and their conscience the truth would be clear--whether or not they were willing to own their sin and repent was another story.  Paul had authority in the LORD to instruct, correct and discipline God's people, yet he urged them to take the opportunity to admit their own failings and repent before he arrived and set them straight using harshness with their edification in mind.

A fitting application when we read the Bible is to take the exhortations to heart ourselves, that we would also test ourselves, examine ourselves to see if we are walking in faith.  We in the church claim to believe and follow Jesus:  are our lives therefore marked by Christ's love, joy, peace with longsuffering?  Are we loving and forgiving one another as Jesus loves and forgives us?  Are we like dishonest merchants who attempt to pass off painted lead as gold or polished bronze as silver, walking in deceit and hypocrisy in our workplace or unfaithful in marriage?  If Christ is truly in us, then we will be changed from who we are in the flesh and more like Christ:  quick to listen, quick to humble ourselves in repentance, submit to God's authority, loving those who correct us rather than hating them, choosing to put off sin and walk in righteousness and grace.  It is a little thing to find faults in others.  A far more important discipline is to identify and address our own faults so we are not found reprobates by God.