2 Corinthians 13:3
Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.
2 Corinthians 13:3
Paul affirms that Christ’s ministry to the Corinthians is not based on weakness but on power, especially as Christ’s power works within them. They demand a sign of Christ speaking in Paul; he replies that their experience of Christ’s power in them is the sign. The theological claim is that the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of believers validates apostolic authority. The context includes questions about Paul’s legitimacy and the nature of his ministry. If Christ is at work in them, it demonstrates the genuineness of Paul’s message and authority.
Historically, some Corinthians questioned Paul’s persona, perhaps due to disrupting rivals or his perceived weakness in exile and suffering. Paul reframes their criteria: the reality of transformed lives and the Spirit’s power in them is the proof.
This verse anchors the authority of the gospel in the power of the risen Christ active in believers, not merely in rhetorical prowess. It emphasizes that genuine Christian ministry is empowered by God’s Spirit, producing repentance, faith, and transformation. The idea of “not weak, but mighty” in you reasserts that the gospel upends human weakness with divine strength.
Today, believers can look for Christ’s power at work in their communities—transformed relationships, ethical consistency, and renewed purposes. A sign of true ministry is not loud talk but changed lives. Practices: cultivate Holy Spirit-led obedience, celebrate tangible spiritual fruit, and resist manipulation or empty rhetoric. For individuals, invite Christ to display His power through ongoing sanctification: patience under trials, generosity, and integrity in work and family.
Cross-References: 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10; Philippians 2:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 15:19