(2Co 13:12)  “Greet one another with an holy kiss.”   A “holy kiss” is one free of impurity or guile. It would be full of God given motivation and love. Oh for such a heart among all of God’s people.

(2Co 13:11) “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.”   If you seek to do the first things mentioned, then “…the God of peace shall be with  you.” Amen. 

(2Co 13:11) “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.”   “Live in peace”: at the heart of division within a church is someone who expects things to go their way.  There are two officers in the church – the pastor and the deacons. They are the leaders. If you cannot follow them – leave.

(2Co 13:11) “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.”  “Be of one mind”: at the time of penning this, they were a church of division caused by false teachers. They needed to put off the false and once again embrace the basics. We would do well today to cling to the basics, putting aside what we think in order to hold to the plainly written Word of God.

(2Co 13:11) “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.”  “Be of good comfort”: the Holy Spirit’s desire expressed through Paul is for God’s people to do right so they can be at ease rather than living in apprehension of His judgment. May we in true repentance always practice First John One Nine.

 (2Co 13:11) “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.”   “Be perfect”: this word doesn’t mean, “without flaw”, but to be “thoroughly complete”.  So often we excuse ourselves thinking, “I’m still in the flesh.” True enough. Yet, if you are truly saved the Holy Spirit lives “in”  you. He desires to make us more and more like Christ Jesus.

(2Co 13:10) “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.”   No one who loves another wishes to harm them in any way. I’ve always said the Lord did not put me into the ministry to hurt others; but to help them. Yet, there are times the only means of helping is painful. Love does what must be done.

(2Co 13:9) “For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.”  When one truly loves, the welfare of the other person comes before their own. Paul is saying, “My heart can except weakness, if you are strong in the Lord.”  May the Lord give us such a love for others!

(2Co 13:8) “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”   The Holy Spirit had Paul pen this meaning, “I cannot act against the Holy Spirit’s teachings.” True service for the Lord is always about obedience to and staying faithful to truth – the revealed Word of God: (Joh_17:17) “ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” 

(2Co 13:7) “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.”   “Not that we should appear approved”: in other words, “not for our sakes, but for the Lord’s.” The reputation of our Lord should be of utmost importance to each of us, causing us to live our best to bring glory and not reproach to His Name.