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EXAMINE YOURSELVES

by Jerry Vines

Scripture: I JOHN 5:7


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EXAIMAINE YOURSELVES
II Corinthians 13
Dr. Vines 11/17/8i
I taught school right after I got out of college. ')ne of tnle things I
was in tne habit of doing was giving pop-tes ts. : know that doesn 't m.ake me
extremely popular with our young people. When the final bell would ring and the
cl ass would come in, I would look at them and say, "Take out a penicil and piece
of paper." That information would be received eitner witn a grin or a groan. If
they knew tney were prepared for it, they would greet m-!e with a grin. If they
were unprepared, they would greet me with a groan. They knew examination time
was upon then, and they were totally unprepared for it.
Paul has been going through a kind of examination on the part of tne
Corintn'hi.1an De ii evers. His authority has been in question. His apost csiSip has
been under attack. For about four chapters, Paul has basically been defending
himirsel f. When you come to the thirteentli chapter, Paul turns the table on thie
Corinthians. He is saying to then, "You've been on the offense, I've been on
the 6efense. It's tim-ie for me to get the ball. i'm going to takce the offensive,
you be on the defensive and you examine yourselves." In the openi ng verses of
Chapter 13 he says in verse 2:
"...if I come again, i will not spare."
The word, spare, is really the military word that means to launch an invasion.
Paul is simply saying, "I'm coming on strong. You've been exami nin le, why
don't you examine your own selves?" In the 5th verse, when Paul says tnat, in
tthe original language, the personal pronouns are put in t+he e pha tic position.
He is saying, "You quit examining me, why don't you examine your selves." ilost
of us are pretty good at examining the lives of other people. It is not hard
for me to pick out the flaws, failures and faults in the lives of others. If
I'M not very careful I develop blind spots in Imy own life arin I don't see the
things that really oug ...

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