The wisdom of the apostle: Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves, to find out whether you are living in faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5

For the apostle Paul, the Church of Corinth was one of the most important Christian communities founded by him. In fact, according to the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit communicated with the apostle to tell him that a large number of believers were waiting for him to receive the faith during the second missionary trip: "No one will be able to harm you, for many in this city are my people" Acts 18:10.
But then the apostle Paul abandoned the city after a year and a half of preaching the good news, and thus began the first disorders in this community, many christian preachers who came after the apostle discredited his authority, and urged the need for circumcision to receive the spiritual communion with Jesus. It is said that Paul visited this city three times and dedicated two important epistles to it to form the first believers in the faith.
And in the second epistle to this spiritual community Paul emphasized more than anything the importance of the faith received: "Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain" 2 Corinthians 6:1.
For Paul, Christ's message to men is clear: the true goal of man is excellence ("Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" Luke 6:36) and not happiness, which is an apparent good. This is why men should not be tempted by the desires of the flesh but follow the dictates of the spirit: "For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen" 2 Corinthians 4:18.
This is why after a long exhortation about his authority in his second epistle, Paul ended his text on the need to test faith constantly: "Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves, to find out whether you are living in faith. Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you?" 2 Corinthians 13:5.
According to Paul's thinking, being a Christian means accepting spiritual warfare, and through it, constantly giving an example of the Lord through a righteous life ("So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" Matthew 7:12). And so the apostle Paul with wisdom concluded his greatest wish for his brothers in Corinth: "Our prayer is for your perfection" 2 Corinthians 13:9.

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