“The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it)” (2 Corinthians 13:14 AMPC).
Epilogue
Our look at the Biblical epistles of 1 and 2 Corinthians leaves one final question unanswered- how did the members of the church at Corinth respond to these messages from Paul the Apostle?
Well, two commentators answer that question in a manner that brings an encouraging sense of closure to the sometimes tumultuous and difficult relationship between Paul and the members of the Corinthian church…
“Evidently Paul’s anticipated visit to Corinth turned out to be a pleasant one. Paul wrote Romans during the three months he was in Corinth (Acts 20:2-3, A.D. 56-57). In that epistle, he gave no indication that there were problems in Corinth. Moreover, he proceeded with his plans to evangelize unreached areas, which he would not have done if the Corinthian church still needed his attention (cf. 10:14-16).
Furthermore, Paul wrote that the Corinthians (believers in Macedonia and Achaia) ‘were pleased’ to complete their collection for the Jerusalem saints (Rom. 15:26-27). Finally, the Corinthian church’s preservation of 2 Corinthians argues for this church’s acquiescence to Paul’s admonitions and warnings.” (1)
“Did the Corinthians respond positively to Paul’s warning? Yes. Paul had conditioned the expansion of his ministry in other areas on the problems in Corinth being resolved (2Co_10:15-16). He followed the writing of this letter with a visit of three months during which time he wrote the letter to the Romans. In that letter he wrote “Now… there is no more place for me to work in these regions” (Rom_15:23). His appeal had been heeded. The Corinthians were now obedient.” (2)
(1) Constable, Thomas. DD. Notes on 2 Corinthians 2017 Edition (13:9-10) “http://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/2corinthians/2corinthians.htm” Copyright © 2017 Thomas L. Constable.
(2) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary V. Conclusion (13:11-14) [p. 585] ® 1983 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck