2 Corinthians 13:5Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.
The setting
Corinth, Greece, ~57 AD. Paul turns the tables on critics examining HIS ministry by demanding they examine THEMSELVES first.
The emotion here: frustrated pastor turning the spotlight back on his accusers
The original word
dokimazo (δοκιμάζετε) — to test metals by fire, proving authenticity through intense scrutiny
Why it matters
Ancient metalworkers used fire to separate pure gold from dross; Paul uses the same word for testing faith
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Corinthians 13:5
Paul repeats 'test yourselves' twice in one sentence — he's almost shouting it
Common misconceptionPeople think this creates doubt about salvation. Paul assumes they ARE believers ('Christ is in you') — he's calling them to wake up and act like it.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Corinthians 13:5
Bible Genome reading
2 Corinthians 13:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Corinthians 13:5 comes from the book of 2 Corinthians, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Paul. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include self examination, faith. Notable phrases: Test your own selves; whether you are in the faith. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does 2 Corinthians 13:5 mean to you, today?
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