Final Warnings
1This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”13:1 Deut. 19:15 2I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, 3since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
5Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
Final Greetings
11Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
12Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13All God’s people here send their greetings.
14May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Pavlov posljednji savjet
1Ovo je treći put što vam dolazim. U Svetome pismu piše da se kazna za svaki prekršaj mora temeljiti na iskazu dvojice ili trojice svjedoka.13:1 Ponovljeni zakon 19:15. 2Kad sam drugi put došao k vama, rekao sam onima koji su zgriješili i svima ostalima—a to vam ponavljam i sada, iako odsutan—da ih, kad ponovno dođem, neću poštedjeti.
3Jer vi hoćete dokaz da iz mene govori Krist—a on prema vama nije slab, nego je snažna sila među vama. 4Jer, iako je u slabosti raspet, ipak živi u moćnoj Božjoj sili. Tako smo i mi u njemu slabi, ali ipak ćemo po moćnoj Božjoj sili živjeti da vam služimo.
5Preispitajte se živite li u skladu sa svojom vjerom. Možete li sebe prepoznati kao ljude u kojima prebiva Krist? Ako ne možete, niste položili ispit. 6Nadam se da shvaćate kako ja na tome ispitu nisam pao.
7Molimo Boga da vi ne činite nikakva zla, ne zato da bi se naša služba kod vas pokazala uspješnom, već da biste vi trajno činili dobro čak i ako smo mi bili neuspješni. 8Protiv istine ne možemo učiniti ništa—već samo za istinu. 9Radujemo se kad god smo mi slabi, a vi jaki. Molimo se da bivate sve savršenijima.
10Pišem vam ovo u odsutnosti, prije nego što dođem, da ne bih morao oštro s vama postupati kad budem nazočan. Jer vlast koju mi je Gospodin dao želim uporabiti za vašu izgradnju, a ne da vas srušim.
Pavlovi zaključni pozdravi
11I na posljetku, braćo: radujte se, težite da budete savršeni, hrabrite jedni druge, živite u slozi i miru, pa će Bog ljubavi i mira biti s vama!
12Pozdravite jedni druge svetim cjelovom u Gospodinu. Pozdravljaju vas svi sveti.
13Neka milost našega Gospodina Isusa Krista, Božja ljubav i zajednica Svetoga Duha budu sa svima vama!
