II Corinthians 13 Paul has some final words for the church...

"Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses"..  is a vital principle for the way of dealing with each other... It is the way of justice and truthfulness. The goal is not condemnation.. the goal is restoring and  building up each other in Jesus. 

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" It is much easier to condemn another person.. than it is to condemn yourself sometimes.   Jesus taught that we need to take the logs out of our own eyes before we examine the speck in someone else's eye.  Paul seems to be teaching the same principle... and he was including himself in this.. " but I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.."  Paul and his fellow workers can stand up under the scrutiny of these brothers because they stand on the truth.. "For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth." 

Paul's prayer is that the church would be "made complete".  that they would be fully restored and built up in faith and in surrender to the authority of the Lord.  "Finally brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." 

We can do no better than this.. to treat others with such love and grace.. to carefully examine ourselves and our motives.. to build up each other in faith and truth.. to restore those who have slipped or fallen.. to rejoice with those who are restored.. to find completion and unity and peace in the power of Christ. 

Father, let Your will be done.. Your kingdom come.. and Your Name be hallowed.. lead us in righteousness, fill us with spiritual and physical bread.. with forgiveness and love for one another. We ask these things in the name of Jesus. amen.