2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV) — Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration,
comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love
and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV) — … Aim for restoration …
2 Corinthians 13:11 (AMP) — … Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made
what you ought to be); …
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV84) — … Aim for perfection, …
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB95) — … be made complete, …
2 Corinthians 13:11 (RSV) — … Mend your ways, …
NOTE: Rarely do you
see a verse with so many different translations. Unlike popular thought, most
translations are very similar in word and thought. The problem is not with
translators or the copies they worked from -- those are nearly identical -- but
with translating the Greek. Here, the Greek word is καταρτίζω, which Strong
defines as 2675 καταρτίζω [katartizo
/kat·ar·tid·zo/] 1 to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete. 1A to mend (what
has been broken or rent), to repair. 1A1 to complete. 1B to fit out, equip, put
in order, arrange, adjust. 1B1 to fit or frame for one’s self, prepare. 1C
ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be.
[Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.]
But the content is people not things. Paul is using a word which would seem to
apply to fixing an object, to people. And that is the difficulty. How do you
fix people? Is it restoring relationships which have been hurt because of sin
in the church? Is it for individuals to grow? Or maybe for individuals to reach
perfection, since we are all broken? Maybe we are missing something in our
life, and so we need to be complete? Or maybe we need to fix how we relate to
people? In some sense they are all true. We are broken and we need mending. We
need the power of the Holy Spirit to repair the damage caused by sin. We need
fixing. I think the many translations of the same Greek word is good because it
helps us to think through what is being communicated. They really aren't that
different from each other after all. We need fixing.
PRAYER: Father, mend
us, restore us, grow us, fill us, and change us. We have failed you in so many
ways. Open our eyes to our failures and help us to be like Jesus.
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