most memorable moments of the Atlanta Olympics -- a victory from the jaws of defeat. The apostle Paul is hoping for a similar outcome with the church at Corinth. The Corinthians are up to bat but they already have 2 strikes against them. Twice before Paul has visited this church and each time he has found them to be in an absolute mess -- factions, divisions, false teachers. And it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Now a third visit is being planned. This one will either make or break the church. 2.0 PAUL'S THIRD VISIT a) Paul will not be a burden When he comes on his third visit, he's not going to change his practice of refusing support. It wants everything clear so there's no scope for misunderstandings like before (12:11ff). b) Paul will not hesitate to use his authority The OT law said that before any public discipline happened there needed to be three witness. Paul here taps into that idea. If this third one is bad as well, it will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. (12:19-13:4) c) the church should examine themselves [5-6] Nice little twist here. Paul wants the church to think about whether they are genuine Christians. If they are, that will actually have the effect of proving the authenticity of his apostleship. After all, it was he who first shared the gospel with them. So if they have genuine faith, then his gospel, his ministry must also be genuine