This phrase from II Corinthians 13:4 jumps up to get your attention in the list of “In Christ” scriptures. “We are weak” and “we are… in him”, both are true, but are we “weak in him” (Christ, verse 3)? That is what we call an apparent contradiction.
“A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text” (Dr. Carson). So we need to see the setting for this statement. There is a series of contrasts in verses 3 and 4:
v.3b He is not weak … but is powerful
v.4a He was crucified in weakness … but lives by the power of God
v.4b We also are weak in him … but… we will live with him by the power of God.
Christ’s crucifixion appeared to be in weakness, yet in God’s plan it was just a step going forward to when “he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21). “We also [appear to be] weak in him” or as the Message Bible has it, “We weren’t much to look at, either, when we were humiliated among you”! Yet in a New Creation reality “we live in him and have God’s power” (NLT).
Let’s look at the whole phrase again, this time from the Amplified Bible, “And though we too are weak in Him [as He was humanly weak], yet in dealing with you [we shall show ourselves] alive and strong in [fellowship with] Him by the power of God.” Now that’s more like it!
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