Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?
But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy —was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
- 2 Corinthians 1:12-22
As Paul begins this section of his letter, he first defends his previous conduct. Paul is likely making these statements because some in Corinth have brought these charges against him, so he is providing his response here. We do not have any documentation of the actual allegations against Paul, other than his replies we see here.
In verse 12, he appeals to the testimony of his conscience and his relationship with the people of Corinth. Paul believes that he has acted with integrity and sincerity, though of course, he would never claim to be perfect in his actions (see 1 Timothy 1:15). The Corinthians know Paul and his fellow workers for the gospel, and that relationship would also validate Paul’s character and what he says here. It is not through worldly wisdom that Paul could act with integrity but only through the grace of God.
Paul has not written anything to them that they were not able to understand (verse 13); he has spoken in plain language to explain God’s truth to them as best as he can. Even if they have not fully understood everything that Paul wrote to them, they will come to understand it better as they continue to grow in their faith and live out the Christian life (verse 14).
In verses 15-16, we see some of Paul’s travel plans, and this itinerary seems to contradict what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:2-8. His plans from 1 Corinthians seem to be Ephesus, Macedonia, Corinth, then possibly Jerusalem. In this letter, his route appears to be Ephesus, Corinth, Macedonia, back to Corinth, then Judea. It appears that his plans changed between the two letters, now indicating the need for a second stop at Corinth.
These changing plans may make Paul seem fickle to the Corinthians, giving those who opposed him reason to accuse him of not sticking to what he said (verse 17). They accused Paul of operating on impulse and feelings rather than keeping his word – saying yes one day but saying no the next.
Paul was distressed enough by that claim that he invoked God’s faithfulness as a means to defend himself in verse 18. It is as if Paul claims that God Himself is confirming to the Corinthians that Paul is trustworthy, though not as trustworthy as God Himself, of course. His message to them is not both yes and no at the same time, meaning that his message is not unclear to them. He is preaching the gospel to them, which they have already understood and would continue to comprehend.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy have all preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Corinthians, and that message is always, “Yes” (verse 19). There is no inconsistency or indecision in Jesus nor in the gospel message. While the people delivering that message are flawed humans, the God they proclaim has no flaws in Him.
All of God’s promises found fulfillment in Jesus Christ, thus the message was always “yes” to any promise that God made (verse 20). God’s message is always consistent, whether delivered to the Corinthians or to anyone else throughout history. Paul’s saying “Amen” confirms that he agrees with the gospel message of Jesus Christ that he has been preaching. As Paul confirms how he is preaching the gospel truth consistent with God’s faithful character, do the Corinthians really think he would act in such a non-Godly manner in trivial worldly things like his travel plans? Of course not.
Paul has defended himself by acting by the Holy Spirit, reiterating God’s faithfulness, proclaiming the unambiguous gospel message of Jesus Christ, and then by using the response of “Amen” as confirmation. Now, Paul points to how their faith is firmly grounded in Jesus Christ (verses 21-22). The four verbs in this passage all have God as their subject. The first (making them stand firm) is a legal term that a seller would use to guarantee that a purchase is valid. Here, is used in a form that implies how God is continuously strengthening them and validating their faith.
The next three verbs are one-time past tense actions – anointed, put His seal on them, and put His Spirit in their hearts (verse 22). These actions all happened when they became believers in Jesus Christ. They have been marked as God’s own people and commissioned for service in God’s Kingdom when they believed the gospel message. Paul is confirming their status as believers in God’s Kingdom, both here on earth and into eternity.
What does all of this mean to us? Just as Paul claims, we are all called to live with integrity and Godly sincerity. All of our actions and decisions in our lives should reflect this because of our commitment to following Jesus with our entire lives. Like Paul, we can appeal to God’s faithfulness in all aspects of our lives, no matter what challenges or accusations we are facing. God is unchanging, and He will always be faithful to His followers. God’s promises are always trustworthy, which He has proven throughout the Scriptures. Finally, like Paul, Silas, and Timothy, we are called to proclaim the gospel message to others, sharing with them how God has fulfilled all of His promises and gives us hope, redemption, and eternal life.
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