2 Corinthians 1:18

But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. He adds this lest they might think his DOCTRINE was changeable like his purposes (the change in which he admitted in ; while denying that it was due to "lightness:" nay, not to have changed, where there was good reason, would have been to imitate the fleshly minded, who at all costs, hold to their purpose). TRUE - Greek, 'faithful' (). OUR WORD - the doctrine we preach. WAS NOT. So C. But 'Aleph (') A B Delta G f g, read 'is not.' YEA AND NAY - i:e., inconsistent with itself....

18._God is faithful. _By the term _word _he means doctrine, as is manifest from the reason that he adds, when he says, that the _Son of God, who is preached by him, is not variable, etc. _As to his being always consistent with himself in point of doctrine, and not differing from himself, (280) he intends that by this they shall form a judgment as to his integrity, and in this way he removes every unfavorable suspicion of fickleness or unfaithfulness. It does not, however, necessarily follow, that the man who is faithful in doctrine, is also observant of truth in all his _words. _But as Paul did not reckon it of much importance in what estimation he was held, provided only the majesty of his doctrine remained safe and sound, he, on that account, calls the attention of the Corinthians chiefly to that matter. He intimates, it is true, that he observed in his whole life the same course of fi...

15-24 The apostle clears himself from the charge of levity and inconstancy, in not coming to Corinth. Good men should be careful to keep the reputation of sincerity and constancy; they should not resolve, but on careful thought; and they will not change unless for weighty reasons. Nothing can render God's promises more certain: his giving them through Christ, assures us they are his promises; as the wonders God wrought in the life, resurrection, and ascension of his Son, confirm faith. The Holy Spirit makes Christians firm in the faith of the gospel: the quickening of the Spirit is an earnest of everlasting life; and the comforts of the Spirit are an earnest of everlasting joy. The apostle desired to spare the blame he feared would be unavoidable, if he had gone to Corinth before he learned what effect his former letter produced. Our strength and ability are owing to faith; and our comf...

Verse 18. _BUT_ AS _GOD_ IS _TRUE_] Setting the God of truth before my eyes, I could not act in this way: and as sure as he is true, so surely were my purposes sincere; and it was only my uncertainty about your state that induced me to postpone my visit. See 2 Corinthians 1:23....

BUT AS GOD IS TRUE - Tyndale renders this in accordance more literally with the Greek, “God is faithful; for our preaching unto you was not yea and nay.” The phrase seems to have the form of an oath, or to be a solemn appeal to God as a Witness, and to be equivalent to the expression “the Lord liveth,” or “as the Lord liveth.” The idea is,” God is faithful and true. He never deceives; never promises that which he does not perform. So true is it that I am not fickle and changing in my purposes.” This idea of the faithfulness of God is the argument which Paul urges why he felt himself bound to be faithful also. That faithful God he regarded as a witness, and to that God he could appeal on the occasion. OUR WORD - Margin, “preaching” (ὁ λόγος ho logos. This may refer either to his preaching, to his promises of visiting them, or his declarations to th

EXPOSITION Address and greeting (2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:2). Thanksgiving for the comfort sent to him by God, wherein, as in his affliction which rendered it necessary, they sympathetically shared (2 Corinthians 1:3). He has earned a right to their sympathy by his sincerity (2 Corinthians 1:12). His change of purpose with respect to a visit to Corinth, with digression on the unchangeableness of the gospel (2 Corinthians 1:15). Explanation of his Reasons ...

BUT AS GOD IS TRUE,.... It seems that the false apostles had insinuated, that as the apostle had not kept his word in coming to them as he had promised, that he was not to be depended upon in his ministry; that he might as well contradict himself, and deceive others in the one, as well as in the other: wherefore he appeals to God in a very solemn manner, calls him to witness to the truth of his doctrine; for these words may be considered as the form of an oath; or he argues from, the truth and faithfulness of God, to the certainty and invariableness of the word preached, who is so true and faithful as that he will never suffer his word to be yea and nay: for when the apostle says, that OUR WORD TOWARDS YOU WAS NOT YEA AND NAY, he does not mean his word of promise to come to Corinth; but the word of his preaching, the doctrine of the Gospel, which was not uncertain, changeable, sometimes...

2 Corinthians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,_ Paul is very careful to remind the Corinthians of that fact, since some of them had gone the length of denying his apostleship altogether. 2 Corinthians 1:1. _And Timothy our brother,_ Whom, in all humility, he associates with himself, although he was a younger man, of far less consequence; but Paul loved him very much, and therefore he put his name at the beginning of this Epistle side by side with his own: «and Timothy our brother,» 2 Corinthians 1:1. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: grace be to you and peace

2. PAUL'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPLANATIONS. CHAPTER 1:8-24 _ 1. His Experience. (2 Corinthians 1:8)_ 2. His Explanations. (2 Corinthians 1:15) The Apostle speaks, first of all, of the trouble he had when he was pressed out of measure (or “weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power”), in so much that he despaired of his life. What experience did he mean? The question cannot be positively answered. It may have been the trouble in Ephesus (Acts 19:1) to which he refers in 1 Corinthians 15:32, “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts in Ephesus .” Others think that it was

But had he not laid himself open to a charge of fickleness? Had he not led them to expect that he would ere this have paid them another visit, returning through Corinth from Macedonia, and taking from Corinth his final departure to Judæ a when he went to convey the money collected for the poor Christians at Jerusalem. It was not true that in abandoning that plan he had showed himself one whose word was not to be trusted. It was true that while the confidence he has just referred to was unshaken, he had made and announced this plan. And he had not laid his plans, as men too often do, so that their Yea is lightly turned to Nay. God is to be relied on, and the message delivered by His messengers has always been direct and unambiguous. For there was no ambiguity about Christ, who had been the subject of the apostle's preaching. On the contrary, all the promises of God had received confirmati...