Homilies on Second Corinthians: Homily III
Ver. 16, 17. “And by you to pass into Macedonia, and to come again from Macedonia unto you, and of you to be set forward on my journey unto Judæa. When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness?”
[3.] Here in what follows, he directly does away with the charge arising out of his delay and absence. For what he says is of this nature. “I was minded to come unto you.” ‘Wherefore then did I not come? Is it as light-minded and changeable?’ for this is, “did I show fickleness?” By no means. But wherefore? “Because what things I purpose, I purpose not according to the flesh.” What is, “not according to the flesh?” I purpose not ‘carnally.’
Ver. 17. “That with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay.”
But still even this is obscure. What is it then he says? The carnal man, that is, he that is rivetted to the present things and is continually occupied in them, and is without the sphere of the Spirit’s influence, has power to go every where, and to wander whithersoever he will. But he that is the servant of the Spirit, and is led, and led about by Him, cannot everywhere be lord of his own purpose, having made it dependent upon the authority thence given; but it so fares with him as if a trusty servant, whose motions are always ruled by his lord’s biddings and who has no power over himself nor is able to rest even a little, should make some promise to his fellow-servants, and then because his master would have it otherwise should fail to perform his promise. This then is what he means by, “I purpose not according to the flesh.” I am not beyond the Spirit’s governance, nor have liberty to go where I will. For I am subject to lordship and commands, the Comforter’s, and by His decrees I am led, and led about. For this cause I was unable to come, for it was not the Spirit’s will. As happened also frequently in the Acts; for when he had purposed to come to one place, the Spirit bade him go to another. So that it was not from lightness, that is, fickleness in me that I came not, but that being subject to the Spirit I obeyed Him. Didst mark again his accustomed logic? That by which they thought to prove that “he purposed according to the flesh,” namely, the non-fulfilment of his promise, he uses as the special proof that he purposed according to the Spirit, and that the contrary had been purposing according to the flesh. What then? saith one: was it not with the Spirit that he promised what he did? By no means. For I have already said that Paul did not foreknow every thing that was to happen or was expedient. And it is for this reason that he says in the former Epistle, “that ye may set me forward on my journey whithersoever I go;” (1 Cor. xvi. 6.) entertaining this very fear that after he had said, ‘into Judæa,’ he might be compelled to go elsewhither; but now when his intention had been frustrated, he says it, “And of you be set forward on my journey unto Judæa.” So much as was of love, he states, namely, the coming to them; but that which had no reference to them, his going, namely, from them into Judæa, he doth not add definitely.
When however he had been proved wrong, he afterwards says here boldly, “toward Judæa.” And this too befel for good, lest any among them should conceive of them (the Apostles, Acts xiv. 13.) more highly than they deserved. For if in the face of these things they wished to sacrifice bulls to them, upon what impiety would they not have driven, had they not given many instances of human weakness? And why marvel if he knew not all things that were to happen, seeing that ofttimes he even in prayers knoweth not what is expedient.
“For,” saith he “we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” And that he may not seem to be speaking modestly, he not only saith this, but instances wherein he knew not in prayers what was expedient. Wherein then was it? When he entreated to be delivered from his trials, saying, “There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. xii. 7–9.) Seest thou how he knew not to ask what was expedient, and so although he asked often he obtained not.
Ver. 18. “But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay.”
He skillfully overturns a rising objection. For one might say, If after having promised, thou hast put off coming, and yea is not yea, and nay nay, with thee, but what thou sayest now thou unsayest afterwards, as thou didst in the case of this Journey: woe is unto us, if all this were the case in the Preaching too. Now lest they should have these thoughts and be troubled thereat, he says, “But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay.” This, saith he, was not the case in the Preaching, but only in our travels and journeyings; whereas whatever things we have said in our preaching, these abide steadfast and unmoveable, (for he calleth his preaching here, “word.”) Then he bringeth proof of this that cannot be gainsaid, by referring all to God. What he saith is this; ‘the promise of my coming was my own and I gave that promise from myself: but the preaching is not my own, nor of man, but of God, and what is of God it is impossible should lie.’ Whereupon also he said, “God is faithful,” that is, “true.” ‘Mistrust not then what is from Him, for there is nought of man in it.’
[4.] And seeing he had said “word,” he adds what follows to explain what kind of word he means. Of what kind then is it?
Ver. 19. “For the Son of God,” saith he, “Who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yea and nay.”
For on this account he brings before them the company of the teachers also, as thence too giving credibility to the testimony by those who taught, and not who heard it only. And yet they were disciples; however in his modesty he counts them as in the rank of teachers. But what is, “was not yea and nay?” I have never, he saith, unsaid what before I said in the Preaching. My discourse to you was not now this, now that. For this is not of faith, but of an erring mind.
“But in Him was the yea.” That is, just as I said, the word abideth unshaken and steadfast.
Ver. 20. “For how many soever be the promises of God,” in Him is the yea, and in Him the Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
What is this, “how many soever the promises of God?” The Preaching promised many things; and these many things they proffered and preached. For they discoursed of being raised again, and of being taken up, and of incorruption, and of those great rewards and unspeakable goods. As to these promises then, he saith that they abide immoveable, and in them is no yea and nay, that is, the things spoken were not now true, and now false, as was the case about my being with you, but always true. And first indeed he contends for the articles of the faith, and the word concerning Christ, saying, “My word” and my preaching, “was not yea and nay;” next, for the promises “for how many soever be the promises, of God, in Him is the yea.” But if the things He promised are sure and He will certainly give them, much more is He Himself and the word concerning Him, sure, and it can not be said that He is now, and now is not, but He “always” is, and is the same. But what is, “In Him is the yea, and the Amen.” He signifies that which shall certainly be. For in Him, not in man, the promises have their being and fulfilment. Fear not, therefore; for it is not man so that thou shouldest mistrust; but it is God Who both said and fulfilleth. “Unto the glory of God through us.” What is, “unto [His] glory through us?” He fulfilleth them by us, that is, and by His benefits towards us unto His glory; for this is “for the glory of God.” But if they be for the glory of God, they will certainly come to pass. For His own glory He will not think little of, even did He think little of our salvation. But as it is, He thinketh not little of our salvation either, both because He loveth mankind exceedingly, and because our salvation is bound up with His glory from these things accruing. So that if the promises are for His glory, our salvation also will certainly follow; to which also, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, he reverteth continually, saying, “to the maintenance of His glory;” (Eph. i. 14.) and every where he layeth down this, and shows the necessity of this result. And in this regard he here saith, that His promises lie not: for they not only save us, but also glorify Him. Dwell not on this therefore that they were promised by us; and so doubt. For they are not fulfilled by us, but by Him. Yea, and the promises were by Him;
for we spoke not to you our own words, but His.
Ver. 21, 22. “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; Who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
Again, from the past He stablisheth the future. For if it is He that establisheth us in Christ; (i.e., who suffereth us not to be shaken from the faith which is in Christ;) and He that anointed us and gave the Spirit in our hearts, how shall He not give us the future things?