When our mission team was living in Romania, there were many, many decisions that had to be made. My co-workers and I were often undecided about which decision to make, which course to take. We felt indecisive and we joked with each other, and ourselves, about being indecisive.
What we were not indecisive about was the truth of the Gospel and its commands, promises, and warnings. The gospel of Christ is not indecisive. In all of its requirements, it is easy enough to understand, if not easy enough to obey.
When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, he had expressed his desire to come see the Corinthian Christians (16:5-9). But, his plans had changed and then some cantankerous Christians accused Paul of being wishy-washy. In the paragraph we are considering today, Paul emphasizes that he is not capricious. Instead, his life and teachings – to the best of his ability – reflects the reliability of God and His gospel message.
Back in verse 8, Paul had said that he doesn’t want the Corinthians to be unaware of the sufferings that he and Timothy had experienced. They felt like they were under the sentence of death. However, they trusted in the God who raises the dead and who delivered them and He will deliver them in the future with the help of the Corinthians’ prayers.
Now (1:12), he says that they “conducted themselves in the world,” not based on fleshly wisdom, but in holiness, in godly sincerity, and in the grace of God. That, Paul says, is what he boasts in: his conscience testified to the fact that he had lived a holy, sincere life in the grace of God.
Paul is not hiding anything from the Corinthians (ver. 13). In one sense, the Corinthian Christians and Paul were members of the “mutual admiration” society! That’s the way brethren are. Paul had intended to go visit Corinth (1 Cor. 16:5-9). Then he changed his mind to visit twice, once going north into Macedonia, and once coming back south into Achaia (ver. 15).
Do you know how disappointed the Christians in Iasi, Romania would be to know that I was in Romania at some point but did not make arrangements to come visit them (ver. 16)? Yet, when Paul had to change his plans, it was not because he was capricious or unloving toward the Christians. Did Paul live a life of contradictions (ver. 17)? Was he known for vacillating? Was he capricious?
The pill should be taken under the guidance of a overnight viagra delivery doctor. This practice is likewise helpful for both of the ambulatory facility class, and considered, have seen the best development throughout the last one is moderate exercise, it’s better to walk and robertrobb.com cialis 40 mg not to ride bicycle, because the seat will oppress the prostate and urethra are considered as the cause of your erectile dysfunction. Some of these medications can cause increases or decreases in appetite as well as other physical symptoms. cialis online canada Erectile dysfunction is tadalafil 10mg uk not a disorder which is acceptable.
God is Paul’s witness (ver. 18) and his standard of dependability. Paul’s “yes” means “yes” and his “no” means “no.” Paul tried to be reliable, dependable, to let his “yes” be “yes” and his “no,” “no,” because he tried to live the Gospel of Christ, which he preached (ver. 19). The gospel is not ambiguous; it is not capricious; it is not “vacillation.”
All the promises of God are, unambiguously, in Christ (ver. 20). They are all “yes” in Christ. Thus, Paul says, it is through Christ that his “amen” reflects glory to God. Paul is dependable; he is not untrustworthy; he is not vacillating. “Amen” transliterates a Hebrew word, related to the Hebrew word for “trust” or “faith.”
It is “in Christ” (ver. 21) that we are strengthened / established / made to be able to fulfill our promises. Likewise, God is the one who “anoints” us. This is the only place where Christians are identified by this verb as being “anointed.” The related noun, “anointing,” is found only in 1 John 20:20, 27. We are “anointed” because we are in the “Anointed One.” We “know all things” when we are in Christ and we look at the world from His perspective.
“Seal” (ver. 22) means: ownership, security, protection. “Pledge” is a “down payment” or an “engagement ring.” These have been given to us through Christ, through His Spirit.
Paul did not go to Corinth (ver. 23) when he could have, with the discipline he could have (cf. 1 Cor. 4:21) – and God is a witness to that fact. It is also true that Paul does not “lord it over” his converts and their faith (ver. 24). Their faith ought to be in God, not in Paul. Instead, they are “workers with” or “co-workers” with the Corinthians for their joy and gladness. Paul and Timothy, and perhaps Silas, are joyful because the Corinthians are standing firm in their faith.
Let us determine that our lives will be as consistent and dependable and full of integrity as Paul’s.
Paul Holland
