2 Corinthians 1:17-21
Preaching the Gospel with purpose and without waivering-
Verses 17-18: "When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness?or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? But as God is True, our Word toward you was not yea and nay."
‘Did I use lightness?’ Levity is far too prevalent in preaching today, where preachers prefer to entertain the people, and amuse them, rather than preach for them the single, solitary message of the LORD Jesus as ALL God’s glory. Paul’s determination was not one of the flesh, or his own making, but that persuasion that comes by God the Spirit in the heart. The evidence is that in coming to them, his message was not one of preaching one thing to appease certain ones, and preaching another to appease others. He affirmed, ‘Our Word toward you was not yea and nay.’ ‘Yea and nay’ preaching is saying one thing, and meaning another.
Someone has said, “It is done by attempting to attach a philosophical explanation to the facts of revelation, and making the theory as important as the fact.
It is to attempt to explain away the offensive points of revelation with human words of wisdom, as if to lighten the offense. It is attempting to make the facts of Scripture accord with the prevalent notions of philosophy, and man’s thinking, and applying a mode of interpretation to the Scripture that waters down its meaning, and makes it mean anything or nothing so as to pacify man, rather than glorify Christ. Such is NOT preaching the Gospel.
Preaching the Gospel is to declare Jesus Christ, the Son of God-
Verse 19: "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea."
As Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 1 and verses 1-4, it is "the Gospel of God (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,) concerning His Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”
Every chapter, every verse, and every line is the revelation of the LORD Jesus, in the Old Testament concealed in type, picture, promise and prophecy, and in the New Testament revealed and fulfilled in every detail. The Person of Christ (who He is) and His work accomplished in His perfect obedient life, sacrificial death and resurrection in fulfillment of ALL that God the Father promised.
Preaching the Gospel is to proclaim all of the promises of God fulfilled in Christ Jesus-
Verse 20: "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." All the promises of God find in Him their unchangeable fulfilment.
Paul was "a minister to confirm the promises" alike to the Jews and the Gentiles (Romans 15:8-9); "the promise of the eternal inheritance" could be and was only fulfilled by Him in Him (Hebrews 9:15).
Preaching the Gospel to stablish God’s children in Christ-
Verses 21-22: "Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Those in whom the LORD Jesus is revealed are settled in Him, taught by the Spirit, and kept by Him in their hearts, and cannot be moved away from Him. Having been chosen of God in Him, redeemed and justified by Him at the cross, they are sealed by the Spirit and kept in Him and for Him forever. |
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