His Promises Are Sure

Hello everyone. Tonight, we’re starting the book of 2 Corinthians in our study of the doctrine of the Trinity. We’ve been going through the Pauline epistles after all which is a fascinating part of Scripture to go through. We’re going to be looking at a passage that isn’t overtly Trinitarian, but is interesting for all three persons of the Trinity are mentioned. We’re looking at 2 Corinthians 1:18-22:

¹⁸But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas^[b] and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” ²⁰For 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. ²¹Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Paul is talking about his change of plans in this passage and how they have been in a flux lately. However, he decides to use this opportunity to move into ministry. (Quite a move. I recall someone telling me I could start a philosophical conversation if they brought up dental floss, which when they did, well….) Paul is always on the eye for a chance to evangelize.

Paul tells the Corinthians however that God is always faithful and his plans never change for they are all fulfilled in Christ and Christ does not change. This should tell us about the nature of Christ in the mind of Paul, something that we will examine more when we get to a relevant passage in the book of Hebrews.

It’s also important that Christ is seen as the fulfillment of the promises of Israel. Are we to think that God put everything on a mere man? That all that he does relies on what one person did who was just a man? Especially due to all the glory that this one gets who would be just a man.

This Amen to what has been done is spoken to the glory of God. The acceptance of Christ in the life of the Christian is that which brings glory to God. It is because of God that we can rely on Christ and it is through God that we stand firmly secure.

Of course, Paul does bring in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the one through whom we are sealed. It is a Trinitarian relationship going on. We are to stand firm in Christ. Once we do that, God puts his authority behind that pledge. It is because of the vindication of Christ in the resurrection that the pledge is fulfilled.  Once that is done, we are sealed in the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Trinity work when we come to the covenant and acknowledge our need for salvation.

This is another example of a Trinitarian passage. They show up in Paul often. We’re not hitting all of them, but I figured we should do this one tonight. We shall continue going through this book more tomorrow.