Before the “amen people” take-away, let’s see what was happening between Paul and the Corinthian church. In short, he had planned to visit them–twice. And told them so. Then he didn’t show. Fodder for the Corinthian “false apostles” who derided Paul. “If you can’t trust his plans, how can you trust his gospel? Huh?”
So Paul defends himself.
“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:12-14).
Paul points with pride to what his conscience tells him. “Conscience”, writes C.K. Barrett in The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, implies “man’s ability to detach himself from himself and view his character and actions independently.” Paul’s tells them he’s conducted himself in holiness (the Greek word implies “from a pure motive” or “with integrity”) and sincerity. And this, not in the wisdom of a man without the Spirit, but in the wisdom that comes from God’s grace.
Paul hopes the Corinthians will become proud of him (“We have this wonderful apostle who brought us the gospel and continues to faithfully care about us! He is a gift from God!). At present, they’re not.
Two implications for us. One: our conduct matters. How we live confirms or denies the reality of the gospel we claim to stand for. Two: our conduct can be misunderstood. We can act for righteous and loving reasons and be judged wrong. All we can do then, is what’s right and maybe try to explain ourselves. Of course, in Paul’s case, he was contending with “false apostles” out to discredit him.
What brought all this about? Paul specifies . . .
“Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” (2 Corinthians 1:15-18).
Paul, assuming his relations with the church were good (“you can boast of us”), planned to visit Corinth twice. Then he learned relations weren’t. So he changed plans. “Aha!”, exclaimed his adversaries. “You just can’t trust the guy! He says one thing but means another.”
Paul denies the charge. And (surprisingly) he grounds his denial in God’s faithfulness. It seems the height of presumption: “Just as God is faithful, our message to you can be trusted.”
Look at heights to which Paul has gone. “Our conscience is clear. We’ve behaved from a sanctified motive and with absolute integrity. This all comes from God’s grace at work in us. Our word is as trustworthy as God’s.”
On what ground can Paul make claims like that?
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For 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” (2 Corinthians 1:19, 20).
First, writes Paul, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who they preached to the Corinthians, is God’s great YES. Everything God has promised—right, all of it—is fulfilled with absolute certainty in Christ. The statement is breathtaking. Forgiveness. Healing. Resurrection. Steadfast love. Peace. Joy. Justice. New, eternal creation peopled by new, eternal-life people. All are fulfilled with absolute certainty in the One Person, God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Recognizing this, all believers say “Amen”. The word is a transliteration from the Hebrew “Amen”—a solemn declaration that what is spoken is indeed true. Therefore, through the certain fulfillment of God’s promises that Jesus Christ is, believers respond by solemnly declaring this is indeed true. “Amen”, then, is a bold word of committed faith.
And, for Paul, this “Amen” influences word and conduct. Because Jesus Christ is God’s “Amen”, and because we respond with our “Amen”, we are to be “Amen” people—people who act with sanctified motives and absolute integrity. People who do what we say.
From where comes that ability?
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm” (2 Corinthians 1:21-24).
This “Amen” ability comes from God. He makes us “stand firm in Christ.” He “anointed us” (by the Spirit). He “set his seal of ownership (the Spirit) on us.” He “put his Spirit in our hearts”—“a deposit guaranteeing” his promised future for us. So we say Amen “to the glory of God” (1:20).
Paul calls God as witness. He didn’t return to Corinth “to spare” them more pain and sorrow by rebukes and corrections and any ill feelings that might result. But, just to be clear that Paul doesn’t regard himself as an authority over them, he reminds them, “ . . . we work with you for your joy” and not by us but “by faith you stand firm.”
Finally, Paul applies all this to his change of plans . . .
“So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you” (2 Corinthians 2:1-4).
When Paul had first heard of Corinthian trouble, he paid a quick Ephesus-to-Corinth visit. It went badly. And with new trouble at hand, he didn’t want any more pain for anyone. Furthermore, he wanted to assure them that, however harsh his “lost” letter (lost to us) might have sounded, he had written with tears of love over the state of their souls.
* * *
Now the take-away: like Paul, be “amen people.” Allan, be an “amen man.”
By that I mean, first, through Christ say “Amen” to God’s glory. In other words, confess that God fulfills all his promises in Jesus Christ. Don’t treat God as the generic God of American culture. God has come among us in his Son, who is himself God. He has come, was crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven, and will come again. In him–in Jesus who is the Christ–God fulfills everything he has promised. Say, “Amen. Certainly it is so. I believe it. I confess it. I stand on the rock. I say and sing “amen” to the glory of God in Christ.
By “amen people I mean, second, live “amen” to God’s glory. In other words, with our words, mean what we say and say what we mean. Live with simple honesty. With holy integrity. Don’t be squeezed into a culture of “throw-away words.” No duplicity. No hypocrisy. Live, “Yes, God, through Jesus Christ, by your grace I will walk the talk.”
Amen, Father. May it be.
(Now we can join the choir.)
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