2 Corinthians 1:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. ¹⁵ Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. ¹⁵I was sure y'all would understand. That's why I planned on stopping by to bless y'all twice. ¹⁵ In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; ¹⁵And in this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might receive grace twice; ¹⁵ And being certain of this, it was my purpose to come to you before, so that you might have a second grace; ¹⁵ And with this confidence I purposed to come to you previously, that ye might have a second favour; ¹⁵ I planned with this confidence to come to you first, so you could have a double benefit, ¹⁵ In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit; ¹⁵ And in this confidence I was minded to come to you before, that ye might have had a second benefit, And to pass by you into Macedonia,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

all: Genesis 3:15, Genesis 22:18, Genesis 49:10, Psalms 72:17, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:68-74, John 1:17, John 14:6, Acts 3:25, Acts 3:26, Acts 13:32-39, Romans 6:23, Romans 15:8, Romans 15:9, Galatians 3:16-18, Galatians 3:22, Hebrews 6:12-19, Hebrews 7:6, Hebrews 9:10-15, Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:39, Hebrews 11:40, Hebrews 13:8, 1 John 2:24, 1 John 2:25, 1 John 5:11

Amen: Isaiah 65:16,*Heb: John 3:5,*Gr: Revelation 3:14

unto: 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 4:15, Psalms 102:16, Matthew 6:13, Luke 2:14, Romans 11:36, Romans 15:7, Ephesians 1:6, Ephesians 1:12-14, Ephesians 2:7, Ephesians 3:8-10, Colossians 1:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Peter 1:12, Revelation 7:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:14 - I AM hath Psalms 89:24 - But my Psalms 119:38 - Stablish Isaiah 42:6 - and give Jeremiah 28:6 - Amen Jeremiah 33:14 - General Daniel 9:17 - for John 3:3 - Verily 2 Corinthians 7:1 - therefore Galatians 3:17 - the covenant Ephesians 4:21 - as 2 Timothy 1:1 - the promise 2 Peter 1:4 - are given

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.

Genesis 1:7
So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.

Genesis 1:7
So God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

Genesis 1:7
God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and set the diuision betwene the waters which [were] vnder the firmament, and the waters that [were] aboue the firmament: and it was so.

Genesis 1:7
So God made the space and separated the water. Some of the water was above it, and some of the water was below it.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and departide the watris that weren vndur the firmament fro these watris that weren on the firmament; and it was don so.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament; and diuided the waters, which were vnder the firmament, from the waters, which were aboue the firmament: and it was so.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For all the promises of God in him [are] yea,.... This is a reason or argument proving what is before said, that "in" Christ "was yea", since "all the promises of God in him are yea"; and shows, that God has made many promises to his people: mention is here made of "promises", and of "all" the promises; or, as the words may be rendered, "as many promises of God". There are some which concern the temporal good of the saints; as that they shall not want any good thing; and though they shall be attended with afflictions, these shall work for their good, and they shall be supported under them. Others concern their spiritual good; some of which relate to God himself, that he will be their God, which includes his everlasting love, his gracious presence, and divine protection. Others relate to Christ as their surety and Saviour, by whom they are, and shall be justified and pardoned, in whom they are adopted, and by whom they shall be saved with an everlasting salvation: and others relate to the Spirit of God, as a spirit of illumination, faith, comfort, strength, and assistance, and to supplies of grace by him from Christ: and others concern everlasting life and happiness, and are all of them very ancient, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; are exceeding great and precious, suited to the various cases of God's people; are free and unconditional, immutable and irrevocable, and will all of them have their certain accomplishment. These promises are all "in" Christ; with and in whom could they be but in him, since he only existed when they were made, which was from everlasting? with and in whom should they be of right, but in him with whom the covenant, which contains these promises, were made, and who undertook the accomplishment of them? where could they be safe and secure but in him, in whose hands are the persons, grace, and glory of his people? not in Adam, nor in angels, nor in themselves, only in him. Moreover, these promises are "in him yea",

and in him amen; they are like the Gospel which exhibits them, consistent, and all of a piece; like the covenant which contains them, and is ordered in all things, and sure; and like the author of them, whose faithfulness and lovingkindness to his in Christ shall never fail; and like Christ himself, in whom they are, who is "the amen, the true and faithful witness, the same today, yesterday, and for ever"; by whose blood, the covenant, and all the promises of it, are ratified and confirmed, and in whom, who is the truth of them, they are all fulfilled. And these are

unto the glory of God by us; these serve to illustrate and advance the glory of God, when they are preached by us, and held forth by us in the Gospel, just as they are in Christ, free, absolute, and unconditional; and when they are received "by us" as believers in Christ; for the stronger we are in the faith of the promises, the more glory we give to God; faith by laying hold on, and embracing the promises, glorifies the veracity, faithfulness, power, and grace of God. The Syriac version puts the "Amen" into this last clause, and reads it thus, "therefore by him we give Amen to the glory of God".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For all the promises of God in him - All the promises which God has made through him. This is another reason why Paul felt himself bound to maintain a character of the strictest veracity. The reason was, that God always evinced that; and that since none of His promises failed, he felt himself sacredly bound to imitate Him, and to adhere to all His. The promises of God which are made through Christ, relate to the pardon of sin to the penitent; the sanctification of his people: support in temptation and trial; guidance in perplexity; peace in death, and eternal glory beyond the grave. All of these are made through a Redeemer, and none of these shall fail.

Are yea - Shall all be certainly fulfilled. There shall be no vacillation on the part of God; no fickleness; no abandoning of his gracious intention.

And in him amen - In Revelation 3:14, the Lord Jesus is called the “Amen.” The word means true, faithful, certain. And the expression here means that all the promises which are made to people through a Redeemer shall be certainly fulfilled. They are promises which are confirmed and established, and which shall by no means fail.

Unto the glory of God by us - Either by us ministers and apostles; or by us who are Christians. The latter, I think, is the meaning; and Paul means to say, that the fulfillment of all the promises which God has made to His people shall result in His glory and praise as a God of condescension and veracity. The fact that He has made such promises is an act that tends to His own glory - since it was of His mere grace that they were made; and the fulfillment of these promises in and through the church, shall also tend to produce elevated views of His fidelity and goodness.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. For all the promises of God — Had we been light, fickle, worldly-minded persons; persons who could only be bound by our engagements as far as comported with our secular interest; would God have confirmed our testimony among you? Did we not lay before you the promises of God? And did not God fulfil those promises by us-by our instrumentality, to your salvation and his own glory? God is true; therefore every promise of God is true; and consequently each must have its due fulfilment. God will not make use of trifling, worldly men, as the instruments by which he will fulfil his promises; but he has fulfilled them by us; therefore we are just and spiritual men, else God would not have used us.

In him are yea, and in him amen — All the promises which God has made to mankind are yea-true in themselves, and amen-faithfully fulfilled to them who believe in Christ Jesus. The promises are all made in reference to Christ; for it is only on the Gospel system that we can have promises of grace; for it is only on that system that we can have mercy. Therefore, the promise comes originally by Christ, and is yea; and it has its fulfilment through Christ, and is amen; and this is to the glory of God, by the preaching of the apostles.

From what the apostle says here, and the serious and solemn manner in which he vindicates himself, it appears that his enemies at Corinth had made a handle of his not coming to Corinth, according to his proposal, to defame his character, and to depreciate his ministry; but he makes use of it as a means of exalting the truth and mercy of God through Christ Jesus; and of showing that the promises of God not only come by him, but are fulfilled through him.