¹² For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. ¹³ For we’re not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— ¹⁴ just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. ¹⁵ Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. ¹⁶ I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. ²⁰ For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. ²¹ And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, ²² and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. [This is the word of the Lord.]

“Wishy-washy.” That’s what you mumble when the plumber calls for the third time to delay his arrival: “He’s being wishy-washy.” Or maybe, ladies, it’s what you told dad after ditching that boyfriend who couldn’t keep his word: “O daddy, you were right. He was wishy-washy.” Or maybe a coworker wants to please everybody; and sometimes that puts him in a jam where he’s speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Wishy-washy: “lacking in character or determination,” to quote Miriam Webster.

What about you? Are you wishy-washy? Maybe in some areas you are and in other areas you aren’t. But it’s a good question to ask yourself. Some in the Corinthian church thought the Apostle Paul was wishy-washy. That’s not the wording they use. But the sense of their charges becomes clear from verse 17: “Was I vacillating…[Am I] ready to say ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no’ at the same time?”

Is Paul the type who speaks out of both sides of his mouth? Has he acted in ways that compromise his integrity? To use other terms in Scripture, is he double minded? Is he devious in speech, saying one thing while concealing another? Has he been wishy-washy in his ministry to the church in Corinth? This passage was written to prove that the opposite is the case. He does that in a few steps.

Paul’s Conduct in the World

One, Paul reviews his conduct in the world. We get this in verses 12-14, a section that begins and ends with the word “boasting.” To our ears, boasting sounds like a bad idea, “especially if you’re trying to win these people, Paul.” But in Scripture what matters most isn’t the mere act of boasting but the content of your boasting. If boasting is all about you and your own strength, then it’s evil.[i] But if your boast is in the Lord and what he has done for you, in you, then it’s good.[ii] The Giver gets the glory.

Such is the nature of Paul’s boasting here. Verse 12 in the ESV says that Paul behaved with “simplicity and godly sincerity.” The wording behind “godly” describes the source of the simplicity and sincerity. The NET captures it well: “pure motives and sincerity which are from God.” Notice, too, that Paul isn’t acting “by earthly wisdom”—he’s not like the Sophists of his day, priding themselves in their rhetorical abilities. He acts instead “by the grace of God.” Paul’s boast is not in himself; he’s boasting only in what God’s grace has achieved through him on behalf of this church.

But what is it that God’s grace produced? A clear conscience, for one. Verse 12 mentions the “testimony/witness of our conscience.” As God’s image bearers, we are moral creatures. We make moral judgments about right and wrong. The conscience is that part of you that shines the moral spotlight back on yourself.[iii] It’s not merely the sense of knowing there’s right and wrong; it also includes a sense that we’ll have to answer for all we think, say, do, and feel. That’s certainly the case here when Paul brings up in verse 14 “the day of our Lord Jesus.” We’re going to give an account.

Paul’s conscience is not seared but sensitive to this reality. Before the Lord his conscience does not condemn him for doing evil. Rather, he has sought to live with (what does he say?) simplicity and sincerity. “Simplicity” is the opposite of duplicity. Pure motives have produced right behaviors toward this church. Then there’s “sincerity.” The picture is of something “without mixture”—wine that hasn’t been watered down; precious metals unalloyed.[iv] Paul isn’t a man of mixed messaging, hidden agendas.

Of all people, the Christians in Corinth should know this about Paul. “We behaved [this way] in the world,” he says, “and supremely so toward you.” He was with these people for two years. He’s shown an ongoing love for them. His integrity also comes out in his writing. Verse 13, “We’re not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand.” He’s being transparent. He has no worldly agenda. There’s no need for them to read between the lines and assume negative motives.

Some of the church members have already got this. The last time he wrote, there was partial understanding. But his desire is for their full understanding. He wants no breach in their relationship based on falsehoods or rumors or assumptions about Paul’s motives that aren’t true. If they turn Paul away, they’re also turning away the gospel he preached—and that’s the bigger issue for Paul. He is “apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” To turn him away, is to turn away the King’s messenger. It’d be like turning away an ambassador when the President has sent terms for peace.

Paul is doing what he can to clear up any confusion over his character. Ultimately, Paul wants this in verse 14: “that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.” In the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord was the day of final judgment. It’s the great assize when God will shake the heavens and come down, when all will give an account. Amazing, Paul doesn’t hesitate to attribute that day to Jesus Christ. Paul knows that because God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him in heaven, all judgment has been handed over to Jesus by the Father.

But he doesn’t want that day to be a day of regret for these Christians in Corinth. He wants it to be a day of celebration, a day when they say, “Can you believe what God did in you and in us?! Remember that time when we doubted you and we totally shouldn’t have? I’m so glad you wrote that letter. God used it to open my eyes to his grace at work in your life and his grace at work in ours! We made it! By grace alone, we’re all here! And isn’t Jesus glorious!” That’s what Paul is aiming for. So, he brings up his conduct. He hasn’t been wishy-washy. By grace, he’s acted with utmost integrity.

What about you? Do you value integrity? We all have different roles in the church, different jobs, different circumstances. But can you say in all of it that you’re acting with a clear conscience? Some of you have an overscrupulous conscience; and you spend too much time feeling guilty for things you don’t need to feel guilty about. The question isn’t meant to heap on you more misplaced guilt. Others of you need the Spirit to take a scalpel to the callouses built around your conscience. My question is this: where our conscience has been formed by God’s word, can you say that it’s clear?

Do you live in light of the coming Day of our Lord Jesus, when God judges the secrets of men, when God will lay bare all the motives of your heart? It’s possible to live with a clear conscience. By the grace of God, we see it here in the life of Paul. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Jesus died on the cross to purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Acts 24:16—Paul says, “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” How about you? Can you say, “I’m behaving with simplicity and sincerity from God”?

Paul’s Travel Plans for Their Good

In verses 15-17, Paul takes another step to prove his integrity. This time it comes with a review of his travel plans for their good. Verse 15, “Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.”

Now, to grasp what’s going on, we need to understand Paul’s original plan, which we learn from 1 Corinthians 16:5-8. There, he said this: “I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost…”

The original plan was for Paul to go from Ephesus to Macedonia and then to Corinth on his way to Jerusalem; and he’s hoping for a long visit. But things go sideways. Timothy delivers the letter we call 1 Corinthians, and they don’t receive it well. So, Paul makes plan B. He makes an emergency trip from Ephesus to Corinth, and his thought is, “Well, I was only planning one visit, but now I’ll turn it into two. This will turn into a second experience of grace.” Some read that as them receiving second experience of Paul’s teaching; others read it as them getting to participate in the collection for Jerusalem twice rather than just once. Either way, Paul’s aim is for them to participate in more grace, not less. He is for their good.

Well, plan B doesn’t turn out as he thought. 2:1 says it was a “painful visit;” and in a short time Paul finds himself back in Ephesus. He writes them another letter—this time it’s a “tearful letter.” He sends it by Titus. A majority respond much better to that letter. Paul learns about their repentance in Macedonia. And, according to 13:1, he’s now planning a third visit on his way from Macedonia to Jerusalem. In other words, he’s back to the original plan, but it’s unclear whether the timing will allow for the longer stay.

All that to say, Paul has had their good in mind all along. Whether it was plan A (“stay long”) or plan B (“double grace”), he’s had their good in mind. The quick-turnaround visit with double grace didn’t turn out. But that doesn’t mean he was vacillating. Verse 17, “Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?” It seems that some have called Paul’s integrity into question: “See! I told you. He’s being wishy-washy. He tells you one thing but does another.”

But that wasn’t the whole story. He’s still planning a third visit. And in both other plans, he was looking for ways to add blessings to them. Even when they rejected him, he was looking for ways for them to participate in more grace not less. He was reflecting what God was like in the gospel. They’d see this, if only they stopped to consider Paul’s message and what God has done among them because of his message.

God’s Faithfulness in Christ

Which moves Paul to a third step in his defense: Paul reviews the faithfulness of his God. And if I’m catching the basic sense of his argument in verses 18-22, I think he’s saying, “Look, I’m not wishy-washy, because our God ain’t wishy-washy.” Paul’s faithfulness has been formed by God’s faithfulness in the work of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let’s see how he does this.

Verse 18, “As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.” He starts with an assertion about God’s character: “God is faithful.” That doesn’t mean he gives us whatever we want or ask for. His faithfulness isn’t determined by whether your circumstances stay easy or get hard. Nor does it have to do with him being faithful to some but not to others. Faithfulness is something God just is, all the time, no matter what you’re going through. Now, for those who reject God, his faithfulness is a terrifying thing. He will be faithful to judge. But for those who belong to him, God’s faithfulness is a life-giving and reassuring thing.

God’s faithfulness means that he’s unchanging in his nature and he always keeps his word. Which is where Paul takes us in verses 19-20, to God’s word of promise. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” Paul’s ministry is not built on a God who is wishy-washy; it’s built on a God who has proven his faithfulness through the person and work of Jesus. Paul has not been fickle; he embodies the faithfulness of the God he preaches.

God doesn’t make promises, only to take them back. He always follows through. In Jesus Christ, God has given us his Yes to every promise. A Serpent spoke lies in the Garden, and Adam and Eve plunged humanity into sin. But God promised a seed from the woman who would crush the Serpent’s head, and Jesus is God’s Yes to that promise (Gen 3:15). Because of their pride, nations kept spiraling into all sorts of disorder; but there would come a day, God promised, when a seed from Abraham’s offspring would bless all nations (Gen 12:3). And Jesus is God’s Yes to that promise.

A ruler from Judah’s line would come. “To him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:10). And the prosperity of his kingdom? It’ll be like no other. The vines will be so rich with fruit, you can tie your donkey up to it. God promised that first in Genesis 49, but David heard something similar in 2 Samuel 7: a king from his own line would come; and God would establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Isaiah heard similar promises: “a shoot from the stump of Jesse…the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…with righteousness he shall judge” (Isa 11:1, 5). His rule would so reverse the curse that the broken world becomes a new, Eden-like paradise: “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb.” He would make the entire earth the Lord’s sanctuary: “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:6, 9). A sign of this king’s arrival would be the lame leaping like the dear, the deaf made to hear, and the blind enabled to see. Jesus is God’s Yes to those promises.

God also promised a Servant to be pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities (Isa 53). By his blood a new covenant would also be sealed—one in which God promised: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer 31:34). This same covenant also promised new hearts, new birth—God’s Spirit would come and change his people from the inside out (Ezek 36:26). Fast forward: Jesus holds up a cup: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” He is God’s Yes to those promises.

And not every promise was so directly stated. Sometimes God used pictures, like when the blood of a Passover lamb delivered God’s people from death and slavery. Or when the Sabbath told the story of God’s rest; or when the temple told the story of how God dwells with his people; or when the priesthood told the story of what God requires to enter his presence; or when the manna told the story of our need in the wilderness; or when Joshua told the story of leading us to the Promised Land—embedded in these pictures were God’s promises and they all find their Yes in Jesus: our true Passover Lamb, our true Sabbath, the better Temple, our great High Priest, the true bread from heaven, and our Yeshua, leading us to rest in a New Heaven and New Earth.

I’m only scratching the surface. We haven’t even touched Melchizedek, the greater prophet like Moses, the True Vine, the Light of the World, the Shepherd who gathers, the Word made flesh, Immanuel, Prince of Peace, and on we could go. All the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus. “That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” God is faithful; and he has proven his faithfulness in Jesus Christ. By Jesus coming, living, dying, rising, ascending, reigning, and returning—all of God’s words are true in him. There’s nothing in the gospel that suggests God is wishy-washy. He is totally committed to keep his word in the person of Jesus Christ.

But even more than that, notice the present and ongoing commitment God shows to believers in the gift of his Spirit. Verses 21-22 mention four ways God works by his Spirit in all who belong to Jesus. For starters, he “establishes us…in Christ”—or some would translate this “toward Christ.” It’s describing the present and ongoing commitment of the Spirit to keep and confirm us in a Christward direction.

That ongoing work is built on a decisive prior work in our lives, which Paul describes with three more words. The Spirit has also “anointed us.” Think of all the Old Testament prophets, priests, and kings whom God anointed for a special task among his people. When the Spirit comes into our lives, he anoints us for a special task in the Lord’s work. God sets us apart for the unique purposes of his kingdom.

The Spirit also “seals us.” George Guthrie puts it this way: “…seals could be used to represent identity and ownership. In Song of Songs 8:6…the woman asks her lover to place her as a seal on his arm and heart, the figure representing both permanence and closeness of relationship…The image [here] speaks most particularly of God’s ownership of his people, and therefore their authenticity and security…”[v]

Finally, verse 22, “God has given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” It’s comparable to a down payment, a first installment. Not that we get only part of the Spirit, but that the Spirit himself is the initial installment. He’s the guarantee that the rest of our inheritance is coming—resurrection life; the meek inheriting the earth; living water healing all nations; every tear wiped away; God sheltering us with his presence. All of it.

So, in the end, not only has Paul reminded them of God’s faithfulness in history—he fulfills all his promises in Christ. He’s also reminded them of God’s faithfulness in the present—the Spirit is working in the lives of the Corinthian believers. In other words, God isn’t wishy-washy; he’s totally committed to their good. Therefore, so is Paul. His motives and conduct are driven by his message of God’s faithfulness in Christ; and the same Spirit at work in Paul is at work in them.

And if you belong to Jesus, he’s also at work in you. So, let me close with two questions and a reminder. Question one: are you wishy-washy, double-minded, saying one thing but doing another? Are you bold in song on Sunday, but embarrassed of Christ Monday through Friday? Are you kindhearted and patient when face to face, but a jerk on Facebook? Do you preach a compassionate God while not being a compassionate person? Are you in the habit of making promises you can’t keep, or telling your spouse one thing while doing another? Do your kids see different versions of you—the kind and gentle version in public but the harsh and angry version at home? Are you able to call out evil others, but when it comes to evil in your own tribe—well, you get defensive?

Brothers and sisters, we cannot be wishy-washy, because our God is not wishy-washy. We must value integrity, because our God is somebody who keeps his word. We must behave in the world with simplicity and sincerity from God. If the God we preach to others is faithful, then we must pursue what’s faithful. According to Galatians 5, part of the Spirit’s fruit in the Christian life is faithfulness. Pray for pure motives and single-minded devotion to what’s true. Pray for your own integrity.

Question two: why do you want vindication? Like Paul, I know that some of you are serving God with a clear conscience. By God’s grace, you’re walking with integrity. Your life isn’t perfect, but the Lord has matured you in a lot of ways; and perhaps others have even boasted of the work God has done in your life. But then someone misrepresents you. Maybe someone slanders you. Maybe they read more into your last email than what you meant, or they assign to you a false motive because a choice you made differed from the one they made.

In those moments, why do you want vindication? What is your aim? Not all circumstances require a defense of your integrity. But it’s evident here—and elsewhere in Paul’s ministry—that sometimes a defense might be the most helpful thing. In those instances, what was driving him? It wasn’t personal gain. It wasn’t so others would just see that he was right. It wasn’t that he liked a good fight. He only made a defense when it was in best service of the gospel bearing fruit in the lives of others.

In other words, if he saw that a misunderstanding or a misrepresentation of who he was or what he taught might hinder someone’s understanding of Christ, it was worth him saying something. He did this with non-Christians as well. Acts 24 is a great example. He’s before Felix and people accuse him of sedition: “he stirs up riots among all the Jews.” They accuse him of sectarianism: “he’s a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” And they accuse him of sacrilege: “he even tried to profane the temple.”

How does Paul respond? Well, he clears himself of all three charges. But he doesn’t defend his innocence for his own sake, to save his own skin. He defends his innocence for the gospel’s sake. He doesn’t want the gospel falsely associated with some guy stirring up political revolts, when that’s not how Christ spreads his kingdom. He doesn’t want the gospel falsely associated with some heretical offshoot in Judaism, when Christ came to fulfill their Law and Prophets and make Israel’s hope of resurrection a reality. Paul wants the message clear: he’s in chains because people hate Christ and him crucified and risen, not because he’s done anything wrong.

Paul’s aim is ultimately the gospel’s vindication and clarity. That’s what needs to drive us as well—the aim of any defense should be in service of the gospel bearing fruit in the lives of others. Sometimes that may include admitting to your own wrongs when they are exposed. But it may also include defending ourselves when others accuse us of wrongdoing when no wrong is present. In either case, we need to be asking, “How will this serve the gospel’s advance in the life of my neighbor?”

Those are the two questions. Here’s the reminder: the Lord will come through on his promises. What has he promised you in Christ? So many promises. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” “I will forgive your iniquity and remember your sins no more.” “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” “We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.” “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

Jesus is God’s Yes to all those promises. So, ask him. “Father, will you please give me rest? Will you forgive me? Will you help me? Will you come to me? Will you protect me? Will you please come again and make this world right?” His answer will always be Yes, Yes, Yes, because he always comes through on his word in Jesus.

Paul wrote this during a rough time in the life of this church. Even amidst all the controversy and problems, this was their hope: God is faithful to his promises in Christ. Brothers and sisters, that is our hope. Even amidst all the controversy and problems and immaturities, we can count on this: God is faithful to his promises in Christ; and his Spirit will see us through to the end. Each of you have his down payment; and one day all of us will stand before Jesus and boast of his grace.

________

[i] E.g., Ps 12:3; Jer 9:23; 1 Cor 1:29; Jas 4:16.

[ii] E.g., Ps 34:2; Jer 9:24; 1 Cor 1:31; Gal 6:14.

[iii] Image taken from Andy Naselli and J. D. Crowley, Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ (Wheaton: Crossway, 2016), 23.

[iv] George Guthrie, 2 Corinthians, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015), 95.

[v] Guthrie, 2 Corinthians, 115.