Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1:20 and Application
The Apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For as many as are promises of God, in him are the Yes, and in him the Amen, for glory to God through us" (YLT) [1]. This verse serves as a foundational statement regarding the reliability of God's promises, particularly as they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
This passage is situated within Paul's defense of his ministry and his explanation for a change in his travel plans to Corinth. Some in the Corinthian church had accused Paul of being unreliable because he had not visited them as promised, leading him to address the consistency of his word and, by extension, God's word [2]. Paul asserts that his "yes" is not simultaneously "no," reflecting the steadfastness of God's own promises [2].
The core of the verse lies in the affirmation that all of God's promises find their "Yes" in Christ. This means that Christ is the ultimate fulfillment and confirmation of every divine pledge, particularly those found in the Old Testament prophecies [2]. The "Amen" that follows is the believer's response, signifying agreement and confirmation of these fulfilled promises [2]. This reciprocal "Yes" from God in Christ and "Amen" from believers results in glory to God [1].
The concept of God's promises being "Yes" in Christ underscores the New Covenant understanding that Christ is the culmination of God's redemptive plan. The Old Princeton theologian Charles Hodge, for instance, frequently discusses the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ throughout his systematic theology [4, 6, 9]. Similarly, John Calvin emphasizes Christ as the means by which God invites believers into fellowship and sustains them [5, 7, 8]. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as seen in John of Damascus and John Chrysostom, also highlights Christ's central role in divine revelation and the fulfillment of God's will [3, 10].
This verse has functioned significantly in Christian theology by affirming the unity of God's plan across the Old and New Testaments, with Christ as the central figure. It assures believers of the unwavering faithfulness of God, whose promises are not subject to human fickleness but are eternally secured in His Son.
Sources
- II Corinthians “II Corinthians 1:20 (YLT) — for as many as <FI>are<Fi> promises of God, in him <FI>are<Fi> the Yes, and in him the Amen, for glory to God through us;”
- 2 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Corinthians 1:20: 1:20 God has put a seal of approval, with a resounding “Yes!” on the Old Testament prophecies as they are fulfilled in Christ. Believers respond with “Amen,” meaning “confirmed and agreed.””
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 9:5 9:5 9:5 9:19 9:21 9:21 10:4 10:4 10:6-9 10:13-21 10:17 11:8 11:25-27 11:28 11:32 11:33-36 11:36 11:36 11:36 12:3 12:13 15:10 15:12 16:25-27 1 Corinthians 1:9 1:10 1:17-25 1:20 1:20-25 1:23 1:23 1:23-24 1:24 1:24 1:24 1:27 1:27 2:2 2:7-8 2:8 2:8 2:8 2:10-11 2:11 2:12 2:12 2:14-15 3:8 3:8 3:16 3:17 3:19 7:2 7:25 7:31 8 8:5 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:7 10:1 10:17 10:31 11:2 11:24-26 11:29 11:31-32 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:4-7 12:4-11 12:5-6 12:5-6 12:8 12:8 12:8-10 12:11 12:12 12:24 13:10 14:32 14:37 15:3-4 15:16-17 15:20 15:2”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 144: 2:7 2:28 2:28 3:19 3:21 3:22-23 3:25 3:25 3:25 3:25 3:25 3:25-26 3:28 4:20-21 5:1-1 5:8 5:9 5:10 5:10 5:10 5:10 5:11 5:12 5:12 5:12 5:12 5:12-20 5:12-20 5:12-20 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:15 5:16-17 5:18 5:18-19 5:18-19 5:19 6:1-23 6:4 6:4 6:9 6:14 6:23 7:1-25 7:4 7:4-6 7:32 7:32 8:1-13 8:1-39 8:3 8:7 8:9-1 8:11 8:11 8:11 8:23 8:28 8:29-30 8:29-30 8:29-30 8:30 8:30 8:30 8:32 8:34 8:34 8:35-39 9:1-33 9:1-33 9:5 9:5 9:6 9:9-21 9:11 9:11 9:15-16 9:19 9:22 9:24 10:13 10:14 10:17 11:2 11:”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 82: 2278 ARGUMENT. In the former Books an exposition has been given of the three parts of the Apostles’ Creed concerning God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier. It now remains to treat, in this last Book, of the Church and the Communion of Saints, or of the external means or helps by which God invites us to fellowship with Christ, and keeps us in it. The twenty Chapters of which it consists may be conveniently reduced to three particular heads—viz. I. Of the Church. II. Of the Sacraments. III. Of Civil Government. The first ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 98: 3:8 3:9 3:9 3:9 3:20 3:20 3:21 3:21 4:11 4:18 Colossians 1:18 1:20 1:27 1:27 2:10 2:10 2:12 2:14 2:16 2:19 2:19 3:3 3:4 3:4 3:4 3:10 3:20 1871 1 Thessalonians 1:10 2:10 2:19 3:13 4:15-17 4:15-17 4:16 5:1 5:2 5:23 14:4 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10 1:7 1:7-10 1:7-10 1:7-10 1:9 2 2:1-3 2:1-17 2:1-17 2:1-17 2:2 2:4 2:7 3:6 1 Timothy 1:12 2:4 2:4 2:5 2:6 3:2 3:2 3:2 3:2 3:16 3:16 3:16 4:1 4:3 5:14 6:14 2 Timothy 1:10 1:12 3:15 3:16 3:17 4:1 4:8 Titus 1:5 1:6 1:6 1:6 2:13 2:14 2:14 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:10 Hebrews 1:1-14 1:3 1:3 2:1-18 2:4 2:4 2:”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: 4:5-6 4:6 4:11 4:12 4:18 Colossians 1:2-3 1:4 1:5 1:5 1:9-10 1:12 1:13 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:15 1:15 1:15 1:15 1:15 1:16 1:16 1:16-18 1:17 1:18 1:19-20 1:20 1:20 1:21 1:21-22 1:24 1:24 1:26 1:26 1:26 2:2 2:3 2:3 2:3 2:3 2:3 2:10 2:11 2:12 2:12 2:13-14 2:14 2:14 2:14-15 2:16 2:16-17 2:17 2:17 2:17 2:19 2:20 2:20-21 2:23 2:23 3:1 3:1 3:1-2 3:2 3:3 3:3 3:4 3:5 3:6 3:10 3:10 3:11 3:14 3:14 3:14 3:16 3:19 3:24 3:25 4:3 4:17 1 Thessalonians 1:5 2:13 2:18 2:20 3:5 3:12 3:13 4:3 4:4 4:5 4:7 4:7 4:15 4:16 4:16 4:16-17 5:2 5:9 5:17-18 5:19 ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: 3:6 3:7 3:8 3:14 3:17 3:18 3:18 3:18 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:6 4:6 4:6 4:7 4:7 4:8 4:8-9 4:10 4:10 4:10 4:13 4:16 5:1 5:2 5:4 5:5 5:6 5:6 5:6 5:6 5:6-7 5:6-7 5:10 5:10 5:10 5:10 5:18 5:18 5:18-19 5:18-21 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19-20 5:19-21 5:20 5:20 5:20-21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 6:7-8 6:8 6:16 6:16 6:16 7:1 7:1 7:1 7:1 7:2 7:2 7:10 7:10 8:16-17 9:6 9:7 10:4 10:4-5 10:4-6 10:8 11:2 11:14 11:14 12:2 12:7 12:7 12:8-9 12:9 12:21 13:4 13:4 13:4 13:5 13:13 Galatians 1:1 1:6 1:8 1:18 1:18 2:1-2 2:3 2:3-5 2:6 2:8 2:9 2:11 2:14 2:16 2:19”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 98: 5:9 5:9 5:10 5:10 5:12 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:16 5:16 5:17 5:18 5:18 5:18 5:18 5:18 5:18 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:21 6:1-8 6:1-23 6:1-23 6:3 6:3 6:3 6:4-10 6:5 6:8 6:14 6:14 6:14 6:14 7:1 7:1 7:1-6 7:1-25 7:2 7:2 7:3 7:3 7:4 7:4 7:4 7:4-6 7:4-6 7:6 7:7 7:7 7:7 7:7 7:7-25 7:7-25 7:12 7:14 7:24 7:33 7:34 8:1-39 8:3 8:9-11 8:9-11 8:10 8:11 8:12 8:16 8:16 8:17 8:17 8:19-21 8:19-23 8:21 8:25 8:30 8:33 8:34 8:34 9:1-33 9:4 9:4 9:4 9:8 9:8 10:3 10:3 10:4 10:8 10:9 10:9 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:11-15 10:14 10:14 10:15 11:1-36 11:6 11:11 11:11 ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: 1:19 1:20 1:20 2:1-2 2:2 2:8 2:8 2:9 2:9 2:12 2:14 2:14 2:15 3:2-9 3:5 3:8-12 3:16 4:13 4:13 4:19 5:5 5:6 5:16 5:20 5:23 5:23 6:2 6:8 6:9 6:9 6:10 6:10 6:13 2 Timothy 1:5 1:5 1:16 2:9 2:9 3:2 3:12 3:15 4:6 4:6 4:10 4:11 4:11 4:13 4:15 4:17 4:20 Titus 1:7-9 1:12 1:12 1:16 2:12 3:5 Philemon 1:1 1:2 1:2 1:9 1:22 5:13 Hebrews 1:5 1:14 2:2 2:2 5:11-12 6:9 8:11 8:13 9:16 9:26 9:26-28 10:12 10:24 10:28-29 10:28-29 10:29 10:34 10:37 11:31 12:2 12:24 12:29 13:3 13:3 13:10 13:17 13:17 13:21 13:22 13:24 James 1:9 1:18 2:6 2:23 3:4 4:6 5:14-15 5:17 1 Peter 3:21 ”