Hey Mike,

Can you help me understand all this yes, yes and no, no stuff? I can’t figure out what he is talking about here.

2Co 1:17-20
17 Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?
18 But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Thanks for all you do!
J____

Hi J____,
Thanks for your question.
You ask what 2Co 1:17-20 means:

To understand what Paul means, you need to read the verses which precede these verses. It is here that we find what Paul means by “all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen”. Let’s look at what Paul is referring to.

2Co 1:13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
2Co 1:14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
2Co 1:15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
2Co 1:16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.

What Paul is referring to is what the Corinthians were already reading and acknowledging in the word of God. He is, in effect, repeating what he had told them in his first epistle:

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think [ of men] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

The words “of men” are in brackets because they are not in the Greek. Paul wants us all to know that everything he writes about is only those things which are already written, and that the revelations he was given were already right there hidden within the “that which is written” scriptures.
So what “promises of God” are in the scriptures? What is it that is “all yea, and all amen”? Christ makes that very clear and answers this question for us:

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

“Every word” is the same as “all the promises of God”. Here is another way of saying the same thing:

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

“All things” certainly would include “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, and Paul is saying that everything he writes to these Corinthians is what they have already acknowledged as the Word of God, and it is all yea and amen, in Christ.
It is not just all the blessing which are ‘Yea and Amen’ but it is everything “you read or acknowledge”.
So all the promises of blessings and rulership are ours, but so are all the promises of curses which are promised to come upon us if we disobey our God.

Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Yes, these promises are all ours in Christ. The description of these promises of blessing take up the first 15 verses of this 28th chapter of Deuteronomy. But blessings are not the only promises made to Israel. There are 68 verses in this chapter, and all the rest of this chapter is God’s promises to Israel about how He will curse them if they disobey Him. Here is the beginning of this section of scripture:

Deu 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deu 28:16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Deu 28:17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
Deu 28:18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Deu 28:19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

These things too, are “yea and amen” in Christ. That is what Paul is referring to when He speaks of what the Corinthians “read and acknowledge”, and he is assuring them that when he tells them that he will come to see them that his words are not spoken lightly, but are as sincere in their utterance as God in His promises that “all things are ours… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, and not just the good and smooth things.
This is why in both Revelation !3 and in Rev 14 all the curses upon those who worship the beast are twice called “the patience and faith of the saints.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heave n.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Not one person in a thousand has an ear to hear that all of this “is the patience and faith of the saints”, even though this is all reiterated in the very next chapter:

Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

“All the promises of God in Him are yea and amen” and not just the “smooth things” and the promised blessings for obedience. Who among us is not first a child of disobedience who must first experience the wrath of God being poured out on all his unrighteousness and ungodliness?

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

I hope this all helps you to see what Paul means by “all the promises of God in Christ, are yea and amen”:

2Co 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike