The First Sunday after Christmas (NT)

2 Corinthians 1:12-24

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 are 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.

²³ But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

St Paul reminds us to boast in the Lord, and the testimony we carry in the Lord. St Paul does not want to show that he changes his mind, but is committed to his testimony. St Paul may not be a perfect man, telling people that he is coming immediately, while waiting to take care of some things first.

But His word should be upheld. Christ always fulfills his promises, and likewise is the fulfillment of the promises of God. St Paul does not want his mistakes to reflect badly upon the testimony of Christ. He wants to make it clear that Jesus does not miss the mark, or sin.

The problem continues to each of us. You can hear about many Pastors and church workers, who have committed crimes against nature, government, and God. These Pastors and church workers corrupt people’s understanding of the Word of God. People then doubt their faith, their teaching, and the Truth. This leads them to think about the corruption and hypocrisy within the Church.

St Paul reminds us that what God speaks through him is just as effective as if God spoke it himself. St Paul will go to Corinth. He will come to these people, and proclaim to them the blessing of Christ. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Jesus Christ has died for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Whatever I, or other preachers, do, it does not change these facts. Jesus even gives you a guarantee, or down payment, in the Holy Spirit.