What does "not 'Yes' and 'No'" reveal about Christ's consistency and reliability? The verse at the center 2 Corinthians 1:19: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ but in Him it has always been ‘Yes.’” Paul points to a single, unchanging answer in Christ. There is no wavering, no mixed message, no hidden clause. --- Not “Yes” and “No”: what the phrase tells us • In everyday speech “yes and no” signals uncertainty, double–mindedness, or shifting positions. • Paul insists Jesus is the opposite: His character and words never oscillate between affirmation and denial. • The verb tense (“has always been”) underlines a past-to-present constancy; Christ has never been one thing to one person and another to someone else. --- Christ’s unwavering consistency • Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” • Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind.” • James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above… with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” • Revelation 19:11 – the Rider is called “Faithful and True.” Each passage reinforces that the Lord’s character is fixed, trustworthy, and utterly dependable. --- His reliability in every promise • 2 Corinthians 1:20 – “For all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” • Titus 1:2 – God “cannot lie.” • Joshua 21:45 – “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” • Hebrews 6:17-18 – God confirmed His promise with an oath “so that… it is impossible for God to lie.” Because Christ is never “Yes and No,” every divine promise—salvation, forgiveness, resurrection, eternal life—stands secure. --- Practical encouragement for believers • Assurance of salvation: John 10:28 – no one can snatch His sheep from His hand. • Stability in trials: Matthew 24:35 – heaven and earth may pass away, but His words never will. • Confidence in prayer: 1 John 5:14 – we can ask according to His will, knowing He hears. • Motivation for obedience: 1 Corinthians 15:58 – our labor is “not in vain in the Lord” because His word is sure. The Savior who is never “Yes and No” anchors faith, fuels hope, and steadies daily obedience. |
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