Plain Dealing

II Corinthians 1:12–22

“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

The Apostle Paul here explains his forthrightness to the church in Corinth, apparently some are offended that he broke his promise and it was misconstrued as double-talk. However he says it was in earnest, that his conscience is clear, his love is true, and his speech/writing is plain and forthright The Apostle James reminds us, “above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment (Jam 5:12).” Ellicott illuminates this for us that there are certain levels of oaths in Jewish law and that at the time of St. James, many seemed to have accustomed to take these for granted or misunderstood (perhaps their Gentile brethren, perhaps it is similar to our contemporary needless hyperbolic language or at worse casual cursing, and in all cases, clarity in communication is sacrificed for theatrics), but basically for us, Elicott says, “your word be as your bond, needing no strengthening by any invocation of God, or holy things, "lest ye fall into judgment"—not "condemnation," though certainly such might follow.” It is similar to what his brother, our LORD taught, “nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one (Matt 5:36–37).” Clarity is very important lest we be misunderstood and misjudged, and condemned; our responsibility is not what our words mean to others but that we take effort in making sure that with brevity we strive to express ourselves in clear terms especially in relevant situations. Granted of course, we have varying degrees of speech and education in communication and likewise those we speak with, and that we don’t often guard ourselves and we are not perfect, but let us strive nevertheless, What we say flows from what is in our heart (Luke 6:45). Matthew Henry says of St. Paul, “concerning the nature or manner of their conversation; that it was in simplicity and godly sincerity. This blessed apostle was a true Israelite, a man of plain dealing; you might know where to have him. He was not a man who seemed to be one thing and was another, but a man of sincerity.” We strive to be like God, His yes is yes, His words are true, and His promises endure and are fulfilled in Christ (~vv. 19–20). I pray brothers and sisters, that in our everyday speech in our dealings with others, we glorify God as well.