Homilies on Second Corinthians

“But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay.”

He skillfully overturns a rising objection. For one might say, If after having promised, you have put off coming, and yea is not yea, and nay nay, with you, but what you say now you unsay afterwards, as you did in the case of this Journey: woe is unto us, if all this were the case in the Preaching too. Now lest they should have these thoughts and be troubled thereat, he says, “But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay.” This, says he, was not the case in the Preaching, but only in our travels and journeyings; whereas whatever things we have said in our preaching, these abide steadfast and unmoveable, (for he calls his preaching here, “word.”) Then he brings proof of this that cannot be gainsaid, by referring all to God. What he says is this; 'the promise of my coming was my own and I gave that promise from myself: but the preaching is not my own, nor of man, but of God, and what is of God it is impossible should lie.' Whereupon also he said, “God is faithful,” that is, “true.” 'Mistrust not then what is from Him, for there is nought of man in it.'

4. And seeing he had said “word,” he adds what follows to explain what kind of word he means. Of what kind then is it?