“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Corinthians 1:20 Mean?
Paul makes a sweeping claim about God's promises: every one of them is "yea" (yes) in Christ and "amen" (so be it) through Christ. Not some promises — all. Not eventually — in him, right now. Christ is the universal affirmation of everything God has ever promised.
The word "yea" (nai) means an emphatic yes — confirmed, ratified, guaranteed. Every promise God made throughout the Old Testament finds its affirmation in Jesus. The promise to Abraham? Yes in Christ. The covenant with David? Yes in Christ. The new covenant promised through Jeremiah? Yes in Christ. Nothing God promised remains unfulfilled or uncertain when viewed through the lens of who Jesus is.
The "amen" adds human participation: we say amen (our agreement) to God's yes (his affirmation) "unto the glory of God by us." The divine yes and the human amen together produce God's glory. We participate in the fulfillment by agreeing with it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which promise of God do you need to hear 'yes' about right now?
- 2.How does knowing Christ is the universal 'yes' to every promise change your confidence in God's word?
- 3.What does your 'amen' (agreement with God's yes) look like practically?
- 4.How does the divine yes + human amen = God's glory pattern work in your daily life?
Devotional
Every promise God ever made is yes in Christ. Every single one. The promise to Abraham about descendants. The promise to David about a throne. The promise to Jeremiah about a new covenant. The promise to Isaiah about a suffering servant. All of them — yes. Confirmed. Guaranteed. In him.
The scope should stagger you. Paul doesn't say most of God's promises find fulfillment in Christ. He says all. Every divine commitment, every covenant guarantee, every prophetic word from Genesis to Malachi — they all land in the same person. Jesus is the universal yes to everything God has spoken.
The amen is your part. God says yes. You say amen — so be it, I agree, I receive this. The divine affirmation and the human agreement together produce glory. It's a duet: God confirms, you respond, and the harmony glorifies the one who promised.
This verse should be your answer to every doubt about whether God will keep his word. Will he do what he said? Yes — in Christ. Is the promise still active? Amen — through Christ. The affirmation isn't conditional on your performance or contingent on circumstances. It's as certain as Christ himself, because Christ himself is the yes.
Whatever promise you're holding — from Scripture, from prayer, from prophetic word — its fulfillment is as certain as the person of Jesus. If Christ is real, the promise is yes. If Christ rose, the amen is guaranteed.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For all the promises of God in him are
yea,.... This is a reason or argument proving what is before said, that "in"…
For all the promises of God in him - All the promises which God has made through him. This is another reason why Paul…
For all the promises of God - Had we been light, fickle, worldly-minded persons; persons who could only be bound by our…
The apostle here vindicates himself from the imputation of levity and inconstancy, in that he did not hold his purpose…
For all the promises of God in him are yea Literally, for how many soever the promises of God be, in Him is the yea. The…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture