2 Corinthians 1 · Verse 19

2 Corinthians 1:19

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
2 Corinthians 1:19, King James Version

2 Corinthians 1:19 in other translations

BSBFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”
WEBFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”
ASVFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him is yea.
YLTfor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, among you through us having been preached--through me and Silvanus and Timotheus--did not become Yes and No, but in him it hath become Yes;
DARBYFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.
BBEFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we were preaching among you, even I and Silvanus and Timothy, was not Yes and No, but in him is Yes.
WebsterFor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

What does 2 Corinthians 1:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. Proof of the unchangeableness of the doctrine from the unchangeableness of the subject of it, namely, Jesus Christ. He is called "the Son of God" to show the impossibility of change in One who is co-equal with God himself (compare 1Sa 15:29; Mal 3:6). by me ... Silvanus and Timotheus--The Son of God, though preached by different preachers, was one and the same, unchangeable. Silvanus is contracted into Silas (Ac 15:22; compare 1Pe 5:12). in him was yea--Greek, "is made yea in Him"; that is, our preaching of the Son of God is confirmed as true in Him (that is, through Him; through the miracles wherewith He has confirmed our preaching) [Grotius]; or rather, by the witness of the Spirit which He has given (2Co 1:21, 22) and of which miracles were only one, and that a subordinate manifestation.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 19. For the Son of God. In this verse and the following, Paul states that he felt himself bound to maintain the strictest veracity, for two reasons: the one, that Jesus Christ always evinced the strictest veracity, 2Cor 1:19; the other, God was always true to all the promises that he made, (ver. 20 ;) and as he felt himself to be the servant of the Saviour and of God, he was bound by the most sacred obligations also to maintain' a character irreproachable in regard to veracity. On the meaning of the phrase "Son of God," Rom 1:4.

Jesus Christ. It is agreed, says Bloomfield, by the best commentators, ancient and modern, that by Jesus Christ is here meant his doctrine. The sense is, that, the preaching respecting Jesus Christ did not represent him as fickle and changeable--as unsettled, and as unfaithful; but as TRUE, consistent, and faithful. As that had been the regular and constant representation of Paul and his fellow-labourers in regard to the Master whom they served, it was to be inferred that they felt themselves bound sacredly to observe the strictest constancy and veracity.

By us, etc. Silvanus, here mentioned, is the same person who in the Acts of the Apostles is called Silas. He was with Paul at Philippi, and was imprisoned there with him, Acts 16 and was afterwards with Paul and Timothy at Corinth when he first visited that city, Acts 18:5. Paul was so much attached to him, and had so much confidence in him, that he joined his name with his own in several of his epistles, 1Thes 1:1, 2Thes 1:1.

Was not yea and nay. Our representation of him was not that he was fickle and changeable.

But in him was yea. Was not one thing at one time, and another at another. He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever. All that he says is true; all the promises that he makes are firm; all his declarations are faithful. Paul may refer to the fact that the Lord Jesus when on earth was eminently characterized by TRUTH. Nothing was more striking than his veracity. He, called himself the truth," as being eminently true in all his declarations. "I am the way, and THE TRUTH, and the life," Jn 14:6, Rev 3:7. And thus (Rev 3:14) he is called the faithful and true Witness." In all his life he was eminently distinguished for that. His declarations were simple truth; his narratives were simple, unvarnished, uncoloured: unexaggerated statements of what actually occurred. He never disguised the truth; never prevaricated; never had any mental reservation; never deceived; never used any word, or threw in any circumstance, that was fitted to lead the mind astray. He himself said that this was the great object which he had in view in coming into the world. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth," Jn 18:37. As Jesus Christ was thus distinguished for simple truth, Paul felt that he was under sacred obligations to imitate him and always to evince the same inviolable fidelity. The most felt obligation on earth is that which the Christian feels to imitate the Redeemer.

(d) "Son of God" Mk 1:1, Rom 1:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 For the Son of God, etc. - If I could have changed my purpose through carnal or secular interests then I must have had the same interest in view when I first preached the Gospel to you, with Silvanus and Timotheus. But did not the whole of our conduct prove that we neither had, nor could have such interest in view?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1:15-24

The apostle clears himself from the charge of levity and inconstancy, in not coming to Corinth. Good men should be careful to keep the reputation of sincerity and constancy; they should not resolve, but on careful thought; and they will not change unless for weighty reasons. Nothing can render God's promises more certain: his giving them through Christ, assures us they are his promises; as the wonders God wrought in…

Read the full comment on 2 Corinthians 1:15-24 →

2 Corinthians 1:19 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁhoTheG3588
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
γὰρgarforG1063
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
ΧριστὸςChristosChristG5547
ὁhothe [One]G3588
ἐνenamongG1722
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
δι᾽di᾽throughG1223
ἡμῶνhēmōnusG3165
κηρυχθείς,kēruchtheishaving been proclaimedG2784
δι᾽di᾽throughG1223
ἐμοῦemoumeG1473
καὶkaiandG2532
ΣιλουανοῦSilouanouSilvanusG4610
καὶkaiandG2532
Τιμοθέου,TimotheouTimothy,G5095
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐγένετοegenetowasG1096
ναὶnaiYesG3483
καὶkaiandG2532
οὒ,ouNo,G3756
ἀλλὰallabutG235
ναὶnaiYesG3483
ἐνeninG1722
αὐτῷautōHimG846
γέγονεν·gegonenit has always been;G1096

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Corinthians 1:19

  • Hebrews 13:8

    Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

  • Revelation 1:17

    And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

  • 2 John 1:9

    Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

  • Revelation 1:8

    I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

  • Revelation 2:18

    And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

  • 1 John 5:20

    And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

  • Acts 18:5

    And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

  • Acts 15:22

    Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

  • 1 John 5:9-13

    If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. …

  • Acts 9:20

    And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

  • Revelation 1:11

    Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

  • Romans 1:3-4

    Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Son.
Ps 2:7; Mt 3:17; 16:16,17; 17:5; 26:63,64; 27:40,54; Mr 1:1; Lu 1:35
Joh 1:34,49; 3:16,35,36; 6:69; 19:7; 20:28,31; Ac 8:37; 9:20
Ro 1:3,4; 2Pe 1:17; 1Jo 1:3; 5:9-13,20; 2Jo 1:9; Re 2:18
even.
Ac 18:5
Silas. was not.
Ex 3:14; Mt 24:35; Joh 8:58; Heb 1:11; 13:8; Re 1:8,11,17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Corinthians 1:18

    But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:19

    For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:20

    For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Read all of 2 Corinthians 1

2 Corinthians 1:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque el Hijo de Dios, Jesucristo, que por nosotros ha sido entre vosotros predicado, por mí y Silvano y Timoteo, no ha sido Sí y No; mas ha sido Sí en él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car le Fils de Dieu, Jésus Christ, qui a été prêché par nous au milieu de vous, savoir par moi et par Silvain et par Timothée, n’a pas été oui et non, mais il y a oui en lui;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn der Sohn Gottes, Jesus Christus, der unter euch durch uns gepredigt worden ist, durch mich und Silvanus und Timotheus, wurde nicht ja und nein, sondern es ist ja in ihm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dei enim Filius Jesus Christus, qui in vobis per nos prædicatus est, per me, et Silvanum, et Timotheum, non fuit Est et Non, sed Est in illo fuit.