15. I was sure of those things. So I planned to visit you first. Here is how I thought you would be helped twice.
16. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia. I would have come back to you from there. Then you would have sent me on my way to Judea.
17. When I planned all of that, did I do it without much thought? No. I don't make my plans the way the world makes theirs. In the same breath the world says, "Yes! Yes!" and "No! No!"
18. But just as sure as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No."
19. Silas, Timothy and I preached to you about the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Our message did not say "Yes" and "No" at the same time. The message of Christ has always been "Yes."
20. God has made a great many promises. They are all "Yes" because of what Christ has done. So through Christ we say "Amen." We want God to receive glory.
21. He makes both us and you stand firm because we belong to Christ. He anointed us.
22. He put his Spirit in our hearts and marked us as his own. We can now be sure that he will give us everything he promised us.
23. I call God as my witness. I wanted to spare you. So I didn't return to Corinth.