Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:17

"When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay?" — 2 Corinthians 1:17 (ASV)

In 1 Corinthians 16:3–8 and in these three verses are found the outlines of two different itineraries relating to Paul and Corinth. Plan A had been: EphesusMacedonia-Corinth-Jerusalem (possibly). But now in 2Colossians 1 we find Plan B: Ephesus-Corinth-Macedonia-Corinth-Judea (now definitely). If, as is probable, Plan A discloses Paul’s original intention, Plan B, made after the writing of 1 Corinthians, introduces two modifications of that previous itinerary: Paul now planned to visit Corinth twice—before and after his activity in Macedonia—and he definitely intended to travel to Judea with the collection.

But not only did Paul have to explain these changes. His actual itinerary (see the introduction) seems to have been: Ephesus-Corinth (i.e., the “painful visit”)Ephesus-Troas (2:12–13)-Macedonia (7:5)—the place of writing. In other words, neither Plan A nor Plan B was carried out as intended. It may be said that after the “painful visit” Paul reverted to Plan A (see Ac 20:1–3, 16). In other words, to Plan A Paul seems to have said, “Yes-No-Yes”; to Plan B, “Yes-No.” He had apparently provided his opponents with a convenient handle for a charge of fickleness!

His detractors were shrewd enough to convert the charge into one of capricious vacillation. His arbitrary changing of travel plans, they urged, was motivated purely by self-interest, with no concern for broken promises or for needs at Corinth. He made his plans on mere impulse like a worldly man, according to the mood of the moment, so that he could say, “Yes, yes” one day and “No, no” the next day, with the result that he seemed to be saying both “Yes” and “No” in the same breath.