For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul means that the work of the Father and the Son is one. When the Father gives the Spirit, the Son gives him too, because the Holy Spirit comes from both of them. He is thinking of the Trinity here because he has been speaking about the perfecting of mankind. The whole sum of perfection is found in the Trinity. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
For all the promises of God in Him are yea. All the promises of God in the Old Testament relating to the Messiah were constant and true, and have been fulfilled in Him.
1The yea yea here, and in S. Matthew 5:47, have a threefold signification: (1.) constant asseveration, as opposed to inconstancy and deceit; (2.) truth or reality, as opposed to falsity or unreality; (3.) simple affirmation, as opposed to an oath. Cf. S. James 5:12.
And in Him Amen. "And therefore we say, Amen" is the Latin rendering; that Isaiah , we affirm that those promises were true. So Chrysostom and Ambrose. For further notes on "Amen," see1Cor. xiv16.
Add to this that Amen is usually an adverb denoting truly, firmly, faithfully, and thence came to be the name of the abstract qualities of truth, firmness, and faithfulness. Cf. Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 11:5; Isaiah 25:1; Revelation 3:14, Revelation 7:12. The meaning, therefore, here is: Through Him, Christ, the Amen, i.e, truth, faithfulness, and constancy...
The doctrine which the apostle delivered to them was not ambiguous, doubtful, or contradictory, first one thing, then another; on the contrary, it was such, that the apostle could say, (ver. 14.) we are your glory.
Amen. All the promises made by God, with regard to Christ, are fulfilled in him; therefore we may say Amen, and give glory to God, through Jesus Christ, who hath fulfilled all his promises. (Calmet)
One of the distinctive marks, as the holy fathers affirm, between separatists and Catholics is; the former are fond of innovation, changes, and reform, the latter are scrupulously tenacious of what has been delivered from the beginning. See St. Iren us, lib. i. chap. 18.; Tertullian, de præscript.; St. Basil, ep. 12. Vine: Lyr. See also Les Variations, by Bossuet.
Paul’s preaching promised many things. He talked about being raised to life again and of being taken up into heaven. He talked about incorruption and those great rewards which awaited them. These promises abide unchanging, unlike Paul’s own promise of coming to them. They are always true.
What is this, how many soever the promises of God? The Preaching promised many things; and these many things they proffered and preached. For they discoursed of being raised again, and of being taken up, and of incorruption, and of those great rewards and unspeakable goods. As to these promises then, he says that they abide immoveable, and in them is no yea and nay, that is, the things spoken were not now true, and now false, as was the case about my being with you, but always true. And first indeed he contends for the articles of the faith, and the word concerning Christ, saying, My word and my preaching, was not yea and nay; next, for the promises for how many soever be the promises, of God, in Him is the yea. But if the things He promised are sure and He will certainly give them, much more is He Himself and the word concerning Him, sure, and it can not be said that He is now, and now is not, but He always is, and is the same. But what is, In Him is the yea, and the Amen. He signifie...
