II. CORINTHIANS 1, 24. 27

St. Peter says, are not lords over God's heritage. 1 Pet. 5, 3. Others say faith here means faith-hfe; we have not dominion over yonr Christian hfe. Both of these interpretations are unnatural and unnecessary. The word is to be taken in its ordmary sense. Paul disclaims all authority over their faith, either as a man or as an apostle. It was not for him, and if not for him, surely for no other man or set of men, to deter- mine what they should believe. He called upon the Galatians to denounce him, or even an angel from heaven, as accursed, if he preached another gospel. Gal. 1, 8. Faith rests not on the testimony of man, but on the testimony of God. When we believe the Scriptures, it is not man, but God whom we believe. Therefore faith is subject not to man but to God alone. This is perfectly consistent with the plenary inspira- tion of the apostles, and with our confidence in them as the infallible witnesses of the truth. When a man speaks through a trumpet, it is the man and not the trumpet that we beUeve, Or when we read a printed page, we have confidence in the trustworthiness of the words as symbols of thought, but it is the mind expressed by those symbols with which we are in communion. So the apostles were but the organs of the Holy Ghost ; what they spoke as such, they could not recall or modify. "What they should communicate was not under their control ; they were not the lords, so to speak, of the gospel, so that they could make it what they pleased. Not at all ; they were as much subject to the communication which they received, and as much bound to believe what they were made the instruments of teaching, as other men. Paul therefore places himself alongside of his brethren, not over them as a lord, but as a joint-believer with them in the gospel which he preached, and a helper of their joy. That is, his office was to co-operate with them in the promotion of their spiritual wel- fare. It was not the end of the apostleship to give pain or to inflict punishment, but to promote the real happiness of the people. For hy faith ye stand. The meaning of this clause is doubtful. Taken by themselves the words may mean, ' Ye stand firm or independently as to faith.' This would suit the connection as indicated hj for. ' We are not lords over your faith, but merely helpers, for you stand independently as to faith.' Or the meaning may be what is expressed in our ver- sion, ' Ye stand by faith.' Then the connection, as explained by Calvin, is, ' Since it is the effect and nature of faith to sus- tain or cause you to stand, it is absurd that it should be sub-