It was a wonderful thing to call any company of saints in this world Paul’s epistle, that which set forth his mind and heart, the fruit of his testimony in the Spirit to the world. Such he declares the Corinthian assembly to be; no mere “lip service” this, but “written in our hearts,” yet without doubt intended for men generally to learn by, as he says, “known and read by all men.” Such is the Church: not a thing of the creeds, or a subscription to paper-and-ink articles, however pure in their place, but an epistle to set forth livingly what the apostle taught and felt.

Here he goes further still; for even of those saints, who had caused him such shame and pain, but now consolation and joy, he does not hesitate to say that they were manifestly showing themselves to be Christ’s epistle ministered by him. Paul might be the means, but Christ was the end; and just as God wrote the Law on stone for Israel, so now does the Spirit engrave Christ on the fleshy tablets of the Christian’s heart that the world may read Christ in the Church. It will be noticed too, that this verse says they “are an epistle”; it is no mere question of a duty, but of a positive relationship which is the ground of the duty. This truth abides for us, which wrought on them; and so does the Spirit of the living God; and thus we are inexcusable in our failure. At least may we own and feel it, that grace may work in us as in those who had fallen so short!