For was not St Paul an inspired apostle? and are
not these words of his inspired by the Holy Spirit of God? But if so,
then the Spirit of God must have looked at these Corinthians in the same
light as St Paul, and therefore God must do likewise, because the Holy
Spirit is God. Must it not be so? Can we suppose that God would take
one view of these Corinthians, and then inspire St Paul to take another
view? What does being inspired mean at all, save having the mind of
Christ and of God,--being taught to see men and things as God sees them,
to feel for them and think of them as God does? If inspiration does not
mean that, what does it mean? Therefore, I think, we have a right to
believe that St Paul's words express the mind of God concerning these
Corinthians; that God was pleased with their utterance and their
knowledge, and accepted them for that; and that in the same way God is
pleased with whatsoever He sees good in us, and accepts us for that.
But, remember, not for our own works or deservings any more than these
Corinthians. They were, and we are accepted in Christ, and for the
merits of Christ.
Pages:
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255