βYe are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all menβ (II Cor. 3:2).
Since the Corinthians were saved by Paulβs gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4), the apostle calls themΒ his epistles. Webster said that an epistle is βa writingβ¦ communicating intelligence to a distant person.β Surely the βintelligence,β i.e., theΒ informationΒ that the Corinthians communicated to the world was that even the most sinful of men could be justified by Godβs grace (I Cor.Β 6:9-11).
But if Paul could say to the Corinthians, βye areΒ ourΒ epistle,β why does he go on to say that they were βmanifestly declared to be the epistle of Christβ (II Cor.Β 3:3)? Ah, a letter written by an apostle under the inspiration of the Spirit was a letter from Christ! And since everyone who is saved today is also saved as a result of having believed Paulβs gospel,Β you tooΒ are a Pauline epistle! And so the debate over whether Paul wrote 14 or just 13 epistles is over! The apostle pennedΒ millionsΒ of letters over the past many centuries.
It has often been said that you are the only Bible that some people will ever read, and this is sadly so. What a responsibility this places on us to live lives worthy of the Lord! Handwriting experts can tell who a letter is from by the way the iβs are dotted and the tβs are crossed, etc. Can men tell who sentΒ you, Christian friend? Are you dotting all the iβs and crossing all the tβs when it comes toΒ godliness? Many Christians who wouldnβt dream of corrupting theΒ writtenΒ word of God found in Paulβs epistles (II Cor.Β 2:17) carelessly corrupt theΒ livingΒ epistles of their lives by inconsistent godliness. Remember, letters donβt get time off! They read the same today as they did yesterday, and we too should be as consistent in our Christian testimony. If you are holyΒ on SundayΒ and a holy terror the rest of the week, this is unacceptable to God (Rom. 12:1,2).
Since the epistle of our life is βknownΒ and readΒ of all menβ (II Cor. 3:2), we want to make sure we donβt give men a faultyΒ βreadingβΒ of Christ. All men understand by the stars that God exists, as the stars too are known and read of all men (Psa. 19:1-3). But while all men understand by the stars that GodΒ exists, all men understand byΒ usΒ whatΒ kindΒ of God He is. When we liveΒ βsoberly, righteously, and godlyβΒ (TitusΒ 2:12), we prove to others what is acceptable to the Lord (Eph. 5:8-10). source
[β¦] our own day. If you are gainfully employed, you should be obedient to your boss, of course. But if you want to be Pauline and go above and beyond the call of duty, you will want to make yourselfΒ a sheer delightΒ to your [β¦]
[β¦] you always live in ways that are becoming to the sound doctrine found in Paulβs epistles that we hold dear? Can it be said of you that you never do anything to embarrass the name of the [β¦]
[β¦] enemy lines in Satanβs territory, where interpreting Godβs will accurately, through Paulβs letters, is essential. Trust Godβs Word to give you clear direction, and then act accordingly. [β¦]
[β¦] anyone needed to go to Purgatory, it was the carnal Corinthians! Yet Paul told even these sinful believers that they could be βconfidentβ that βto be [β¦]
[β¦] when Paulβs second epistle exhorted them to βbe not soon shaken in mind, or be troubledβ (2:2), we know that these [β¦]
[β¦] of the grace of Godβ to give to us (Eph. 3:1,2). So in the dispensation of grace, being sound in the faith means being Pauline! BeingΒ unsoundΒ in the faith means anything βthat isΒ contraryΒ to sound [β¦]
[β¦] refreshing, then, it is to open our Bibles, especially to the Epistles of Paul, the chief of sinners, saved by grace, and to see him giving thanks for specific blessings, and to [β¦]
[β¦] It is doubtful whether the Psalmist understood the basis upon which a just God, through the ages, has so graciously forgiven sins, but this has since been revealed in the Epistles of Paul. [β¦]
[β¦] if it will have the impact Father God intended. The only way our prayers can be Pauline is if our doctrine is Paulineβharmonious with what the Lord says to us through the Apostle PaulΒ (Ephesians 3:1,2). [β¦]