2 Corinthians 1:24

not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand.

The content of the Gospel-preaching, which is so unquestionably reliable, naturally suggests the Author of its glorious message: He that sets us firm with you into Christ and has anointed us is God. That is the ultimate ground of St. Paul's steadfastness and of that of all Christians. Teachers and hearers alike are firmly fixed in Christ by the power of God; they are grounded and rooted in Him; they have been anointed by Him, have been given spiritual endowment. See 1 John 2:27. At the same time, God also sealed us, that is, all believers, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The terms used by St. Paul are in part legal terms to designate a definite guarantee. In Christ, through the anointing of the Spirit, God has paid us the earnest money of our salvation, and now He guarantees the delivery of that redemption, the consummation of our Christian hopes. Note: A more definite promise and assurance of the certainty of salvation in the case of those that accept the redemption of Christ by faith can hardly be conceived of: God pays the earnest-money in the blood of His Son, He anoints us to know and believe His plan for the salvation of the world, He seals this knowledge in our hearts, He guarantees the full enjoyment of all our hopes. This was the climax of Paul's message, and by its proclamation he vindicated his claim to the possession of an unblemished moral character.

The situation being such, however, the apostle could now bring out his most solemn asseveration: But I invoke God as a witness against my soul. As he had appealed to the faithfulness of God above, v. 18, he here goes a step farther. If what he now says is untrue, may God appear as a witness against his soul, to its condemnation by His righteous sentence. This solemn oath was in this instance justifiable, because Paul's credit as an apostle had been called into question, and with this was essentially connected the honor of Christ, who had sent him, and the cause of God, which he represented at Corinth. It was not a matter of levity or fickleness on account of which he had not come to Corinth as planned, but he gave up the thought of coming in order to spare them. He had hoped that his first letter would restore the Corinthian Christians to the proper relation with him, and that it would not become necessary for him to come with the rod, 1 Corinthians 4:21. Far from being the outflow of a selfish disposition, therefore, his treatment of the Corinthians in not revisiting them was a manifestation of his indulgent love. And lest this statement be again misconstrued as though he presumed upon rights over them which he did not possess, he adds, in a parenthetical form: Not that we are lords over your faith; it is not a part of his apostolic office to control their faith, their religious life, their relation to the Christian truth. But we are fellow-workers of your joy; it was his greatest delight to be able to serve them in bringing into their hearts the joy of faith. For by your faith you stand; that Paul gladly concedes to them. If in this respect they were submitting themselves to the authority of another, it would be impossible for them to show such uniform steadfastness. Note that the apostle speaks in a general way whenever he refers to the Christian character of his readers, always assuming, for the sake of charity, that his statement holds true of them all.

Summary

After the address the apostle opens his letter with a thanksgiving to God, which is continued as a word of consolation to his readers; he vindicates his conduct and life and the change in his plans in a passage emphasizing the certainty of the Gospel-promises.