In his second epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul speaks of the Corinthians as "our epistle . . . manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us." We pause to ponder these words; for in them much more is implied than seems evident on the surface.
Paul's heart had been troubled over this church. Dissensions had arisen among its members, and some had fallen prey to serious error; but Paul knew much of their struggles and temptations, and he also recognized their real worth, manifested in love, repentance, loyalty, as shown in these words: "I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things." He speaks of "our epistle" as "written in our hearts, known and read of all men;" and this he considers sufficient commendation. How better could they commend Paul than by keeping themselves "unspotted from the world" and by living his teachings before their fellow-men? And how better could he commend them than by that peculiarly comprehensive appellation, "the epistle of Christ"? Note his manner of using it. Immediately following his recognition of them as "our epistle," he says, "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
It is recorded in Exodus that Moses went up into mount Sinai, where he received from God the two tables of stone, on which were written the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments have come down to us through the many centuries since Moses' time, and on them is based much of the law of the civilized world. But what of the tables of stone? This law of God is of no avail so long as it remains graven only upon tables of stone: it must be written "with the Spirit of the living God" in the "tables of the heart."
