were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of
the strength which God supplieth." In short, let him who would be
wise, who would boast of great skill, talents and power, confine
himself to things other than spiritual; with respect to spiritual
matters, let him keep his place and refrain from boasting and
pretense. For it is of no moment that men observe your greatness and
ability; the important thing is that poor souls may rest assured of
being presented with God's Word and works, whereby they may be saved.

"Who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of
the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit
giveth life."

THE NEW COVENANT.

17. Paul here proceeds to exalt the office and power of the Gospel
over the glorying of the false apostles, and to elevate the power of
the Word above that of all other doctrine, even of the Law of God.
Truly we are not sufficient of ourselves and have nothing to boast of
so far as human activity is considered. For that is without merit or
power, however strenuous the effort may be to fulfil God's Law. We
have, however, something infinitely better to boast of, something not
grounded in our own activity: by God we have been made sufficient for
a noble ministry, termed the ministry "of a New Covenant." This
ministry is not only exalted far above any teaching to be evolved by
human wisdom, skill and power, but is more glorious than the ministry
termed the "Old Covenant," which in time past was delivered to the
Jews through Moses. While this ministry clings, in common with other
doctrine, to the Word given by revelation, it is the agency whereby
the Holy Spirit works in the heart. Therefore, Paul says it is not a
ministration of the letter, but "of the spirit."

"SPIRIT" AND "LETTER."

18. This passage relative to spirit and letter has in the past been
wholly strange language to us. Indeed, to such extent has man's
nonsensical interpretation perverted and weakened it that I, though a
learned doctor of the holy Scriptures, failed to understand it
altogether, and I could find no one to teach me. And to this day it
is unintelligible to all popedom. In fact, even the old
teachers--Origen, Jerome and others--have not caught Paul's thought.
And no wonder, truly! For it is essentially a doctrine far beyond the
power of man's intelligence to comprehend. When human reason meddles
with it, it becomes perplexed. The doctrine is wholly u