Stand firm in your faith 1/2

2 Corinthians 1:24 KJV
Not for that we have dominion over your faith,
but are helpers of your joy:
for by faith ye stand.

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Other translations

New International Version
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

New Living Translation
But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

English Standard Version
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

Berean Study Bible
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

Berean Literal Bible
Not that we lord it over your faith, but are fellow workers with you of joy; for in the faith you stand firm.

New King James Version
Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.

New American Standard Bible
Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

Amplified Bible
Not that we rule [like dictators] over your faith, but [rather] we work with you for [the increase of] your joy; for in your faith you stand firm [in your strong conviction that Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah—is the Son of God, through whom we obtain eternal salvation].

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Not for that we have dominion over your faith.

Paul has scarcely written, or uttered, the words which imply authority, when the thought comes to him that he may seem to claim too much. He shrinks from taking dominion over God’s heritage (1Peter 5:3), and half apologises for so strong a word as “sparing.”

He puts forward, therefore, the other side of his work.
He was really seeking, not to domineer, or cause pain, but to be a fellow-worker with their “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13).

He knows that they have a standing-ground, independently of him, in their faith in Christ, and he seeks to confirm that faith.

Not ☆ οὐχ (ouch) ☆ Adverb ☆ No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.
That ☆ ὅτι (hoti) ☆ Conjunction ☆ Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.
We lord it over ☆ κυριεύομεν (kyrieuomen) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 1st Person Plural ☆ To have authority, rule over. From kurios; to rule.
Your ☆ ὑμῶν (hymōn) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive 2nd Person Plural ☆ You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
Faith ☆ πίστεως (pisteōs) ☆ Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular ☆ Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

But ☆
ἀλλὰ (alla) ☆
Conjunction ☆ But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

We are ☆ ἐσμεν (esmen) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 1st Person Plural ☆
I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Are helpers of your joy

This is our main object, to promote your joy.
This object we have pursued in our plans, and in order to secure this, we forbore to come to you, when, if we did come at that time, we should have given occasion perhaps to the charge that we sought to lord it over your faith.

Fellow workers ☆ συνεργοί (synergoi) ☆ Adjective – Nominative Masculine Plural ☆ A fellow worker, associate, helper. From a presumed compound of sun and the base of ergon; a co-laborer, i.e. Coadjutor.
With you ☆ ὑμῶν (hymōn) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive 2nd Person Plural ☆ You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
For ☆ τῆς (tēs) ☆ Article – Genitive Feminine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
[your] joy ☆ χαρᾶς (charas) ☆ Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular ☆ Joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.

For by faith ye stand

This seems to be a kind of proverbial expression, stating a general truth, that it was by faith that Christians were to be established or confirmed.

The connection here requires us to understand this as a reason why he would not attempt to lord it over their faith; or to exercise dominion over them.

That reason was, that thus far

• they had stood firm, in the main, in the faith 1 Corinthians 15:1;
• they had adhered to the truths of the gospel,

and in a special manner now, in yielding obedience to the commands and entreaties of Paul in the First Epistle, they had showed that they were in the faith, and firm in faith.

It was not necessary or proper, therefore, for him to attempt to exercise lordship over their belief, but all that was needful was to help forward their joy, for they were firm in the faith.

We may observe:

1. That it is a part of the duty of ministers to help forward the joy of Christians.
2. This should be the object even in administering discipline and reproof.
3. If even Paul would not attempt to lord it over the faith of Christians, to establish a domination over their belief, how absurd and wicked is it for uninspired ministers now, for individual ministers, for conferences, conventions, presbyteries, synods, councils, or for the pope, to attempt to establish a spiritual dominion in controlling the faith of people.

The great evils in the church have arisen

• from their attempting to do what Paul would not do;
• from attempting to establish a dominion which Paul never sought, and which Paul would have abhorred.

Faith must be free, and religion must be free, or they cannot exist at all.

Remarks

In view of this chapter we may remark:

God is the only true and real Source of comfort in times of trial, 2 Corinthians 1:3. It is from Him that all real consolation must come, and he only can meet and sustain the soul when it is borne down with calamity. All persons are subjected to trial, and at some periods of their lives, to severe trial.

Sickness is a trial; the death of a friend is a trial; the loss of property or health, disappointment, and reproach, and slander, and poverty, and want, are trials to which we are all more or less exposed.
In these trials, it is natural to look to some source of consolation; some way in which they may be borne.

Some seek consolation in philosophy, and endeavor to blunt their feelings and destroy their sensibilities, as the ancient stoics did.
But “to destroy sensibility is not to produce comfort” – Dr. Mason.

Some plunge deep into pleasures, and endeavor to drown their sorrows in the intoxicating draught; but this is not to produce comfort to the soul, even were it possible in such pleasures to forget their sorrows. Such were the ancient Epicureans.

Some seek consolation in their surviving friends, and look to them to comfort and sustain the sinking heart. But the arm of an earthly friend is feeble, when God lays His hand upon us. It is only the hand that smites that can heal; only the God that sends the affliction, that can bind up the broken spirit.

He is the “Father of mercies,” and He is “the God of all consolation;” and in affliction there is no true comfort except in Him.

This consolation in God is derived from many sources:

1. He is the “Father of mercies,” and we may be assured, therefore, that He does nothing inconsistent with mercy.
2. We may be assured that He is right – always right, and that He does nothing but right. We may not be able to see the reason of His actions, but we may have the assurance that it is all right, and will yet be seen to be right.
3. There is comfort in the fact, that our afflictions are ordered by an intelligent Being, by One who is all-wise, and all-knowing. They are not the result of blind chance; but they are ordered by One who is wise to know what ought to be done; and who is so fair that He will do nothing wrong.

• There could be no consolation in the feeling that mere chance directed our trials;
• Nor can there be consolation, except in the feeling that a being of intelligence and goodness directs and orders all.

The true comfort, therefore, is to be found in religion, not in atheism and philosophy.

Because [it is] ☆ γὰρ (gar) ☆ Conjunction ☆ For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.
By ☆ τῇ (tē) ☆ Article – Dative Feminine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Faith [that] ☆ πίστει (pistei) ☆ Noun – Dative Feminine Singular ☆ Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.
You stand firm ☆ ἑστήκατε (hestēkate) ☆ Verb – Perfect Indicative Active – 2nd Person Plural ☆ A prolonged form of a primary stao stah’-o; to stand, used in various applications

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