II Corinthians 1:23-24 “Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.”

As I was reading my Bible this morning, these verses really stood out to me. Especially verse twenty-four, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

We are not to have dominion over anyone’s faith. Paul tells us in this verse we are to be “helpers” of others joy. We are to be “helpers” we are not to be “Dominators”, but we are to be “helpers.” This is a truth we need to remember, to keep in mind, and we need to heed. We are to be “helpers” of others joy which they derive from faith, faith in Christ.

Matthew Henry put it this way:

Paul did not pretend to have any dominion over their faith. Christ only is the Lord of our faith; He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He reveals to us what we must believe. Paul and Apollos and the rest of the apostles were but ministers by whom they believed (I Corinthians 3:5), and so the helpers of their joy, even the joy of faith.”

Are we “Helpers” of others faith and joy in the Lord, or are we “Dominators” of others faith in the Lord? Something to think about. We should keep in mind what the Holy Spirit led Paul to pen in this passage, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” We need to be helpers, we need to be ministers, not dominators of others faith.