In the Chosen Vessel sublime, second epistle to the Corinthians, it is made very clear to those who are able to understand spiritual matters. The subjects of the epistle are:
1) The integration of the ministry within the church.
2) The ministers' position within the body of Christ.
3) The function of the ministry within the church.
The Apostle began to prove his office thus. The emphatic rhetorical questions are these: "Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? (2 Cor.3:1).
The hirelings that went AC had letters of commendation from the faculty, saying that they were ordained ministers of Christ. But did they have a letter of commendation from the Holy Spirit?
Note what the great Apostle goes on to say, "You are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men:" What does that mean? How were they his epistle? I will first answer the question, how were they his epistle? After a series of persecutions, Paul; arrived in Corinth, where he preached the gospel, and both Jews and Greeks were called and were baptised(Acts 18:8).
Then in a vision God told Paul to remain at Corinth, for he had many people in the city(Acts18:9-10).
So the phrase, "you are our epistle," means, your conversion is "the epistle" that proves we are ministers of Jesus Christ, and that was written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit(2 Cor.3:3).
The same could have been said by Mr Armstrong. for the people who were called by God, converted and baptised by Holy Spirit, as a results of his preaching are his epistle of commendation, that he was a true minister of Jesus Christ.
The idiots, in GCI, that now call Mr Armstrong a charlatan and a false prophet, were never converted.
The great Apostle goes on say, their ability to think came from God, "who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament: not of the letter, but of the spirit"(2 Cor.3:6). That statement announces the abolishion of the Levitical priesthood, and the establishment of the Melchisedec priesthood, where Jesus is the High Priest(Heb. 7:12-17)..
