was(were) meant to do something

11. VERB : usu passive, no cont

If you say that something was meant to happen, you believe that it was made to happen by God or fate, and did not just happen by chance.

• John was constantly reassuring me that we were meant to be together.
  

.... Cobuild

4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: 

• a building that was meant for storage; 
• a student who was meant to be a scientist.
  

... Am-Heritage

cf. The honor of the guild was meant to reinforce honesty; goldsmiths discovered to be dishonest were violently punished by other guild members.

1: (I believe that) the honor of the guild was made to reinforce honesty (by their will), so that goldsmiths discovered to be dishonest were violently punished by other guild members.

2: The honor of the guild was intended to reinforce honesty. Indeed, Goldsmiths discovered to be dishonest were violently punished by other guild members.