¶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Who {G3739} also {G2532} hath made {G2427} us {G2248} able {G2427} ministers {G1249} of the new {G2537} testament {G1242}; not {G3756} of the letter {G1121}, but {G235} of the spirit {G4151}: for {G1063} the letter {G1121} killeth {G615}, but {G1161} the spirit {G4151} giveth life {G2227}.
He has even made us competent to be workers serving a New Covenant, the essence of which is not a written text but the Spirit. For the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
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.
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John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. -
Romans 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter. -
Jeremiah 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: -
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. -
Hebrews 8:6
¶ But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. -
Hebrews 8:10
For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: -
Hebrews 12:24
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.
2 Corinthians 3:6 is a pivotal verse where the Apostle Paul articulates a fundamental difference between the Old Covenant, rooted in the written Law, and the New Covenant, empowered by the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes that God Himself qualifies His servants for this new ministry.
Context
This verse is part of Paul's defense of his apostolic ministry and the nature of the New Covenant. In the preceding verses (2 Corinthians 3:1-3), Paul asserts that the Corinthian believers themselves are his letter of recommendation, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God on tablets of human hearts. He then declares that his competence for this ministry comes from God (2 Corinthians 3:5). This sets the stage for the profound contrast in verse 6, where he distinguishes between the "letter" (the Old Covenant Law) and the "spirit" (the New Covenant empowered by the Holy Spirit), elaborating on their respective effects and glories in the subsequent verses (2 Corinthians 3:7-11), especially highlighting the surpassing glory of the ministry of the Spirit.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Greek word for "testament" (διαθήκη, diathēkē) is more accurately translated as "covenant," signifying a solemn agreement or disposition made by God. Paul's use of "the letter" (γράμμα, gramma) specifically refers to the written code of the Mosaic Law. The contrast with "the spirit" (πνεῦμα, pneuma), referring to the Holy Spirit, is crucial. The phrase "the letter killeth" (τὸ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, to gramma apoktennei) powerfully conveys the Law's inability to impart life and its function in exposing sin, which leads to spiritual death. Conversely, "the spirit giveth life" (τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ, to de pneuma zōopoiei) highlights the Holy Spirit's role as the life-giver, bringing spiritual vitality and righteousness.
Practical Application
For believers today, 2 Corinthians 3:6 offers profound insights for Christian living and ministry: