2 Corinthians 3:5

2 Corinthians 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
• New International Version (NIV)Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
• New Living Translation (NLT)It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

Context of 2 Corinthians 3:5

3And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,

2 Corinthians 3:5 word by word

οὐχ ὅτι ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Notοὐou · noG3756
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• we areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• sufficientἱκανόςhikanos · sufficientG2425
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• ourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• to thinkλογίζομαιlogizomai · to countG3049
• any thingτιςtis · oneG5100
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sufficiencyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• sufficiencyἱκανότηςhikanotēs · sufficiencyG2426
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 3:5

• 2 Corinthians 2:16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
• Exodus 4:10But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
• John 15:5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• Exodus 4:11Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
• Jeremiah 1:6Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."
• Matthew 10:19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
• Luke 21:15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
• Luke 24:49And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
• 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
• Philippians 2:13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
• Philippians 4:13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
• James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves - We do not arrogate to ourselves any power to enlighten the mind or change the heart, we are only instruments in the hand of God. Nor was it possible for us apostles to think, to invent, such a scheme of salvation as is the Gospel; and if we even had been equal to the invention, how could we have fulfilled such promises as this scheme of salvation abounds with? God alone could fulfill these promises, and he fulfils…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves - This is evidently designed to guard against the appearance of boasting, or of self-confidence. He had spoken of his confidence; of his triumph; of his success; of his undoubted evidence that God had sent him. He here says, that he did not mean to be understood as affirming that any of his success came from himself, or that he was able by his own strength to accomplish the great things which had been effected by…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6The old written covenant refers to the law of Moses as interpreted by Jewish rabbis. It results in death for those who see it as a path to salvation. The law is good (Romans 7:12–14), but those who try to earn merit through it fail. Earning merit through the law leads to either wrongdoing or pride. In both cases, the law brings condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. The Greek is, "Not that we are (even yet after so long experience as ministers) sufficient to think anything OF ourselves as (coming) FROM ourselves; but our sufficiency is (derived) FROM God." "From" more definitely refers to the source out of which a thing comes; "of" is more general. to think--Greek, to "reason out" or "devise"; to attain to sound preaching by our reasonings [Theodoret]. The "we" refers here to ministers (2Pe 1:21). anything--even…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 3:5

• Blessing
• Depravity of Man
• Humility

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Humility
• Plainness
• Sufficiency
• Untaken
• Baptismal Regeneration
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Covenant, the New

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings