2 Corinthians 3:8

2 Corinthians 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
• New International Version (NIV)will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
• English Standard Version (ESV)will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
• New King James Version (NKJV)how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

Context of 2 Corinthians 3:8

6He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life. 7The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? 9If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory. 10In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry.

2 Corinthians 3:8 word by word

πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἡ διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος ἔσται ἐν δόξῃ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• shallεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
• the ministrationὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the ministrationδιακονίαdiakonia · serviceG1248
• of the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · moreG3123
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• gloriousδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 3:8

• 2 Corinthians 3:6He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life.
• 2 Corinthians 11:4When someone comes to you telling about another Jesus whom we didn’t tell you about, you’re willing to put up with it. When you receive a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received earlier, you’re also willing to put up with that. When someone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you already accepted, you’re willing to put up with that too.
• Isaiah 11:2The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
• Isaiah 44:3I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.
• Isaiah 59:21“This is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I put in your mouth will not leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren permanently,” says the Lord.
• Joel 2:28“After this, I will pour my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
• John 1:17Laws were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.
• John 7:39Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified.
• Acts 2:17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will speak what God has revealed. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
• Acts 2:32“God brought this man Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses to that.
• Romans 8:9But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature. Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him.
• 1 Corinthians 3:16Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
• 1 Corinthians 12:4There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
• Galatians 3:2I want to learn only one thing from you. Did you receive the Spirit by your own efforts to follow the laws in the Scriptures or by believing what you heard?
• Galatians 5:5However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval.
• Ephesians 2:18So Jewish and non-Jewish people can go to the Father in one Spirit.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The ministration of the Spirit - The Gospel dispensation, which gives the true spiritual sense of the law. Be rather glorious? - Forasmuch as the thing signified is of infinitely more consequence than that by which it is signified. The Thing bread will preserve a man alive; the Word bread can give life to nothing.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8How shall not the ministration of the Spirit - This is an argument from the less to the greater. Several things in it are worthy of notice: (1) The proper contrast to the “ministration of death” 2 Corinthians 3:7, would have been ministration of life.‘ But Paul chose rather to call it the ministration of the spirit;‘ as the source of life; or as conferring higher dignity on the gospel than to have called it simply the ministration of life. (2) by the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-11The old covenant had moments of glory, like when the face of Moses shone from talking with the Lord (Exodus 34:29–35). The old way has been replaced by the new, eternal way (Hebrews 8:8–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. be rather glorious--literally, "be rather (that is, still more, invested) in glory." "Shall be," that is, shall be found to be in part now, but fully when the glory of Christ and His saints shall be revealed.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 3:8

• Gospel
• Holy Spirit
• Law
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Plainness
• Sufficiency
• Untaken
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Covenant, the New
• Exodus, the Book of
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Law in the New Testament
• Paul, the Apostle

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