2 Corinthians 3:6

2 Corinthians 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
• English Standard Version (ESV)who 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Context of 2 Corinthians 3:6

4Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective), 8how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?

2 Corinthians 3:6 word by word

ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος· τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• hath madeἱκανόωhikanoō · to qualifyG2427
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• able ministersδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• of the newκαινόςkainos · newG2537
• testamentδιαθήκηdiathēkē · covenantG1242
• notοὐou · noG3756
• of the letterγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• of the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• killethἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• butδέde · thenG1161
• giveth lifeζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 3:6

• 2 Corinthians 5:18And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
• Matthew 13:52Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
• Romans 1:5Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues.
• Ephesians 3:7I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power.
• Ephesians 4:11It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
• Colossians 1:25I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God – given to me for you – in order to complete the word of God,
• 1 Timothy 1:11This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.
• 1 Timothy 4:6By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
• 2 Timothy 1:11For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.
• 2 Corinthians 3:14But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.
• Jeremiah 31:31“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.
• Matthew 26:28for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
• Mark 14:24He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many.
• Luke 22:20And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Who hath made us able ministers - This is a more formal answer to the question, Who is sufficient for these things? ̔ ; 1 Corinthians 2:16. God, says the apostle, has made us able ministers; ̔ ̔ , he has made us sufficient for these things; for the reader will observe that he uses the same word in both places. We apostles execute, under the Divine influence, what God himself has devised. We are ministers of the new covenant; of this new dispensation of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Who also hath made us able ministers … - This translation does not quite meet the force of the original. It would seem to imply that Paul regarded himself and his fellowlaborers as people of talents, and of signal ability; and that he was inclined to boast of it. But this is not the meaning. It refers properly to his sense of the responsibility and difficulty of the work of the ministry; and to the fact that he did not esteem himself to be sufficient for…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. 66. able--rather, as the Greek is the same, corresponding to 2Co 3:5, translate, "sufficient as ministers" (Ep 3:7; Col 1:23). the new testament--"the new covenant" as contrasted with the Old Testament or covenant (1Co 11:25; Ga 4:24). He reverts here again to the contrast between the law on "tables of stone," and that "written by the Spirit on fleshly tables of the heart" (2Co 3:3). not of the letter--joined with "ministers"; ministers not of the mere…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 3:6

• Gospel
• Holy Spirit
• Minister, Christian
• Quickening
• Word of God
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• New Testament
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Letter
• Plainness
• Sufficiency
• Untaken
• Able
• Bible, the
• Church
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the

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