2 Corinthians 3:2

2 Corinthians 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
• English Standard Version (ESV)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
• New Living Translation (NLT)The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.

Context of 2 Corinthians 3:2

1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4Such confidence we have through Christ before God.

2 Corinthians 3:2 word by word

ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐγγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Yeσύsu · youG4771
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• epistleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• epistleἐπιστολήepistolē · epistleG1992
• writtenἐγγράφωeggraphō · to write inG1449
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• knownγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• readἀναγινώσκωanaginōskō · to readG314
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 3:2

• 1 Corinthians 3:10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
• 1 Corinthians 9:1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
• 2 Corinthians 7:3I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.
• 2 Corinthians 11:11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
• 2 Corinthians 12:15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?
• Philippians 1:7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
• Romans 1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
• 1 Corinthians 9:2Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Ye are our epistle - I bear the most ardent love to you. I have no need to be put in remembrance of you by any epistles or other means; ye are written in my heart - I have the most affectionate remembrance of you. Known and read of all men - For wherever I go I mention you; speak of your various gifts and graces; and praise your knowledge in the Gospel.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Ye are our epistle - compare 1 Corinthians 9:2. This is a most beautiful and happy turn given to the whole subject. The sense is plain. It is, that the conversion of the Corinthians, under the faithful labors of the apostle, was a better testimonial of his character and fidelity than any letters could be. To see the force of this, it must be remembered: (1)That Corinth was an exceedingly dissolute and abandoned place (see the introduction to the First…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Paul’s ministry was proven by the lives changed by the good news about Jesus, not by a letter of recommendation (compare Acts 18:27). Christ, who caused this change, used Paul to guide believers to him. The true signs are not in letters written with pen and ink on parchment, but in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) in human lives and engraved on human hearts.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. our epistle--of recommendation. in our hearts--not letters borne merely in the hands. Your conversion through my instrumentality, and your faith which is "known of all men" by widespread report (1Co 1:4-7), and which is written by memory and affection on my inmost heart and is borne about wherever I go, is my letter of recommendation (1Co 9:2). known and read--words akin in root, sound, and sense (so 2Co 1:13). "Ye are known to be my converts by…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 3:2

• Love
• 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
• 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