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;
• English Standard Version (ESV)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is 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

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. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He 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. 7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,

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 the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
• Exodus 4:10Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
• John 15:5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
• Exodus 4:11The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
• Jeremiah 1:6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
• Matthew 10:19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
• Luke 21:15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
• Luke 24:49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
• Philippians 2:13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
• Philippians 4:13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
• James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

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