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

4Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God— 5not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life. 7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory—although it was passing away— 8how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious?

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 5:18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
• Matthew 13:52Then He said to them, “Therefore every Torah scholar discipled for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure both new things and old.”
• Romans 1:5Through Him we have received grace and the office of emissary, to bring about obedience of faith among all the nations on behalf of His name.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to trust—and to each as the Lord gave.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28God has put into His community first emissaries, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then healings, helps, leadership, various kinds of tongues.
• Ephesians 3:7I became a servant of this Good News by the gift of God’s favor given to me through the exercise of His power.
• Ephesians 4:11He Himself gave some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers—
• Colossians 1:25I became its servant according to God’s commission, given to me for you, in order to declare His message in full—
• 1 Timothy 1:11in keeping with what was entrusted to me, the glorious Good News of the blessed God.
• 1 Timothy 4:6In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Messiah Yeshua, nourished in the words of the faith and the sound teaching that you have been following.
• 2 Timothy 1:11For this Good News I was appointed a herald and an emissary and a teacher.
• 2 Corinthians 3:14But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away.
• Jeremiah 31:31not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them.” it is a declaration of Adonai.
• Matthew 26:28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the removal of sins.
• Mark 14:24And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
• Luke 22:20In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.

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