1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
1 Do we begin G756 again G3825 to commend G4921 ourselves? G1438 or G1508 need we, G5535 as G5613 some G5100 others, epistles G1992 of commendation G4956 to G4314 you, G5209 or G2228 letters of commendation G4956 from G1537 you? G5216
2 Ye G5210 are G2075 our G2257 epistle G1992 written G1449 in G1722 our G2257 hearts, G2588 known G1097 and G2532 read G314 of G5259 all G3956 men: G444
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared G5319 to G3754 be G2075 the epistle G1992 of Christ G5547 ministered G1247 by G5259 us, G2257 written G1449 not G3756 with ink, G3188 but G235 with the Spirit G4151 of the living G2198 God; G2316 not G3756 in G1722 tables G4109 of stone, G3035 but G235 in G1722 fleshy G4560 tables G4109 of the heart. G2588
4 And G1161 such G5108 trust G4006 have we G2192 through G1223 Christ G5547 to G4314 God-ward: G2316
5 Not G3756 that G3754 we are G2070 sufficient G2425 of G575 ourselves G1438 to think G3049 any thing G5100 as G5613 of G1537 ourselves; G1438 but G235 our G2257 sufficiency G2426 is of G1537 God; G2316
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;
3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables `that are' hearts of flesh.
4 And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
1 Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?
2 our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
3 manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,
4 and such trust we have through the Christ toward God,
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency `is' of God,
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you?
2 *Ye* are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
3 being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart.
4 And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
5 not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of God;
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
1 Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?
2 You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;
3 For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.
4 And this is the certain faith which we have in God through Christ:
5 Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 3
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle makes an apology for his seeming to commend himself, and is careful not to assume too much to himself, but to ascribe all praise unto God (v. 1-5). He then draws a comparison between the Old Testament and the New, and shows the excellency of the later above the former (v. 6-11), whence he infers what is the duty of gospel ministers, and the advantage of those who live under the gospel above those who lived under the law (v. 12-18).
2Cr 3:1-5
In these verses,
2Cr 3:6-11
Here the apostle makes a comparison between the Old Testament and the New, the law of Moses and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and values himself and his fellow-labourers by this, that they were able ministers of the New Testament, that God had made them so, v. 6. This he does in answer to the accusations of false teachers, who magnify greatly the law of Moses.
2Cr 3:12-18
In these verses the apostle draws two inferences from what he had said about the Old and New Testament:-