KJV King James Version
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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
2 Corinthians 3:6
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
WEB World English Bible
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
ASV American Standard Version
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
who also made us sufficient to be ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.
Surrounding context — 2 Corinthians 3
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;
6 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.
7 But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
ὃςG3739 · hos, hēwhichκαὶG2532 · kaiandἱκάνωσενG2427 · hikanoōto qualifyἡμᾶςG3165 · memeδιακόνουςG1249 · diakonosservantκαινῆςG2537 · kainosnewδιαθήκης,G1242 · diathēkēcovenantοὐG3756 · ounoγράμματοςG1121 · grammasomething writtenἀλλὰG235 · allabutπνεύματος·G4151 · pneumaspirit/breath: spiritτὸG3588 · hothe/this/whoγὰρG1063 · garforγράμμαG1121 · grammasomething writtenἀποκτέννει,G615 · apokteinōto killτὸG3588 · hothe/this/whoδὲG1161 · dethenπνεῦμαG4151 · pneumaspirit/breath: spiritζῳοποιεῖ.G2227 · zōopoieōto make alive
Cross-references
John 6:63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.Romans 7:6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.Jeremiah 31:31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:Romans 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.Hebrews 8:6-10But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.Hebrews 12:24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.1 Corinthians 15:45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit.2 Corinthians 3:14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.Hebrews 7:22By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.Romans 3:20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.Hebrews 13:20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,Luke 22:20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.Galatians 3:10-12For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.1 Peter 3:18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:Romans 2:27-29And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?Matthew 13:52Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.1 Corinthians 11:25After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.Deuteronomy 27:26Cursed [be] he that confirmeth not [all] the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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