2 Corinthians 3:6, commentary and pictures

God Himself makes people capable servants of the new covenant, and their sufficiency is from Him through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit and not from any power of their own. The written code alone, associated with stone tablets, is a ministry of condemnation and death that cannot by itself give life or transform anyone, even when its commands and promises are set before the mind. The Spirit gives life by writing God's work on the human heart, bringing truth home to the conscience, changing the life into Christ's likeness, and making ministry a ministry of righteousness with greater glory and effect. This does not authorize leaving the Scriptures behind as a dead letter in order to follow personal thoughts, impressions and impulses, nor does it place human ideas above the Word of God. Paul set forth this able ministry of the gospel at Corinth against teachers who exalted the law and ceremonies that typified Christ above the gospel and condemned him for not urging ceremonies that are of no value since Christ's death.

Letter, Spirit, and Setting

The verse was written to the church at Corinth to settle minds about the gospel of Christ. Paul faced his greatest difficulty there from Judaizing teachers who caused trouble and dissension by continually presenting the virtues of the law and the ceremonies and exalting them above the gospel. They brought Paul under condemnation because he did not urge upon the people the ceremonies that typified Christ, which are of no value since Christ's death. His able ministry of the new testament stands for the gospel of Christ against that exaltation of law and ceremonies.

It contrasts the written covenant associated with stone tablets, a ministry of death and condemnation, with the life-giving work of the Spirit. The Spirit writes God's work on human hearts and brings the ministry of righteousness rather than condemnation. That work changes people into Christ's likeness, makes ministry effective, and brings a glory greater than the glory of the stone-tablet ministry.

The letter alone brings death, while the Spirit gives life. The written word, even when its commands and promises are presented, cannot by itself give life or transform people. When the heart is not fully on God's side, truth becomes a dead letter mingled with falsehood that brings no heavenly life or revelation of the Saviour's love. The Holy Spirit makes truth effective by bringing it home to the heart, teaching truth, awakening the conscience, and changing the life. Without that work preaching the word has no effect and hearers are not broken.

The words the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life do not mean the Scriptures are a dead letter to be left behind while crying the Spirit. They do not authorize rejecting Scripture, burning the Bible, replacing the written word with personal thoughts, impressions and impulses, treating every thought as God's voice, or claiming special illumination that cannot endure correction. Calling Scripture dead while claiming the Spirit apart from it is fanaticism, and the spirit that leads that way must not be followed.

Twisting the verse to set aside Scripture in favor of the Spirit places human ideas and opinions above the Word of God. That appeal to desire for the marvelous gratifies pride and leads to fanaticism and extremes. It leads to rejection of order in worship and civil authority, breaking away from all control, and giving rein to prejudice and passion in sedition and strife. True spiritual life is not a license for such fanaticism.

The life-giving Spirit works in the humble, the feeble and the sick who know and feel their sins and sigh and cry continually to God from the heart for consolation and support, and fellowship belongs with them. In a person touched by the Holy Spirit God's word is not a dead letter but works humility, love for Christ and a changed life. The converted person serves from the heart, cherishes truth, seeks to win others to Christ, and shows the word in faithful conduct and not merely as lip service.

God Makes Ministers Able

Sufficiency for the new covenant does not come from human ability, for God Himself makes people able ministers of the new covenant. Of themselves ministers have no power and are not sufficient to think anything of themselves, but their sufficiency is of God. That sufficiency comes through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit filling the heart with gracious influence and bringing every thought into submission to Christ. Serving by the letter alone brings death, while the Spirit gives life by writing God's work on human hearts and bringing the ministry of righteousness rather than condemnation.

To be made an able minister of the new testament is a dignity and the greatest honor, to be so accepted by God. The ministry so given is the gospel of Christ and a ministry of righteousness through the Spirit, not of the letter but of the spirit. It is not the law and ceremonies exalted above the gospel, which typified Christ and are of no value since His death.

An able, holy minister depends wholly on God rather than boasting in personal power or success. Those whom God blesses with power and success do not boast or lift up self but acknowledge entire dependence on Him, with the love that dwelt in Christ burning on the altar of the heart. Ministers lose efficiency when they fail to make God their trust and depend on His strength.

Able ministers are strengthened in their work by seals of their ministry, men and women who profess the truth and adorn it by copying the Lord. Their reformed lives recommend the truth and the faithful ministers who preached it. Dependence on God's power for service means no person is to control another or come between God and His people, and every mind needs wisdom from God, a dependence that applies also to the exercise of conscience.

Growing Into Able Ministry

A covenant-keeping God gives ability in answer to prayer by pouring out His Spirit upon learners in the school of Christ, making them able ministers of the new testament and ministers of righteousness. That ability comes from laying hold on God's mighty resources and letting His power work mightily within. The one so made able does not rest satisfied with feeble, unsuccessful efforts but warns and teaches every person in all wisdom to present every person perfect in Christ Jesus, refusing to be satisfied with anything less.

Those who desire to enter the field are to rely wholly on God while seeking to become able servants through earnest training and the best use of their powers. They are first to receive a suitable degree of mental training and special preparation for their calling by the scriptural method of ministerial training, entering heartily into the work. While they study in the schools they are to learn the meekness and humility of Christ. So they are prepared to meet the powerful influences of talent and education that combat the truths of God's word and to meet strange forms of error, religious and philosophical combined, with knowledge of scientific as well as scriptural truth.

Being an able minister of the new covenant, ministering through the Spirit rather than merely the letter, involves more than preaching. It requires personal effort, bringing hearts close and patiently teaching people with personal, practical instruction in daily Christian life and duty. It aims to warn and teach every person in all wisdom to present every person perfect in Christ. Its life displays patience, meekness, forbearance, long-suffering, cheerfulness and joy in the truth, without a love of controversy.

Fitness as an able minister of Christ and perfect workman is developed through experience. That experience includes following up one's own work and binding it off securely instead of leaving it loose, coming close to people by personal effort, growing in the truth, and obtaining a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Labor among constantly changing hearers with no personal follow-up hinders obtaining that experience.