For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life

2 Corinthians 3:1-11

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You 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.

Such 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. 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.

If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Past, present, and future interweave in these chapters. As for the past, the old covenant has been replaced by a new life-giving one.

Why?

All Christians are the letter from Christ. written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. We should be a witness to God's glory.

Jesus Christ through his raising from death and the Spirit gives us new life. So the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. The letter is the ten commandments. It defines the sins of people. But the Spirit brings life to those who trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord.

All of us have the glory from Jesus Christ, because of the Spirit is with us.

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因為那字句是叫人死，精意（或作：聖靈）是叫人活。文件叫人死，聖靈才能叫人活，有能力，能夠堅持下去。我們服事的來源是聖靈，不是神學院畢業證明，某牧者的推薦信，或是某些研究結果，講道內容等。這些都不能叫人得勝。

服事的依據，生命的來源。顯揚基督的香氣，保羅的服事誰能擔的起呢? 誰推薦保羅來的? 推薦我的信是基督寫的，神用聖靈寫真的，就是哥林多教會，就是你們的見證。生命的改變就是最大的信心。服事因為是出於神！是神呼召他的！這推薦信不是寫在紙上，而在保羅服事的教會信徒的心裏面。服事的正當性。對哥林多教會的責備不是出於怒氣，而是出於愛心。

保羅沒有否認文字的推薦價值，也沒有否認舊約先知，摩西盼佈律法都可發出榮光，榮光也會漸漸失去，何況來自聖靈的事奉力量更有榮光。我們比摩西、以利亞更有榮耀！

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How?

The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Do I live out the glory of the Lord? May the Spirit help us and remind me, and give me a clean heart to follow Jesus.