2 Corinthians 3:1-6

In these verses Paul continues the defense of his apostolic ministry. You’ll recall that at the end of the last chapter he mentioned that he, unlike some, isn’t peddling the gospel for profit, but rather he is speaking sincerely as one who is sent by God. Now, he moves a step further:

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? (3:1)

As an apostle of Christ, Paul does not need credentials and letters of introduction as people of this world do; certainly, he has no need of a letter from the church in Corinth to introduce him to anyone. The reason should be obvious: That there was a church in Corinth at all was testimony enough of his dedication to the gospel because Paul was the one who took the gospel to Corinth in the first place. Was his teaching successful? The fact that is was a success should be self-evident to anyone: Where there had never been a church before, now there was a church.

I think we can infer from this that his opponents thought that he needed some kind of introduction or credential to prove he was genuine: How silly. In fact, that is so silly, it’s the kind of thing we would expect in our time.

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. (3:3)

Paul continues…

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. (3:4-6)

This is an interesting statement; it was as controversial then as it is now. Paul’s assertion is that he is a competent minister of the New Covenant, as evidenced by the fact that he established a church in Corinth where the gospel had never before been preached. His competence to do so came directly from God, not from his education. Actually, when we think about it, his education, which was considerable indeed, had led him to persecute the church. God alone made Paul competent to spread the gospel, not by academics, but by His Spirit, for it is the Spirit that gives life, not letters (academics, human learning).

I would imagine that that if Paul were alive today and was applying to become a pastor in a modern church and said these things in an interview, that he would be shown the door rather quickly.

His ministry as an apostle was not conducted according to the ways of Man, but according to the ways of the Spirit… Yes but… but… how do we…how can be sure…?

It’s a tough one isn’t it?

At any rate, Paul wasn’t going along with the ways of the world, and even though he was under attack in certain places, by certain elements, he was not apologizing for it.