Overview
“…who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6
This passage is confusing to many, including myself, until I applied the law of context and noncontradiction. (See article on Context Matters.). To start, let’s list the keywords:
ministers,
new covenant,
letter,
kills,
and life.
Our main questions should center around the deadly “letter.” Whatever it is. It kills or takes life. The questions are simple also:
- What does the letter refer to?
- What does it kill?
- Why is the Spirit the direct opposite of the letter, i.e., life?
- Is the letter killing me, or do I have life in the Spirit?
If we can understand Paul’s statement in the context of the story of redemption, we will know what to avoid. Even better, it will lead us to the Spirit which gives life. Sometimes, it is less about avoidance of something and more about acceptance of a truth that may make us uncomfortable at first.
Immediate Context-
The immediate context (the preceding verses) sets up this metaphoric statement by Paul to the Corinthian church. The reason for his council is described in the previous two verses (v. 4, 5).
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
2 Corinthians 3: 4-5
The key thought here is trust through Christ and sufficiency from God, not ourselves. This is the pre-thought before he discloses that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Trust in Christ eliminates self-sufficiency.
Self-Sufficiency
It seems that this church had a “self-sufficiency” problem. The answer to this dilemma is simple enough: “Our sufficiency is from God.” Understanding the sufficiency of God through Christ is a critical and unique teaching of Christianity. It is the difference between life and death. The difference between true and false. This truth is important as we move through this reasoning regarding the letter of the law and the death it causes.
Another passage by Paul to the church in Rome addresses the same issue as the Corinthians. It appears that the believers at Rome have understood and responded.
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Romans 7:6
The keywords here are strikingly similar to the ones addressed to Corinth. The following words in parentheses are the Corinthian words,
Serve (minister),
Newness of the Spirit (new covenant),
Oldness of the letter (letter that kills).
Paul talks as if the Romans had learned the truth. He mentions “being delivered” from the law by dying to what held them. What held them? Self Sufficiency. It kills faith in Christ.
Slain by the Law or By Sin?
So, we can conclude that Paul’s theology has not changed between churches. It is, therefore, a universal pitfall that we can relate to: The letter of the law kills, and we need to be delivered from it to serve in the newness of the Spirit (i.e., the New Covenant).
I had been told that this letter of the law (that we need to die to) is the ceremonial and priestly law that ended at the cross, but if we stay in context, we see a different law:
Immediately after Romans 7:6, Paul asks a clarifying rhetorical question in verse 7. It lets us know that the Ten Commandments are the object of his discourse.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
Since “You shall not covet” is one of the ten commandments, it is safe to surmise that the context is about the moral law of God.
For the next few verses, 7-11, Paul expands on how he was alive without the law. This would indicate he did not know or understand the law and felt no conviction about his sin, but when he came to this written knowledge of sin, he realized that he was a dead man because of sin that was disclosed by the law. He came to a realization and conviction that it was a sin to covet, and therefore, he saw only death before him because of the sin, not the law. To make his point, he ends with this statement that sounds like the opposite of his disparagement of the letter of the law.
Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:12
So that which was holy, just, and good made him aware of the penalty of sin. The sin, not the law, slew him. The law was good for him. It opened his eyes to sin and its penalty.
Has then what is good (the law) become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
Romans 7: 13
He became aware that he was an exceedingly sinful person by a knowledge of the written law, i.e., the Ten Commandments.
The law lets us know what sin is in God’s eyes. God gave the law to Moses written by His own finger on stone!
Whosoever commits sin transgress also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4
Purpose of the Law
All would agree obedience to the law, without Christ, does not make us righteous. In fact, it makes us unrighteous because of our attempt at self-sufficiency. The law’s main purpose is to establish what sin is and point out our need for a Savior:
Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20
To make this precept even more robust, Paul says in the previous chapter,
For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Romans 2: 13
So, doing the law is important; it is part of justification!
Now I ask this question: What is it that we have died to and were held by? Obedience to the law? How are we delivered from the Law?
The answer seems obvious. It was not the law but the attempt to obey without Christ, to become self-sufficient.
Let me make an important Biblical assertion: Living through the Spirit doesn’t give license to break, nor provide, the impulse to break the letter of the law. The other extreme is equally true: Obeying the law without Christ does not bring about righteousness. So, what is Paul telling us about the letter of the law? It appears to be a life and death statement (Letter kills, Spirit gives life).
We have to die to the idea that we can obey the law to the letter and the Spirit without Christ.
Righteousness by Works
When we use obedience through our self-sufficiency as a way to add to what God has already done for our salvation, we are on the wrong path that leads straight to legalism. This is hard to accept for those who think of self-produced good deeds and works as an addition to what God has already done through His mercy, love, and forgiveness. Things like repetitive prayers and prayer beads will tend to replace simple trust in Christ. Making up personal rules about how to be holy also replaces simple trust and sufficiency in Christ.
It is only by the grace and love of God that we are in a position to be saved. To make this even easier, it is a gift from God Himself. This is the basis for our redemption, the Grace and Love of God. Without it, we would all be lost. It is given to us without any work on our part. Redemption from sin and salvation from eternal death is something we did not initiate. Our Holy God did not make a list of good deeds and works that had to be completed before acceptance. Instead, He asks for something harder: Belief and trust.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2: 8-10
A man in his shop builds a beautiful piece of furniture. It is his workmanship…the product of his doing. He shapes the wood, sands it down, and applies the paint. Can the piece of furniture do anything to add to this workmanship? We are His workmanship in the area of good works. We are to walk (live in them) …not create them (good works). With Christ, this situation is more spiritually natural and less tiring than working on producing good works on our own.
The Work of Faith
The platform for being saved by the grace of God has another vital component- faith or trusting in God’s plan, i.e., His incarnation, His life, His death, and His resurrection, His gift of the Spirit, His mediation, and His return again. It is all about Him! Without any one of these, we would be lost. All of these components have their basis and start with the grace and love of God.
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty…And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1 Cor. 15: 14, 17
Some might say, “See, faith is something I have to “work” on.” Is it something you “work on,” or is it something you exercise from the start?
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4
Being born of God overcomes the world. With this new birth comes faith in Christ. It is a package deal. He gives a measure of faith to all who come into the world. It lies dormant until a choice is made to use it and let God change them. It is certain that faith can grow. But, remember, a very small amount of faith (mustard seed) can move mountains. The amount of faith is less important for salvation as it is to use what little you may have.
Works are Fruit, Not as a Method for Salvation
James, the brother of Jesus, understood clearly that works that include obedience are the fruit of salvation, not the method or addition to salvation. A person who has truly been born again and in love with their Savior will respond with obedience and good works. They will live by the workmanship of Christ…good works.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2: 18-20
It is James’ way of saying, “lip service proves nothing.” The proof of your faith is in the pudding itself, i.e., “works.” I can say all day long that I have saving faith, but if my actions prove otherwise, my faith is dead or not real.
So, where do we focus? On becoming a wonderful worker for God or a wonderful lover and truster of God? Do we concentrate on doing good works to be accepted by God, or do we respond out of a new spiritual heart that loves God and loves our neighbor?
The Letter is Important. Why does it Kill?
The direct commands of God are important, but not the way you may think.
Let me give a couple of examples and then apply some common sense.
Example: Jesus described two cases where the Spirit of the law was explained. He used the two commandments about adultery (seventh) and murder (sixth).
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5: 27-28,
Again, it would seem that Jesus is dismissing, minimizing, or contradicting the specific commandment about adultery (letter of the law), which is having sex with someone who is not my wife. Instead, He expands the law to include the thoughts (heart). It is not merely looking at the woman (or a man) but mulling it over and creating lust (strong sexual desire) in the thoughts and perhaps playing it out in the mind to plan a rendezvous.
There is no need to complete the act to commit adultery; It has already been done in the heart. We have broken the seventh commandment. In such a case, we need forgiveness from Christ even if we didn’t actually sleep with the woman or man. We may actually need a new heart if this urge is uncontrollable and repetitive.
Here is where spiritual common sense comes into play. What if I told my wife that from now on, I was going to live by the Spirit and not by the letter? Consequently, I plan to have sex with as many women as I please because the letter (the literal words of the law) kills, but the Spirit gives life. I think that reasoning would lead to not just a killing by the letter but murder by my wife! 😊 This leads to the next expansion of the law by Jesus: Murder
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
Matthew 5: 21-22
Again, Jesus seems to dismiss the letter or literal words of the command to focus only on the Spirit of the law, But in effect, He is magnifying or expanding the letter of the law…a direct fulfillment of an ancient prophecy about Jesus:
The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable. Isaiah 42: 21
Committing murder by the letter of the law, i.e., taking someone’s life, is not negated by the Spirit of the law, which is anger without a purpose or reason. So, it would not make sense to say, “I can murder as long as I don’t hate the person.” Letter VS Spirit.
How do I know that each letter of the law is important? Before Jesus expanded on these two commandments, he made sure his audience understood that He did not come to destroy the Law (letter) or the Prophets.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5: 17-20
Jesus’ “fulfilling the law and the Prophets” does not do away with the letter of the law. In fact, He makes reference to the details of the letter (that He has no intention of destroying). Like a microscope, he zooms in on the details of the Ten-Commandment law. He references the importance of every letter and mark: Jot (smallest letter) and tittle (the smallest stroke of the smallest Hebrew letter). It is like Jesus is saying He isn’t going to change even the dot on top of our smallest letter. “i.” Yet, as humans, we want to rewrite the Ten Commandments to fit our own lifestyle and then teach others to break His law. This is the spirit of the anti-Christ. We are putting ourselves in the place of Christ and contradicting his plain word. It is not just one commandment; it is all of them!
Righteousness by the law-The Cart before the Horse
Until all is fulfilled, the law and the prophets remain. All has not been fulfilled yet. Many prophecies about the Second Coming remain unfulfilled. Jesus’ keeping the law perfectly (jot and tittle) does not give us the green light to break any of the commandments. We can’t say,
“I don’t have to keep the law; Jesus did it for me.”
Try to explain that to my wife or those I love if I lie, steal, covet, or live an adulterous life, etc. But we can never reach righteousness by our own efforts by gritting our teeth and working hard to become a good law keeper. We must not get the cart before the horse.
Too many Christians get hung up on that last part of the passage:
For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
V. 20
They think Jesus is saying obedience to the smallest letter and the smallest stroke will create more righteousness and ensure acceptance by the Lord. Did the scribes and Pharisees have righteousness? Yes! In their own eyes, manufactured by strict observance of the law, but in reality, they did not have the righteousness that comes from faith in Jesus. Now, keep in mind faith does not negate obedience to the law. Paul said it very clearly in Romans 3:
Therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.:
Romans 3:20
Can it be any clearer? That commandment keeping and deeds of the law will not justify anyone in God’s sight. Thanks be to God for the atoning sacrifice of God! Paul explains further:
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Romans 3: 21-22
Did you catch that? The righteousness of God is apart from the law. It is not connected! This should have been good news for those Scribes, Pharisees, and religious people who were trying to obtain righteousness and acceptance of God through the meticulous, to-the-letter keeping of the law. The righteousness of God cannot be obtained that way. Further, we are all sinners with a human heart that lusts and hates without cause. Generations of evil and sin influence our hearts.
“Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Roman 3:28
This does not contradict James, who said works (deeds of the law) are evidence of faith. To say it very simply, Paul describes the soil for salvation (grace through faith); James describes the result (or fruit) of salvation (i.e., works). One is the method of salvation (gospel), and the other is the results of salvation or the gospel.
That should be settled in the heart of every follower of Christ. To make sure we understand about the law, Paul exclaims.
Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Romans 3:31
Conclusion Part 1
The attempt to obey the letter kills the relationship with Jesus. However, living in the Spirit will give life to your Jesus Journey. We must die to self-sufficiency in our obedience to the law as a way to obtain righteousness or to gain acceptance with God. Obedience and good works come spiritually naturally with a new heart and new motives of love toward a holy God who saved us by His unmerited favor towards us. This kind of salvation is real and spills over to those around us. Instead of pushing people away with legalistic requirements, they pull them to Jesus by their love.
We are thankful for His mercy and love, and we respond accordingly. By doing this, we obtain life through the spirit rather than death by working on obedience or perfection instead of trusting Jesus.
Take a moment to study these two illustrations.
In “1 Me” I relate to God by the law.
In “2 Me” I relate to the law through God.
The “1 Me” starts with the law to build a relationship with God. I think that obedience improves my relationship with God. But my vision of God can be blurred by the obligations God set forth in the Ten Commandments or any other of His commands. It will lead me to be religious and to live by the letter and not the Spirit.
On the other hand, The “2 Me” knows God first. I see the law through a relationship with God. I have experienced a loving God who has forgiven my sins, and my desire is to follow Him. I keep God’s law because I love Him. It is a response of love and not obligation. My focus is on Him and Him alone. The more personal associations I have with Him and observe how He works in my life and others, the more I love Him. I can then clearly see that righteousness by faith works through love. I have a new heart that seeks to carry out the will of God because of love, not obligation, religiosity, or to gain favor with God. The law is not negated. It is established in the heart. I respond out of love for Christ.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14: 15
“…showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Exodus 20:6
Now, let’s look at another chart to close:
Above the blue horizontal lines is Salvation. Below it is the opposite (lost or unsaved). We are lost either at birth or at the age where we can respond to the Holy Spirit. The act of infant baptism accomplishes nothing toward salvation. The destiny of these innocent babies, baptized or not, only God knows, but this I know: The character of God is merciful, loving, and forgiving. He looks to save, not condemn.
At the point where we respond by choice, then repent, and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, we are born again and have salvation. The Holy Spirit will testify to this new birth. Our upward journey with Christ begins. We want to be more like Christ. If we let him, He alone will mold us into His image for His sake, not ours. So even if we die without the molding complete (Christ’s likeness), we are still saved from eternal death. This journey towards Christ’s likeness is called sanctification or the upward call. This we will discuss next time. It is important because there is an enemy that wants to take the Jesus experience away from you and to leave Him. This is why Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10-18). We are in a battle and “press on” even in the bad times.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 12-14