Our study tonight brings us to 2 Corinthians 3:1-6. However, before we dive into this passage, it’d be helpful to go back to quickly recap the main things we have considered, in 2 Corinthians:
From our previous studies, we have discovered Paul’s motive and his experience with the Corinthians. He had previously wanted to visit them, to give them “ a second experience of grace”, but ultimately he decided not to do so, as he did not want to cause the Corinthians more pain.
Instead, what did Paul do? He decided to write them a “severe letter”, and he did so with much anguish. The Corinthians were not walking in the way they should, before God, and Paul found it right to talk to them, through a letter. And even as the letter was severe, he wrote it not with anger or frustration; but with sincerity of heart, wanting these Corinthians to know the love he had for them. However, Paul was left in a place of anguish: he was unable to find out how the Corinthians responded to his ‘severe’ letter, and so travelled to Macedonia, in hopes of hearing more from Titus.
Note that this “severe letter” that Pal talked about in chapters 1 and 2 is NOT the book of 2 Corinthians: this book comes after that letter. There is a marked shift in tone: in this book, Paul defends his ministry, considering what it means to be the church, what a ‘fruitful’ ministry is like, and how the church might deal with sin in their midst: with loving church discipline, that holds out the hope that a church member stuck in sin would respond in repentance.
(A) Proof of the Apostle: Radically regenerated lives, spirit-inscribed and Gospel-testifying
In our passage today, Paul is defending his ministry: defining what ministry success means, and showing us what are some marks of a true and genuine gospel ministry. As we read the passage today in 2 Corinthians 3: perhaps you might start to wonder: “I’m not a prominent person in church, not a church leader, pastor or a full-time ministry worker: does this passage apply to me?” However, we must see that we are all called to be ministers of the Gospel. We might be involved in things that appear small: for instance, reading the Bible privately with a friend in school or at the workplace, leading a small group in church or a Sunday school class. However, in all these occasions, we are ministering to others with the Gospel. And if so, then we must keep in mind this passage, because it maps out and describes for us what genuine ministry to others looks like.
The passage starts off with the mention of “letters of recommendation” (2 Cor 3:1). We probably would know them really well; today, many of us would have to polish our resumes and CVs before a job application, or gather together references, and some students may request their professors to write letters of recommendation for them. Paul writes about “letters of recommendation” as external ways that prove authenticity, and expertise.
In light of that, we can get a sense of the difficulty and pressure that Paul experienced. He starts 2 Cor 3:1 with 2 rhetorical questions: “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?” The issue that Paul faced here was doubts about his expertise as a preacher and Gospel minister. Looking at his unimpressive life, his lack of oratorial ability (as compared to other local speakers) and even the kind of tribulation and suffering he had endured. To paraphrase the first verse, the Corinthian church might have started to wonder: “Is Paul a genuine preacher? What right did he have to speak for God? How do we know that this man, Paul, is qualified to preach?”
We see this especially in light of 2 Cor 2:17, the previous verse. There, we see that Paul was doing ministry amidst people who “peddled” God’s Word, giving people messages from God with the expectation of receiving some form of payment. And with that context and norm, it would be jarring for the Corinthians to see Paul’s hardships and seeming lack of eloquence, leading them to wonder: “Is this man a real preacher?” Itinerant preachers would usually have letters of recommendation, to prove to the church that they were worth their salt, but Paul did not share any of that.
To put it in a more modern context, the Corinthians might have been looking at Paul, and wondering “What were your previous accomplishments? What “KPIs” did you reach, in your previous position?” This therefore leads Paul (and us) to consider: what are signs of authentic gospel ministry? What makes Paul’s ministry genuine?
Paul addresses this in the next verse, 2 Cor 3:2. There he mentions that “You yourself are our letters of recommendation.” What does Paul mean by this?
Where is it written on (2 Cor 3:2a)? It is written on their hearts.
Paul talks about the heart as the center of their being. In writing of the Corinthians in this manner, we see that Paul is genuinely anguished by their sin, genuinely caring for them: to the point that he would willingly cut short a successful ministry journey elsewhere, to be with these Corinthians!
In light of this, we ought to consider the way we think of those in our local churches. Are they on our hearts? Do we think of them often, or are they just ‘strangers’ gathered together for a weekly small group meeting, or a church Zoom call? Do we love and care for those we are with?
Crucially, do we pray for those who are in our lives? What are the contents of our prayers: do we pray that their hearts and lives are transformed to be more like Christ? Because that is indeed an overriding concern for Paul: a deep care for the state of their souls, and a deep desire for their growth in Christ.
Who reads it (2 Cor 3:2b)? It is read by all.
Paul emphasizes that the people’s lives are to be an ‘open book’: a clear demonstration of how the Gospel has changed them, bringing them from death to life, from sinners to those who would want to follow Him.
This is a marked difference from the typical way that letters of recommendation are handled. Even today, such reference and recommendation letters aren’t usually shared around so freely. However, in suggesting that they are ‘read by all’, Paul suggests that the transformation wrought in these Corinthians’ lives because of their coming to Christ should be clearly seen by all.
That leads us to an important point of application, especially in how we’re relating to our local church community. We must ask ourselves: are we known by others? Are we approachable for others to find out: for them to know how our lives have been, since before knowing God, and knowing God? Do those who are different from us in church: are they able to get to know you? Are you open to telling others who you are? Do we carry our lives selfishly, as private letters – or do we carry our lives as letters of recommendation, open to all?
Who writes and who delivers it (2 Cor 3:3a)? It is a letter from Christ, delivered by Paul and other Gospel ministers.
Paul shows a clear sense of co-authorship. The letter is from Christ, but Paul delivered the letter. This reminds us that God is indeed the one who causes the growth, but He so chooses to use human beings, flawed as we are, to bring this truth to people’s hearts.
Paul is thus keenly aware that he is being used by God. God does not need to use people, but God chose to do so! And this has implications for us: that we are all, in one way or another, responding in God’s call for us to share, to be faithful to bring the message of Christ to others.
Hence, we ought to ask ourselves: how are we answering this call of God? How are we bringing the message of Christ to others? And for the men in relationships, they might feel the responsibility of leading their other half spiritually. This verse is an encouragement to men, a reminder that imperfect as they are, it is God who supplies the strength that is needed to lead those whom we are called to. And for those of us who are single: how are we using the position that we have with our family members, to bring the Word of God to others? How are we making use of that time, for God’s glory?
What is it written with (2 Cor 3:3b)? It is written with the Spirit of the Living God.
What is it written on? It is written on human hearts.
Paul draws a contrast between the physical letters that other preachers have, and the Corinthians. He suggests that the ink and words on physical letters will fade away. But the work of God in the Corinthians’ hearts, written by the Spirit of God – that is indeed eternal, and that will truly prevail, and will truly last.
Paul reminds us that when Christ returns, or when we are called home: our worldly achievements and resumes won’t be what is most crucial. Instead what will count the most is the work of God in the souls of those who are in Christ.
Paul also draws a contrast between “tablets of stone” and “tablets of human hearts”. We ought to realize that Paul is referencing the ten commandments in the Old Testament, written on tablets of stone. Those tablets contained the laws of God – showing us God’s holiness, and what holy living looks like. It was read to the people by Moses, on Mount Sinai. It gave the people of Israel an understanding of what it means to be holy, as God is holy.
To help us further understand this distinction between “tablets of stone” and “tablets of hearts”, we can look at Eze 36:25-29. In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet Ezekiel speaks as the mouthpiece of God, giving Israelites in exile a promise of what is to come. There, the prophet Ezekiel mentions that God will give His people a ‘new heart’, and a ‘new spirit’. God will give His people new desires, new attitudes, and new joys. And that’s in contrast to the way the Israelites are earlier mentioned as having “hardened hearts” like “hearts of stone”: hearts that do no respond to God’s pursuing love, and do not respond to God drawing close to them. Their hearts are cold, unresponsive towards God. And most crucially, the laws of God are no longer just written on external tablets, but God’s people will desire to obey them.
In 1 Cor 6:9-11, Paul also addresses the transformative power of the gospel in the lives of these Corinthians. In those few verses, Paul describes who they once were (1 Cor 6: 9-10). They were once “sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practiced homosexuality, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers and swindlers”. And we also see ourselves as part of this list! For many of us, we can be tempted to think that we are not ‘as bad’, compared to those convicted of crimes; however, we exalt certain things in our lives, and at times placing things greater than God. We allow things to take up so much room in our hearts and mind, dwelling on and being consumed by them. However, Paul’s point is this: that these Corinthians were once sinners far off from God, but they are now washed, they are now sanctified, and are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of God.
Paul shows us here a real example of hearts that have been regenerated, where we give up what we once held dear, and see that Christ is better, Christ is a greater treasure than these other things. It would mean a radical and fundamental change in our identities, the way we consider ourselves. For some, it might even mean leaving behind the desire to enter a relationship with a person from the same gender, because the truth of the Gospel has become a greater treasure.
This has great implications on how we consider our own life in Christ. As believers in God’s church, a letter ‘read by all”, how do we share our testimony? We are reminded from these passages that the main message shouldn’t just be about how God improves the quality of our lives, or even answered some of our prayers. When we speak, we should be telling others where we were, before we came to know God; and how this God has changed our heart, from a heart of stone, to a heart of flesh, to begin to desire to obey Him, to follow Him.
Hence, we see how the fruit of Paul’s ministry are hearts that are radically regenerated, testifying of the Gospel. Do we see these letters in our lives? Do we see letters of recommendation, that testify to the real power in our hearts, through the Spirit of God? Are we conscious of and treasure them, or are we merely striving for some external marker of our accomplishment? Are we looking at the right indicator, in our lives? Paul encourages us to look at the real human lives around us: to desire for God to change them, and to rejoice with them when He does.
This means much about the way we relate to others, and what we treasure, in our churches. In our churches, we might perhaps flock to “eloquent” preachers. But if what will persist and last is the work of God in human lives, we need to be wary of idolizing what seems ‘flashy’ and ‘exciting’ in the sense of the world. Instead, perhaps we ought to celebrate men and women in our local churches, who faithfully pour into others, at times perhaps in ineloquence, causing real gospel fruit in people’s lives. Do you know of brothers, sisters, pastors or leaders like that in your local church? Perhaps we ought to pray for them, to give them a word of encouragement.
(B) Confidence of the Apostle: Made sufficient by God for life-giving new covenant ministry
From what we’ve just read, we see so clearly the weightiness of Paul’s ministry. Consider for a moment what he is to do: to proclaim Christ, and to see lives so radically and completely changed, through this Gospel! And the transformation of lives is not something to be scoffed at, and clearly, Paul does believe and does see that happening in his ministry.
These are bold claims that Paul is making about the nature of his ministry, and weighty things entrusted to him. We might feel a sense of how weighty this ministry is in our own lives as well. Perhaps some of us might be leaders in our local churches, and might feel overwhelmed with the task of caring for others. Perhaps for some of us, we might feel burdened and burnt-out by the task of ministering to others, and helping others to know of Christ. In such times (as with Paul!) we might feel wholly inadequate, even afraid that we’re not up to the task! In such difficulties, we have to ask ourselves: where does Paul (and our) confidence lie in? What can we place our hope in, when we feel overwhelmed by the task of ministering to others?
We see the nature of Paul’s confidence from 2 Cor 3L6. There we learn that Paul’s confidence comes through Christ, and towards God.
The confidence is therefore through what Christ has done, and is points towards God. Paul’s confidence comes from knowing that this work of transforming lives is not something up to Paul, as if Paul were responsible in manipulating people, or giving them such a wonderful emotional high, that they would want to make change in their lives. Rather, Paul is emphasizing that this radical transformation is God’s doing. Paul’s confidence was not in gifting, nor in education, nor even in good theological training (helpful and significant as that is) or listening to the most trendy and acclaimed preachers and teachers.
Paul does not place his confidence in himself, even as he was capable and knowledgeable in many ways. This means that there is sufficiency in God, for the task that he will do. There is sufficiency for the many rejections and trials that Paul will have to face. Paul was clearly aware of the real pain of ministry, where lives are messy, conflicts are common, and people might not always show change. Paul reminds us that it is God Himself that makes Paul sufficient: his sufficiency comes from God.
In light of this, we can consider the notion of the “New” and “Old” covenant. Paul is qualified and competent to deliver the new covenant message. He tells us what it’s not, and what it is. We learn from 2 Cor 3:6 that the covenant is not of the letter, but it is of the spirit. The letter here refers to God’s law. In the old covenant, the people knew the law, but few had the Spirit. The law itself is good, and reminds us of God’s holiness: but it is unattainable by human effort.
But when Jesus died on the cross for sinners, he promised that He will send His Spirit, who will live permanently in those who believe. And that is the beautiful distinction between the Old and the New covenant. Paul is made sufficient to be a Minister of this New Covenant: where God’s laws would be written in people’s hearts, and the power to obey it would come from the Holy Spirit within them, rather than being written externally on tablets of stone.
What might this mean for us? In light of Paul’s confidence and sufficiency, we are reminded we are not only comforted by the Gospel but we can have confidence in God, as we share the Gospel. We can share the Gospel boldly, knowing that it is God who strengthens and goes before us: that He does a glorious and powerful work of transformation, in people’s lives.
And this affects all other domains of our lives too. For many of us, work would be an important part of our lives. In light of these verses, how might we work, with the confidence of God, knowing that we are made sufficient as ministers of a New Covenant? It might mean that we work for our daily bread. It might mean submitting our anxieties at His feet, rather than allowing ourselves to be controlled and dominated by them. It would mean being faithful to the gospel at work, sharing of this gospel with others while trusting that God would provide. It would mean perhaps having awkward and difficult conversations with parents and family: placing confidence not in our preparation, but in God Himself, through Christ.
In light of today’s study, we ought to consider: how are we living and looking to right indicators of healthy ministry? How do we see people as “living letters of recommendation”, and how do we labour in such a way, that our ministry may bear biblical fruit? And most crucially, we are reminded that in all these things, our strength is through Christ, in God, because He makes our sufficient as ministers of His Gospel.