2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills… I. THE LETTER, OR THE LAW, KILLETH, because — 1. It denounceth death. 2. It can only convince and condemn. 3. It awakens the sense of sin and helplessness. 4. It excites sin and cannot either justify or sanctify. II. THE SPIRIT, OR THE GOSPEL, GIVETH LIFE, because — 1. It declares the way of life. It reveals a righteousness which delivers us from the law and frees us from the sentence of condemnation. 2. It is that through which the Spirit is communicated as a source of life. Instead of a mere outward exhibition of truth and duty, it is a law written on the heart. It is a lifegiving power. 3. The state of mind which it produces is life and peace. The Spirit is the source of eternal life. (C. Hodge, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. |
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