2 Corinthians 2:16–3:6

¹⁶To some we are an aroma of death ^bleading to death, but to others, an aroma of life ^cleading to life. And who is competent for this? ¹⁷For we are not like the many ^dwho market God’s message ^efor profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

Living Letters

3Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. ^f3It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, ^gproduced ^hby us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God ⁱ—not on stone tablets ^jbut on tablets that are hearts of flesh. ^k

Paul’s Competence

⁴We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. ⁵It is not that we are competent in ^lourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. ^m6He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, ⁿnot of the letter, ^obut of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.