2 Corinthians 3

King James Version (1769) · Tap a verse to see it in context

About this chapter

AI-assisted, sourced

Paul needs no letters of commendation, for the Corinthians are "our epistle written in our hearts," written "not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God." God has made them "able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life," and if the old ministry had glory, the ministry of the Spirit has more. Moses put a vail over his face, and a vail still lies on hearts until "it shall turn to the Lord," but "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," and we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory." 2 Corinthians 3:1 2 Corinthians 3:2 2 Corinthians 3:3 2 Corinthians 3:6 2 Corinthians 3:7 2 Corinthians 3:8 2 Corinthians 3:13 2 Corinthians 3:15 2 Corinthians 3:16 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 3:18

Who, where, when, and the key verses

Who

Paul, writing to the Corinthians; Moses and "the children of Israel" are recalled. 2 Corinthians 3:2 2 Corinthians 3:7 2 Corinthians 3:13 2 Corinthians overview

Where

Paul writes from Macedonia to the church at Corinth and "all the saints which are in all Achaia," the Roman province in southern Greece. 2 Corinthians overview

When

Traditionally about AD 55-57, some months after 1 Corinthians, during Paul's third journey. Scholars agree that Paul wrote it; many think it gathers more than one of his letters to Corinth. 2 Corinthians overview

How it fits

Chapter 2 ended "in the sight of God speak we in Christ." Chapter 4 continues, "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not." 2 Corinthians 2:17 2 Corinthians 3:6 2 Corinthians 4:1

Key verses

Verse 3
"Not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." Jeremiah 31:33 promised a covenant in which God would "write it in their hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:3 Jeremiah 31:33
Verse 6
"The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." 2 Corinthians 3:6
Verse 18
"We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 3:18

Takeaway

Turn to the Lord and keep looking at His glory; by His Spirit He sets you free and changes you into His image. 2 Corinthians 3:16 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 3:18

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a separate AI reader. Updated 2026-11-01.

Ministers of the new testament

¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. ⁴And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: ⁵Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; ⁶Who 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.

A greater glory

⁷But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: ⁸How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? ⁹For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. ¹⁰For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ¹¹For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

The vail taken away

¹²Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: ¹³And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: ¹⁴But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.