1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
Commentary
Preamble: Having declared that the Apostle Paul and all true believers are the fragrance of Christ wherever we go and wherever we are, which is manifest to all through the Spirit of God within us, radiating Christ's life, love, and thus God's Person's Character, and thus fragrance through us. Paul then contrasted that with those who only use the Gospel for their own gain (see 2 Cor 2:17). The Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians a poignant question about what qualifies someone in their eyes as an Apostle of Christ. Is it merely letters of commendation, (apparently a common first century practice, BBC), which the false apostles and teachers would readily present to validate themselves, and their invalid ministries, or is it something more personal and real.
Vs. 1 "Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?"
And so the Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians, should he begin to commend himself, and those ministering the Gospel with him, to them again? Had he not already demonstrated in Word and deed his calling from Christ (see 1 Cor 2:1-5) and his love for them (2 Cor 2:4). Or does he now need epistles (i.e letters) of commendation to validate his person and ministry to them? Since that was only the manner of the false apostles and false teachers, who both had these to give, and sought these from those they "ministered" God's Word too. Yet if you took those letters away they were void of Christ's Spirit life and giftedness, and thus they neither had, nor manifested the love and grace of God to anyone. Indeed if you reduce qualifications to preaching the Gospel to letters of commendation (or degrees and letters of academic achievement and such) as validating someone for Gospel ministry, then you have effectively limited all that the Spirit does through God's children, whom the Spirit equips as He chooses with His gifts for that very purpose, so that all glory, praise, and honor may begin and end with God alone. Therefore what qualifies someone for Christian ministry, is it mere letters of commendation, or ones level of academic achievement? Or is it ones Spirit given giftedness, and ones character which can be read and known by all, as the Apostle Paul is saying as much here. And so it is Christ's life inside us, and His character that is being manifested through us, by the Spirit of God enabling and equipping us for His witness and service, that qualifies us for Christian ministry (1 Cor 9:27).
Vs. 2 "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men"
And so in contrast to the false apostles whose sole qualification was their letters of commendation, The Apostle Paul doesn't need epistles to commend himself to the Corinthians again, for they themselves are his epistle, written on his heart, and thus they are known and read by all men, because a true Apostle's love and concern for those whom he ministers the Gospel too is far more real and revealing about himself, and them, then any mere letter of commendation. For no letter of commendation can ever take the place of ones own heart and life given in loving service for God's people. Love then for Christ and His people is what sets the true apart from the false (1 John 3:10-18).
Vs. 3 "clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
The Corinthians themselves then were an epistle of Christ, ministered by the Apostle and those with him, by which all men and women could also "read" Christ's epistle and see transformed people, and or perceive the Corinthians new born persons and lives, which had first received the grace and love of God through Christ for themselves, and which were now living, ministering, extending and or emanating the same. And so what was written (that commended both them and Paul) was not written by mere ink as if that qualifies anyone, but it was written by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart. The contrast then of the Law written on stones which transforms no-one, with the epistle of Christ, written on every believing persons heart by the Spirit of God, is both moving and enlightening.
Scripture Quotation
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources
Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
Preamble: Having declared that the Apostle Paul and all true believers are the fragrance of Christ wherever we go and wherever we are, which is manifest to all through the Spirit of God within us, radiating Christ's life, love, and thus God's Person's Character, and thus fragrance through us. Paul then contrasted that with those who only use the Gospel for their own gain (see 2 Cor 2:17). The Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians a poignant question about what qualifies someone in their eyes as an Apostle of Christ. Is it merely letters of commendation, (apparently a common first century practice, BBC), which the false apostles and teachers would readily present to validate themselves, and their invalid ministries, or is it something more personal and real.
Vs. 1 "Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?"
And so the Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians, should he begin to commend himself, and those ministering the Gospel with him, to them again? Had he not already demonstrated in Word and deed his calling from Christ (see 1 Cor 2:1-5) and his love for them (2 Cor 2:4). Or does he now need epistles (i.e letters) of commendation to validate his person and ministry to them? Since that was only the manner of the false apostles and false teachers, who both had these to give, and sought these from those they "ministered" God's Word too. Yet if you took those letters away they were void of Christ's Spirit life and giftedness, and thus they neither had, nor manifested the love and grace of God to anyone. Indeed if you reduce qualifications to preaching the Gospel to letters of commendation (or degrees and letters of academic achievement and such) as validating someone for Gospel ministry, then you have effectively limited all that the Spirit does through God's children, whom the Spirit equips as He chooses with His gifts for that very purpose, so that all glory, praise, and honor may begin and end with God alone. Therefore what qualifies someone for Christian ministry, is it mere letters of commendation, or ones level of academic achievement? Or is it ones Spirit given giftedness, and ones character which can be read and known by all, as the Apostle Paul is saying as much here. And so it is Christ's life inside us, and His character that is being manifested through us, by the Spirit of God enabling and equipping us for His witness and service, that qualifies us for Christian ministry (1 Cor 9:27).
Vs. 2 "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men"
And so in contrast to the false apostles whose sole qualification was their letters of commendation, The Apostle Paul doesn't need epistles to commend himself to the Corinthians again, for they themselves are his epistle, written on his heart, and thus they are known and read by all men, because a true Apostle's love and concern for those whom he ministers the Gospel too is far more real and revealing about himself, and them, then any mere letter of commendation. For no letter of commendation can ever take the place of ones own heart and life given in loving service for God's people. Love then for Christ and His people is what sets the true apart from the false (1 John 3:10-18).
Vs. 3 "clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
The Corinthians themselves then were an epistle of Christ, ministered by the Apostle and those with him, by which all men and women could also "read" Christ's epistle and see transformed people, and or perceive the Corinthians new born persons and lives, which had first received the grace and love of God through Christ for themselves, and which were now living, ministering, extending and or emanating the same. And so what was written (that commended both them and Paul) was not written by mere ink as if that qualifies anyone, but it was written by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart. The contrast then of the Law written on stones which transforms no-one, with the epistle of Christ, written on every believing persons heart by the Spirit of God, is both moving and enlightening.
Scripture Quotation
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources
Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
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