2 Corinthians 3:6

American Standard Version (1901)

who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης· οὐ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος: τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ.

Transliteration

Who also hikanōsen us diakonous of new diathēkēs; not of grammatos, but of pneumatos: the for gramma apokteinnei, the de pneuma zōopoiei.

Grammar Details

• *hikanōsen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - made sufficient/qualified
• *diakonous*: noun, accusative plural masculine - servants/ministers
• *diathēkēs*: noun, genitive singular feminine - of covenant/testament
• *grammatos*: noun, genitive singular neuter - of letter/writing
• *pneumatos*: noun, genitive singular neuter - of spirit
• *gramma*: noun, nominative singular neuter - letter/writing
• *apokteinnei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - kills
• *de*: conjunction - but/and
• *pneuma*: noun, nominative singular neuter - spirit
• *zōopoiei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - gives life

Word Meanings

• *hikanōsen*: made sufficient/qualified/enabled/equipped
• *diakonous*: servants/ministers/attendants
• *diathēkēs*: covenant/testament/contract
• *grammatos*: letter/writing/document/literal meaning
• *pneumatos*: spirit/breath/wind
• *apokteinnei*: kills/puts to death/destroys
• *zōopoiei*: gives life/makes alive/vivifies

Referenced Verses

• Jer 31:31 : 31 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
• John 6:63 : 63 It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.
• Rom 7:6 : 6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
• Luke 22:20 : 20 And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, [even] that which is poured out for you.
• 1 Cor 11:25 : 25 In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.
• Eph 2:5 : 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
• Eph 3:7 : 7 whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.
• 2 Cor 3:14 : 14 but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed [to them] that it is done away in Christ.
• Rom 8:2 : 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
• 1 Cor 3:5 : 5 What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.
• 1 John 1:1 : 1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life
• Deut 27:26 : 26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
• 1 Cor 3:10 : 10 According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.
• 2 Cor 5:18-20 : 18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech [you] on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.
• Gal 3:10-12 : 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. 11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; 12 and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them.
• Gal 3:21 : 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law.
• Eph 2:1 : 1 And you [did he make alive], when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
• Eph 4:11-12 : 11 And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
• Col 1:25-29 : 25 whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God, 26 [ even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints, 27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; 29 whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
• 1 Tim 1:11-12 : 11 according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 12 I thank him that enabled me, [even] Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to [his] service;
• 1 Tim 4:6 : 6 If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed [until now] :
• 2 Tim 1:11 : 11 whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher.
• Heb 7:22 : 22 by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.
• Heb 8:6-9 : 6 But now hath he obtained a ministry the more excellent, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises. 7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of Egypt; For they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:
• Heb 9:15-20 : 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. 17 For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth. 18 Wherefore even the first [covenant] hath not been dedicated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses unto all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you-ward.
• Heb 12:24 : 24 and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than [that of] Abel.
• Heb 13:20 : 20 Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus,
• 1 Pet 3:18 : 18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
• 1 Cor 12:28 : 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, [divers] kinds of tongues.
• 1 Cor 15:45 : 45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit.
• 2 Cor 3:7 : 7 But if the ministration of death, written, [and] engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which [glory] was passing away:
• 2 Cor 3:9 : 9 For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
• John 5:21 : 21 For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
• Rom 7:9-9 : 9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10 and the commandment, which [was] unto life, this I found [to be] unto death: 11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me.
• Rom 1:5 : 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;
• Rom 2:27-29 : 27 and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
• Rom 3:20 : 20 because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law [cometh] the knowledge of sin.
• Rom 4:15 : 15 for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
• Rom 4:17 : 17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
• Matt 13:52 : 52 And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
• Matt 26:28 : 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.
• Mark 14:24 : 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.