Letters of the Heart
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewWe are examples of the saving power of Christ. Not because of perfection but the perfect one.
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Letters of the Heart 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
Letters of the Heart 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
by way of introduction lets look at where we ended our text with 2 Corinthians 2:14–17 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”
so Paul, compares himself to those who are not legit. a believer inspires often both hate and love. The one exploiting Christ often peddling or selling “grace”.
to those who love their sin, we are a reminder of the coming judgment.
to those seeking after christ and longing for God, we are a sign that Jesus is still saving people. Our fellowship with Him shines in this dark world.
So he says, are we just a huckster? Televangelist? No, we are those who know they are speaking the truth of Christ.
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. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Two main things here, 1 “Letters that Commend” 1-3, 2 “Letters that Kill” 4-6
Letters that Commend
Letters that Commend
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?
Commend ourselves. He is talking about verifying his authority, whether he needs to again, establish who he is or letters from them of what they can or cant do.
synistanein - recommend, commend. Is saying the person can be trusted, believes the same as we do, etc. as a calvary if you went to a calvary i know to be trustworthy I can call them there and see what reputation you have with them. You personal testimony.
like he recommended them to accept Phoebe, Romans 16:1 “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,” He also said in many letters, I write this with my own hand so that folks who knew him and his handwriting would know it was him. He even said in, 2 Thessalonians 3:17 “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.”
Some faked being sent from others even writing fake letters, even saying Paul sent them! 2 Thessalonians 2:2 people still do this today.
Epistle or Letters of commendation are still a thing. Even though pdf’s and emails and texts can sometimes take the place. But so many people try to take advantage of the love and generosity of those in the faith that before folks would just let people in, they would verify who they were by writing where they came from.
we see in Acts 18:27 “And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;”
Paul really does establish that we don’t need someone to do this for us, as we have you as a testimony -
2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
You are the letter. Sometimes maybe a letter maybe a letter you don’t want other folks to read, but written in our hearts (Pauls love for them and power inherent in the gospel of christ is real.)
I love the testimony many of you have among others. I know how imperfect I am, no worries. But I also know that I believe the Gospel of Jesus wholeheartedly. That you’re real walk with Jesus tells folks that we are a place His Spirit is.
Paul would say of them in 1 Corinthians 9:2 “If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” what a great commendation that is!
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.
You are the commendation, because Paul says, what he did was minister, that word in the greek?
di-ako-ne-theisa ; same word used for deacons in 1 Timothy, Titus, and also in Acts. It was used of those that served. That gave their life, their time. Paul says, not that he saved, not that he was the power. He just served it up to them. Deacon not a position of authority. But servant.
The ink the letter is written with? not with law or rules. Paul assures them, you were saved not from following rules, or saying secret sayings or getting baptized in the father/son/ghost and not spirit.
not on stone, but flesh. our newly made hearts. Written not by man or following rules but by the Holy Spirit (God), Exodus 31:18 “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Psalm 40:8 “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.””
Jesus is the one who saves, who delivers who gives everlasting life - Hebrews 7:16 “who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” His indwelling Spirit (the “ink”) is what enables this walk with Him. His blood secured this all for us (communion) will look a lot more at Hebrews later.
The Judaizers, teaching obedience to the law claimed to have letters from the apostles did Paul really need that with them? Don’t y’all know me? You are my proof! I didn’t save you, but I was the pen that God wrote you with!
Letters that Kill
Letters that Kill
And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
You might read this as, “2 Corinthians 3:4 (NLT): We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ” Paul and his companions trust that the Corinthians truly know of their walk and ministry with them in Christ. Not confidence i what they have done but what has been done through them. Awesome to see God working through you life like this.
Pauls assurance that they “know better” is because he trusts the work of the Lord in their hearts as his own. Paul clarifies this:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
Paul wholly understood it wasnt the method, but being “in” Christ that brought him to the place of sufficiency. He has lived so long with the requirements of the Law, with being obedient to a way of life that leads toward the heart of God but cannot bring us that final step. Not because the law is insufficient, but we are. In Christ (and Christ in us) we are now arrived. 1 Corinthians 15:10a “But by the grace of God I am what I am...”
its not that we think we rise up to it, but God by His grace raises us up. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
2 Corinthians 3:5–6 (NKJV)
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Turn to: Romans 15:15–21 “Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—19in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.”” go back to 2 Co
That servant word again, diaknous this time but yet a reminder, Paul, like us, is just a servant to this Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Letter vs Spirit is not what this is. This isn't literal interpretation vs spiritual interpretation. This is stating the truth that Paul said about the law.
was Perfect for its purpose: Galatians 3:21 “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.” Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The law brings us to the place where we realize our sins have killed us, eternally. That sin really is heinous, and utterly destructive. We needed to be changed not outside in, but inside out. A new covenant.
The new covenant was looked forward to turn to: Jeremiah 31:27–34 ““Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 30But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. 31“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.””
not done yet, lets examine it further Turn to: Ezekiel 11:14–21 “Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’ 17Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’ 18And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.”
Turn to Hebrews 8 What Paul spoke of was the hearts of us all who received Christ, being forever changed. Made new 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Hebrews 8:7–13 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—9not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 13In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Now Jump over to: Hebrews 10:1–4 “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Then: Hebrews 10:11–18 “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”
Back to 2 Co 3:6 “6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Even as the Law required one to come as a sinner to receive the sacrifice and covering, so we must for Christ. We have to come to him. Not just die, but to live. To experience freedom from the tyranny of sin and enter in the incredible grace of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Our Christ. Our messiah. Who commands us to be fruitful and multiply. We need to be sharing Jesus with those that don’t know Him. don’t get caught in the constant fellowship trap. Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” a married couple (by design) has kids. Fruit. We in our relationship with God will naturally bear fruit as we live out His good news. Part of the fruit of marriage is living the one-flesh married live. Being joined not just as one flesh, but one spirit. and that is being linked up with eternal life, right now.
We are not just letters of commendation for the fellowships we are in, but also, we are love letters to a lost and dying world. Your words and redeemed life can speak to a generation scrambling to find a way back to Him. Joshua 3:9 “So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.”” Come let us worship and adore Him together! Why? because: Ezekiel 36:26–28 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.