KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 3:6 ” Who 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”.

The writings of Apostle Paul keep revealing powerful truths about the Christian.

Our key scripture is a completion of the earlier verse, which says “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; God is our sufficiency. It is He who makes us qualified for whatever he calls on us to do. We must not in any way think or suggest that we are sufficient of ourselves. God Himself is our ABILITY. This should take away every pride from our hearts. We must never feel incapable of handling any situation. This revelation should also challenge us to boldly accept to do whatever task our heavenly father asks us to do.

In the light of what he said in verse five, He says we have been made able ministers of the New Testament. He exposes that the New Testament is of the Spirit while the Old Testament is the letter. To say the Old Testament is of the letter means the Old Testament has no spiritual provisions that enable us to do what it says. In our verse above, the scripture says the letter kills. Why does the letter kill? The law or the letter gives us instructions, demands, and commands but provides no life or ability to fulfil them. Everyone under the law is helpless and in bondage. It is very frustrating to be asked to do a task without any provisions to accomplish it. This is what the law or letter does to us.

Romans 8:3a states the following “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh…..”. Man, because of the fall, is helpless under sin, which makes him incapable of doing what the law says. Under the New Testament, we have the ministry of the Spirit and not the letter. Man under the New Testament is not left at the mercy of the law but has the support of the Spirit, which gives us life to do what it tells us.

In verse 7, the Bible calls the law the ministration of death. This ministration of death is what came on the face of Moses shining such that the children of Israel could not look on the face of Moses. (Exodus 34:29-30). The scripture added that this glory was done away with. The ministration of the Spirit is indeed more glorious. We have a more glorious ministry than Moses had.

Our study teaches that Christians have been specially endowed with Grace and made capable of living by the ability of the Spirit so we would be able to bring glory to our heavenly father.

CONFESSION

I thank God for this great life. I have received the ability of the Spirit to live a higher life, bringing the glory, power, and praise of my heavenly father into reality in the midst of men.

FURTHER STUDIES.

2 Corinthians 3:7″ But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:”

2 Corinthians 3:9. For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.