Devine Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:3

What does 2 Corinthians 3:3 mean?

A plain-English look at 2 Corinthians 3:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What 2 Corinthians 3:3 means

Paul clarifies that the believers are, in fact, Christ’s letter. The apostles served as instruments, but the Writer is “the Spirit of the living God.” This letter is not written with ink or on lifeless stone tablets, as at Sinai, but on living human hearts. The imagery recalls God’s promise to give a heart of flesh and hints at the new covenant’s inner work. The point is not to belittle Moses but to show a profound shift: divine truth is now inscribed within, producing obedience from the heart. Christ authors the change, the Spirit applies it, and the apostles minister it. Transformation is therefore personal, spiritual, and durable—not merely external compliance.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

being made manifest that ye are an 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 tables that are hearts of flesh.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Forasmuch 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.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

being made manifest that ye are an 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 tables that are hearts of flesh.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written: not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God: not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] livingGod; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart.

Context

Verse 3 concludes Paul’s answer about commendation by locating the source of their transformation in Christ and the Spirit, not in human effort. The stone-versus-heart contrast anticipates the old-versus-new covenant comparison that dominates the rest of the chapter. Verses 4–6 will explain the confidence and sufficiency of such ministry and explicitly name it the “new covenant,” contrasting the killing letter with the life-giving Spirit. This prepares for the glory comparison in verses 7–11.

v.2Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;

v.3This passage

v.4And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Proverbs 7:3

    Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

  • Ezekiel 11:19

    And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;

  • Jeremiah 17:1

    The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, andwith the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the tablet of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

  • Exodus 31:18

    And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

  • Matthew 16:16

    And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

  • Hebrews 8:10

    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:

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