Ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος· τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ. (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Grammatical Layers of Empowerment
Paul’s sentence begins with the relative pronoun ὃς (“who”), linking directly to the preceding verse’s reference to God. The verb ἱκάνωσεν (“made us sufficient”) is an aorist active indicative, signaling a completed act of divine qualification. This verb is central to Paul’s theology of ministry: sufficiency does not come from human credentials or Torah observance but from divine empowerment.
The accusative plural ἡμᾶς (“us”) is the direct object of ἱκάνωσεν, identifying Paul and his companions as the recipients of this divine enablement. The appositional phrase διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης defines the nature of their sufficiency: “ministers of a new covenant.” This is covenantal language at its most radical, drawing a direct line from Jeremiah 31:31 into the apostolic age.
Not of Letter, but of Spirit
The contrast clause οὐ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος (“not of letter, but of Spirit”) carries the rhetorical heartbeat of the verse. These genitive singular nouns function as genitives of source or content—defining the covenant not by its textual encoding but by its animating power.
The antithesis is further developed with a causal γάρ clause: τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ—“for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The verbs ἀποκτέννει and ζῳοποιεῖ are both present active indicatives, emphasizing ongoing, contrasting effects. Paul personifies γράμμα and πνεῦμα, as agents with lethal and life-giving power, respectively.
Exegetical Nuances and Hermeneutical Boundaries
The phrase “not of letter” has been misappropriated by antinomian theology as a blanket rejection of Scripture or law. However, Paul’s target here is not the Hebrew Scriptures per se but the reliance on the Mosaic covenant as a system of righteousness. The contrast is not between Torah and Spirit in an absolute sense, but between the old covenant mediated through tablets of stone and the new covenant written on hearts (cf. 2 Cor 3:3).
The new covenant is not devoid of content (“not of letter”) but re-centered in relational transformation. The Spirit is not an anti-textual force but the one who interprets and enlivens the very texts that, without Him, remain dead.
Life-Giving Grammar: Parsing the Verse
| Greek Word | Form & Parsing | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἱκάνωσεν | Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular | He made sufficient | Root: ἱκανόω. Emphasizes divine enabling. |
| διακόνους | Accusative Plural Masculine | Ministers | From διακονέω; denotes commissioned servants. |
| καινῆς | Genitive Singular Feminine | New | Adjective modifying διαθήκης. Indicates qualitative newness. |
| διαθήκης | Genitive Singular Feminine | Covenant | Used in both Greek contracts and Jewish sacred covenants. |
| γράμματος | Genitive Singular Neuter | Of letter | May refer to written code or Torah inscription. |
| πνεύματος | Genitive Singular Neuter | Of Spirit | Refers to the Holy Spirit, source of life and renewal. |
| ἀποκτέννει | Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular | Kills | Ongoing, metaphorical death-dealing of letter-alone approach. |
| ζῳοποιεῖ | Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular | Gives life | Used also in John 6:63; Spirit as divine animator. |
Wind-Written Covenants
This verse is not merely a Pauline soundbite. It is a covenantal manifesto. Paul announces the seismic shift from a carved, coded religion to one breathed, embodied, and empowered. The ministers of this covenant are not scribes of an outdated constitution but servants animated by the very breath of God.
The Spirit is not a vague emotional force. He is the communicator of the covenant, the one who renders the Word into the language of living hearts. The “letter” is not evil—it is simply inert without the indwelling life of God. Without the Spirit, the law is an autopsy report. With the Spirit, it becomes a birth certificate.
As readers and ministers of the new covenant, we are called to be living letters—authored not by ink, but by the Spirit of the living God.
