"The Letter Killeth" - A Berean View
Let us review our text:
2 Corinthians 3:4 - 6
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
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.***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let us focus on the phrase "for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"
Traditionally this text is interpreted as another example which antinomians use as an attempt to disparage the Torah/law of YHWH, to support their false teaching in an attempt to do away with the law. However, without being a linguist, let's see what light we can shed on this text by simply using a Greek Lexicon that is available to any and every one.
Below, is provided the definition of the word "killeth" = apoktein (Strong's G615):
1) to kill in any way whatever
a) to destroy, to allow to perish
2) metaph. to extinguish, abolish
a) to inflict mortal death
b) to deprive of spiritual life and procure eternal misery in hell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interestingly, in 6 instances we find an alternative definition, not listed above, where "the letter killeth" can be translated as, ***put to death*** as used in the following texts::
Matthew 14:5
And 2532 when he would 2309 have ***put 615 him to death 615***
Mark 14:1
take him by 1722 craft 1388, and ***put [him] to death 615 ***
Luke 18:33
scourge 3146 [him], and ***put 615 0 him 846 to death 615 ***
John 11:53:
"counsel together for to ***put 615 0 him 846 to death 615***
John 12:10:
"they might ***put 615 0 Lazarus 2976 also 2532 to death 615 ***
John 18:31
" not lawful for us to ***put 615 0 any man 3762 to death 615***
Therefore in 2 Corinthians 3:6, if we remove the archaic word "killeth" and exchange it for an alternate phrase,
"put to death" we have the following:
2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the letter ***put to [him] death*** but the spirit giveth life."
Now this is beginning to make some sense! But what "letter" is referred to in this text?
The word "letter" defined as following is "gramma" (Strong's G1121)
1) a letter
2) any writing, a document or record
a) a note of hand, bill, bond, account, ****written acknowledgement of a debt*****
b) a letter, an epistle
c) the sacred writings (of the OT)
3) letters, i.e. learning
a) of sacred learning
"Gramma" is actually translated as "bill" in the following texts:
Luke 16:6b Take thy bill (G1121) and sit down quickly and write fifty
Luke 16:7b Take thy bill (G1121) and write four score.
Another text came to mind, which also contains a reference to a "written/certificate of a debt". That text is Colossians 2:14.
Col 2:14
Blotting out the *handwriting* of ordinances (Cheirographon G5498 [a compound of G5495 & G1121]) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The New American Standard contains the better translation:
Col 2:14: having canceled out the ***certificate of debt*** (Cheirographon G5498
[a compound of G5495 & G1121] consisting of decrees against us, which was
hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
The Greek word for handwriting (or certificate) is cheirographon, used in common Greek for a document written in one own hand as legal ***proof of indebtedness***.
From Col. 2:14, we know that Yahshua ***took away our certificate of debt***, by His death on the stake.
Therefore, in 2 Cor. 3:6, by exchanging the word "letter" for the better translation of
*written acknowledgement of a debt*
we have the following correction of the text:
2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the ****written acknowledgement of a debt***, put [him] to death
So what about the last phrase in the text: but the spirit giveth (G 2227life)
The word "life" defined as following is "zeepoieo" (Strong's G 2227):
1) to produce alive, begat or bear living young
2) to cause to live, make alive, give life
a) by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate
b) to restore to life
c) to give increase of life: thus of physical life
d) of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life
3) metaph., of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing
The object of "whom the spirit gave life" appears to be Messiah, as we find many times in the newer writings, but that thought is encapsulated in following text of
1 Peter 3: 18
"For Messiah being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (restored to life) by the spirit."
We therefore can provide an alternate translation for 2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the written acknowledgement of a debt put [him] to death, but He was made alive (restored to life) by the Spirit.
Now, no longer is there only one possible nebulous rendering of this text, used by antinomians to disparage the law, but we now we have a text which actually parallel other texts explaining what happened to Messiah because of with our sin debt, after which he was restored to life.
2 Corinthians 3:4 - 6
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
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.***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let us focus on the phrase "for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"
Traditionally this text is interpreted as another example which antinomians use as an attempt to disparage the Torah/law of YHWH, to support their false teaching in an attempt to do away with the law. However, without being a linguist, let's see what light we can shed on this text by simply using a Greek Lexicon that is available to any and every one.
Below, is provided the definition of the word "killeth" = apoktein (Strong's G615):
1) to kill in any way whatever
a) to destroy, to allow to perish
2) metaph. to extinguish, abolish
a) to inflict mortal death
b) to deprive of spiritual life and procure eternal misery in hell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interestingly, in 6 instances we find an alternative definition, not listed above, where "the letter killeth" can be translated as, ***put to death*** as used in the following texts::
Matthew 14:5
And 2532 when he would 2309 have ***put 615 him to death 615***
Mark 14:1
take him by 1722 craft 1388, and ***put [him] to death 615 ***
Luke 18:33
scourge 3146 [him], and ***put 615 0 him 846 to death 615 ***
John 11:53:
"counsel together for to ***put 615 0 him 846 to death 615***
John 12:10:
"they might ***put 615 0 Lazarus 2976 also 2532 to death 615 ***
John 18:31
" not lawful for us to ***put 615 0 any man 3762 to death 615***
Therefore in 2 Corinthians 3:6, if we remove the archaic word "killeth" and exchange it for an alternate phrase,
"put to death" we have the following:
2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the letter ***put to [him] death*** but the spirit giveth life."
Now this is beginning to make some sense! But what "letter" is referred to in this text?
The word "letter" defined as following is "gramma" (Strong's G1121)
1) a letter
2) any writing, a document or record
a) a note of hand, bill, bond, account, ****written acknowledgement of a debt*****
b) a letter, an epistle
c) the sacred writings (of the OT)
3) letters, i.e. learning
a) of sacred learning
"Gramma" is actually translated as "bill" in the following texts:
Luke 16:6b Take thy bill (G1121) and sit down quickly and write fifty
Luke 16:7b Take thy bill (G1121) and write four score.
Another text came to mind, which also contains a reference to a "written/certificate of a debt". That text is Colossians 2:14.
Col 2:14
Blotting out the *handwriting* of ordinances (Cheirographon G5498 [a compound of G5495 & G1121]) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The New American Standard contains the better translation:
Col 2:14: having canceled out the ***certificate of debt*** (Cheirographon G5498
[a compound of G5495 & G1121] consisting of decrees against us, which was
hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
The Greek word for handwriting (or certificate) is cheirographon, used in common Greek for a document written in one own hand as legal ***proof of indebtedness***.
From Col. 2:14, we know that Yahshua ***took away our certificate of debt***, by His death on the stake.
Therefore, in 2 Cor. 3:6, by exchanging the word "letter" for the better translation of
*written acknowledgement of a debt*
we have the following correction of the text:
2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the ****written acknowledgement of a debt***, put [him] to death
So what about the last phrase in the text: but the spirit giveth (G 2227life)
The word "life" defined as following is "zeepoieo" (Strong's G 2227):
1) to produce alive, begat or bear living young
2) to cause to live, make alive, give life
a) by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate
b) to restore to life
c) to give increase of life: thus of physical life
d) of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life
3) metaph., of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing
The object of "whom the spirit gave life" appears to be Messiah, as we find many times in the newer writings, but that thought is encapsulated in following text of
1 Peter 3: 18
"For Messiah being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (restored to life) by the spirit."
We therefore can provide an alternate translation for 2 Corinthians 3:6b:
"for the written acknowledgement of a debt put [him] to death, but He was made alive (restored to life) by the Spirit.
Now, no longer is there only one possible nebulous rendering of this text, used by antinomians to disparage the law, but we now we have a text which actually parallel other texts explaining what happened to Messiah because of with our sin debt, after which he was restored to life.
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