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Freedom in Christ (pt. 3)

6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

Sam Witwicky risked his life working with the Autobots to save the world from Megatron twice! His name should be in lights for his service. But in the third Transformers movie, he can’t even convince his new boss, Jerry Wang, to give him a reputable job. Even with his resume, he has to start at the bottom.

Show us your resume. That was the rallying cry of Paul’s critics to the early church. Paul did not have the correct letters of recommendation, nor did he have the approval of some higher-ups, and his critics thought of him as unworthy of the ministry.

Paul takes it one step further. Moses had all the credentials and written letters to be a worthy minister of God. He had the ten commandments, the core of the Jewish belief system. But Paul says that the tablets of stone that legitimized Moses are a far second to the ministry of the Spirit. In fact, an old stone with rules on it can only harm your faith, rather than improve it.

The Spirit is a promise to all believers, allowing us to instantly claim the role of a minister. Jesus actually tells his disciples that his departure from Earth (through his death) is better than staying, because then he can release the Spirit. And it’s through the Spirit that we have the unalienable right to represent Jesus and succeed when we share the Gospel with others.

The Spirit surpasses all other credentials, including college degrees, training programs, and genetics. While training and practice are essential for honing our skills, a lack of education or background should not disqualify anyone from ministering. The Spirit is sufficient to represent Jesus.

Figure it Out:


Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

(2 Corinthians 3:1-6)

  1. Circle any words or phrases that stood out to you. Why are they important to you?
  2. Why do you think the believers (who received the letter) doubted Paul as a legitimate minister?
  3. What happens when we convince ourselves that we are unworthy to minister?
  4. How does this passage aid or change your thinking?