Verse
Context
Ministers of a New Covenant
2You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.3It is clear 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.
Sermons
Paul Washer
Hans R. Waldvogel
Carter Conlon
Bill McLeod
Norman MeetenHans R. Waldvogel
Don McClureSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ - Ye are in our hearts, and Christ has written you there; but yourselves are the epistle of Christ; the change produced in your hearts and lives, and the salvation which you have received, are as truly the work of Christ as a letter dictated and written by a man in his work. Ministered by us - Ye are the writing, but Christ used me as the pen; Christ dictated, and I wrote; and the Divine characters are not made with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; for the gifts and graces that constitute the mind that was in Christ are produced in you by the Holy Ghost. Not in tables of stone - Where men engrave contracts, or record events; but in fleshly tables of the heart - the work of salvation taking place in all your affections, appetites, and desires; working that change within that is so signally manifested without. See the parts of this figurative speech: 1. Jesus Christ dictates. 2. The apostle writes. 3. The hearts of the Corinthians are the substance on which the writing is made. And, 4. The Holy Spirit produces that influence by which the traces are made, and the mark becomes evident. Here is not only an allusion to making inscriptions on stones, where one dictates the matter, and another cuts the letters; (and probably there were certain cases where some colouring matter was used to make the inscription the more legible; and when the stone was engraved, it was set up in some public place, as monuments, inscriptions, and contracts were, that they might be seen, known, and read of all men); but the apostle may here refer to the ten commandments, written by the finger of God upon two tables of stone; which writing was an evidence of the Divine mission of Moses, as the conversion of the Corinthians was an evidence of the mission of St. Paul. But it may be as well to take the words in a general sense, as the expression is not unfrequent either in the Old Testament, or in the rabbinical writers. See Schoettgen.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
declared--The letter is written so legibly that it can be "read by all men" (Co2 3:2). Translate, "Being manifestly shown to be an Epistle of Christ"; a letter coming manifestly from Christ, and "ministered by us," that is, carried about and presented by us as its (ministering) bearers to those (the world) for whom it is intended: Christ is the Writer and the Recommender, ye are the letter recommending us. written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God--Paul was the ministering pen or other instrument of writing, as well as the ministering bearer and presenter of the letter. "Not with ink" stands in contrast to the letters of commendation which "some" at Corinth (Co2 3:1) used. "Ink" is also used here to include all outward materials for writing, such as the Sinaitic tables of stone were. These, however, were not written with ink, but "graven" by "the finger of God" (Exo 31:18; Exo 32:16). Christ's Epistle (His believing members converted by Paul) is better still: it is written not merely with the finger, but with the "Spirit of the living God"; it is not the "ministration of death" as the law, but of the "living Spirit" that "giveth life" (Co2 3:6-8). not in--not on tables (tablets) of stone, as the ten commandments were written (Co2 3:7). in fleshy tables of the heart--ALL the best manuscripts read, "On [your] hearts [which are] tables of flesh." Once your hearts were spiritually what the tables of the law were physically, tables of stone, but God has "taken away the stony heart out of your flesh, given you a heart of flesh" (fleshy, not fleshly, that is, carnal; hence it is written, "out of your flesh" that is, your carnal nature), Eze 11:19; Eze 36:26. Compare Co2 3:2, "As ye are our Epistle written in our hearts," so Christ has in the first instance made you "His Epistle written with the Spirit in (on) your hearts." I bear on my heart, as a testimony to all men, that which Christ has by His Spirit written in your heart [ALFORD]. (Compare Pro 3:3; Pro 7:3; Jer 31:31-34). This passage is quoted by PALEY [HorÃ&brvbr PaulinÃ&brvbr] as illustrating one peculiarity of Paul's style, namely, his going off at a word into a parenthetic reflection: here it is on the word "Epistle." So "savor," Co2 2:14-17.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared,.... But lest it should be thought that the apostle attributed too much to himself, by saying that the Corinthians were our epistle; here he says, they were "manifestly declared" to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us; so that the apostles and ministers of the word were only amanuenses, Christ was the author and dictator; yea, he himself is the very matter, sum, substance, and subject of the epistle; he is formed in the hearts of his people in conversion, his image is stamped, his grace is implanted, his word, his Gospel dwells richly, his laws and ordinances are written here; he also is the exemplar, believers are but copies of him, in grace and duty, in sufferings, in the likeness of his death and resurrection: and they are "manifestly declared" to be so, by the impresses of Christ's grace upon them; by the fairness of the copy; by the style and language of the epistle; by their likeness to Christ; by their having not the form only, but the power of godliness; and by their lives and conversations: now in writing these epistles, the ministers of the Gospel are only instruments, "ministered by us". They are made use of to show the sinner the black characters which are written upon him, and that what is written in him, and to be read by him, by the light of nature is not sufficient for salvation; they are employed as instruments in drawing the rough draught of grace in conversion, and in writing the copy over again, fairer and fairer; being the happy means blessed by God, for the building up of souls in faith and holiness, in spiritual knowledge and comfort. These epistles are not written with ink; of nature's power, or of rhetorical eloquence and moral persuasion; but with the Spirit of the living God: every grace that is implanted in the soul is wrought there by the Spirit of God; or he it is that draws every line, and writes every word and letter; he begins, he carries on and finishes the work of grace on the soul; and that as "the Spirit of the living God": hence saints become the living epistles of Christ; and every letter and stroke of his making, is a living disposition of the soul in likeness to him; and such are written among the living in Jerusalem, and shall live and abide for ever as the epistles of Christ: again, the subjects of these epistles, or that on which they are written, are not tables of stone; such as the law was written upon, on Mount Sinai: of these tables there were the first and second; the first were the work of God himself, the latter were hewed by Moses, at the command of God, Exo 32:16 the former being broken when he came down from the mount, which by the Jewish writers are said to be miraculously made, and not by the means and artifice of men (l); yea, that they were made before the creation of the world (m), and which, they commonly say, were made of sapphire; See Gill on Co2 3:7 these, as the latter, were two stones, which, Jarchi says (n), were of an equal size; and were, as Abarbinel says (o), in the form of small tables, such as children are taught to write upon, and therefore are so called: some pretend to give the dimensions of them, and say (p), that they were six hands long, and as many broad, and three thick; nay, even the weight of them, which is said (q) to be the weight of forty "seahs", and look upon it as a miracle that Moses should be able to carry them; on these stones were written the ten commands; and the common opinion of the Jewish writers is, that five were written on one table, and five on the other; this is the opinion of Josephus (r), Philo (s), and the Talmudic writers (t); and the tables are said to be written on both sides, Exo 32:15. Some think that the engraving of the letters perforated and went through the tables, so that, in a miraculous manner, the letters were legible on both sides; others think, only the right and left hand of the tables are meant, on which the laws were written, five on a side, and which folded up like the tables or pages of a book; though others are of opinion, that they were written upon, both behind and before, and that the law was written twice, both upon the fore part and back part of the tables, yea, others say four times; and some think the phrase only intends the literal and mystical, the external and internal sense of the law: however, certain it is, as the apostle here suggests, that the law was written on tables of stone, which may denote the firmness and stability of the law; not as in the hands of Moses, from whence the tables fell and were broken, but as in the hands of Christ, by whom they are fulfilled; or else the hardness of man's heart, his stupidity, ignorance of, and not subject to the law of God: but fleshly tables of the heart: alluding to Eze 36:26 and designs not carnal hearts, but such as are made soft and tender by the Spirit of God. The table of the heart is a phrase to be met with in the books of the Old Testament; see Pro 3:3 and very frequently in the writings of the Jews (u). (l) R. Levi ben Gersom in Pentateuch, fol. 113. 2. (m) Zohar in Exod. fol. 35. 1. (n) Perush in Exod. xxxi. 18. (o) In Pentateuch, fol. 209. 2. & 211. 3. (p) T. Hieres Shekalim, fol. 49. 4. Shemot Rabba, c. 47. fol. 143. 2. Bartenora in Misn. Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 6. (q) Targum Jon. in Exod. xxxi. 18. & in Deut. xxxiv. 12. (r) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 5. sect. 8. (s) De Decalogo, p. 761, 768. (t) T. Hieros. Shekalim, fol. 49. 4. Shemot Rabba, sect. 47. fol. 143. 2. Zohar in Exod. fol. 35. 1. (u) Vid. Targum Jon. in Dent. vi. 5, & in Cant. iv. 9.
Ministers of a New Covenant
2You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.3It is clear 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.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Regeneration and True Christian Unity
By Paul Washer2.4K1:17:11JER 31:31JER 31:34JER 32:38MAT 6:33JHN 6:452CO 3:3In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story of being lost on a mountain controlled by terrorists. They prayed for direction and heard a bell and a little boy's voice leading them to a village called San Mateo. Despite the fear of potential danger, they followed the boy and entered the village. The speaker then discusses the concept of the bondage of the will, explaining that a lost person cannot respond to God just as a dead person cannot respond to a doctor. They also talk about the importance of having a willing heart and how God changes and strengthens believers. The sermon concludes with the speaker emphasizing that heaven will not be boring because of the continuous joy and delight in the presence of God.
Are You a Living Epistle?
By Hans R. Waldvogel2.2K34:46Living EpistleEXO 34:28ISA 55:112CO 3:32CO 4:7GAL 5:19HEB 4:12REV 7:9In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a dilapidated house that was bought by a new owner. The new owner completely transformed the house, fixing the foundation and making it beautiful. The speaker compares this transformation to what happens when Jesus comes into our lives. He emphasizes that when Jesus becomes our boss, people will notice a difference in us. The speaker also highlights the importance of repentance and surrendering to the Holy Spirit's guidance in order to be shaped into vessels for God's purpose.
The Glorious Ministration of the Spirit
By Carter Conlon1.8K47:17Holy SpiritMAT 6:331CO 1:181CO 2:41CO 2:161CO 3:62CO 3:32CO 3:5In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of focusing on Christ rather than being distracted by the charisma and self-promotion of human leaders. He warns against being drawn to those who seek to gain personal glory and take advantage of others. The preacher highlights the need to see beyond the veil and have a genuine encounter with God. He emphasizes that when we turn to the Lord, the veil is lifted, and we are able to see Christ clearly. The sermon concludes with the reminder that it is God who brings about transformation and growth, and it is through His presence that we experience true liberty and generosity.
Our Relationship With Christ
By Bill McLeod1.7K54:36Relationship With Christ2CO 3:32CO 12:19EPH 2:10COL 3:111PE 2:12In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of living as a testimony of Jesus Christ. He highlights that as believers, we are constantly being watched by the world, angels, and men. The speaker encourages Christians to walk carefully and circumspectly, knowing that our actions and behavior have an impact on others. He emphasizes that we are the only Bible that the world reads, and therefore, we should strive to live in a way that reflects the character of Christ. The sermon concludes with a reminder that our lives should be radically different as followers of Christ, and we should actively share the gospel and further the kingdom of God.
Where the Spirit Is
By Norman Meeten1.6K1:16:01Spirit Of God2CO 1:182CO 3:12CO 3:32CO 5:12CO 5:13GAL 5:1GAL 5:13In this sermon, the preacher begins by highlighting the harsh realities of life for children in China and Cameroon, emphasizing the bondage and darkness that exists even in sophisticated villages in the United Kingdom. He then focuses on the concept of liberty, explaining that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever one wants, but rather the freedom to live a holy and godly life centered on God and Christ. The preacher emphasizes that this freedom comes from being set free from the manipulation of Satan and the grip of habitual sin. He concludes by emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit in making the promises of God a reality in the lives of believers, guaranteeing and guaranteeing the ongoing working of what Christ has accomplished.
Let Your Light So Shine
By Hans R. Waldvogel1.3K21:55Light Of The WorldMAT 5:142CO 3:3In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ. He encourages the audience to be a light in the world, attracting others to the message of the Gospel. The preacher highlights the power of the Word of God in driving away darkness and transforming lives. He urges the listeners to hold forth the word of life and exhort one another daily, emphasizing the need for continuous spiritual growth and transformation.
Law & Grace
By Don McClure96652:12MAT 5:17LUK 4:18LUK 4:212CO 3:3In this sermon, the preacher begins by discussing how Jesus quoted the Spirit of the Lord and declared that God had anointed him. He then outlines the things Jesus would be doing for the next three years and emphasizes the importance of understanding who Jesus is and how he operates. The preacher explains that the Sermon on the Mount focuses on foundational aspects such as emptying oneself, being filled with the Lord, and having a hunger for Him. The rest of the sermon explores various relationships, including one's relationship with oneself, the world, Satan, money, and trials, and how these relationships should be guided by God's laws.
You Are His Epistle
By Robert Ketcham88236:46Christ LikenessMAT 6:33ROM 8:91CO 2:142CO 3:3EPH 2:10COL 3:171PE 2:9In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of believers being the message of Christ to the world. He uses an anecdote about a man who received the wrong order at a restaurant but accepted it with a smile, illustrating how Christ can be seen through our actions. The preacher explains that Christ accomplishes this by purchasing our bodies and making us His message to the lost. He emphasizes that believers no longer have the right to make their own decisions, but should allow Christ to direct their steps and use them as His instruments. The sermon concludes with a reminder that everything we are in heaven is in Jesus Christ.
Growing in the Grace of God #17 - More Characteristics of New Covenant Living Part 1
By Bob Hoekstra82747:04MAT 6:332CO 1:122CO 2:142CO 3:32CO 3:182CO 4:6In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the ministry of mercy and how God wants to mark us as those who minister by His mercy. The speaker acknowledges that reaching people can be challenging, especially when they seem blind to the message. The enemy uses various tactics to blind people, but our message is the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. The speaker emphasizes the importance of shining the light of Christ into the darkness of the world and appealing to people's conscience.
Sufficiency for Godly Living #3 - Man's Sufficiency vs. God's Sufficiency
By Bob Hoekstra71155:59MAT 6:332CO 3:32CO 3:5HEB 7:18In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of going door-to-door to share the message of God. Initially, they were enthusiastic and organized, but their efforts were met with rejection and disappointment. They realized that their approach was focused on their own efforts and trying to live up to a perfect standard. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the heart in living by God's sufficiency and contrasts it with living under the law. They highlight the need to trust in God's grace and allow Him to write His message of holiness and godliness on our hearts.
The Remnant
By E.L. Bevir0ROM 6:18ROM 7:5ROM 7:102CO 3:3GAL 5:16PHP 2:131TI 1:7HEB 8:10The preacher delves into the concept of 'oldness' in Romans 7:6, describing how it signifies obsoleteness and the state of being controlled by the letter of the law. Believers are now under the dispensation of the Spirit, serving in the spirit rather than in mere external services. The sermon emphasizes the transition from the old state of life under the law to the new covenant where the law is written on believers' hearts, enabling them to serve God in holiness and righteousness through the Spirit's empowerment.
The 'Parchment', the 'Pen', and the Purpose
By T. Austin-Sparks0Living EpistlesTransformation in ChristROM 8:291CO 2:142CO 3:32CO 3:18GAL 4:19EPH 1:18EPH 4:10COL 1:27T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is actively writing the life of Christ within believers, transforming them into living epistles that reflect Jesus' character and experiences. He explains that this inner transformation requires being born again, as only the spiritual man can receive and understand the workings of the Holy Spirit. The sermon highlights that the experiences of believers are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to teach them about Christ, and that true knowledge comes from the heart rather than mere intellectual understanding. Ultimately, the goal is for believers to embody the testimony of Jesus, living out His life through their own. Sparks encourages the congregation to recognize their role as 'People of the Way', following the path of Christ in their daily lives.
Prophecy Spiritually Understood - Pt 4 "Ezekiel and His Brethren"
By Charles Alexander0EZK 37:1MAT 13:10JHN 4:21JHN 10:27ROM 11:262CO 3:3GAL 6:16HEB 7:25HEB 12:22Charles Alexander preaches about the impoverishment the Church has suffered through literalizing theories in the treatment of Ezekiel's prophecies, emphasizing the need to understand the spiritual treasures and wonders of the prophets rather than reducing prophecy to dry bones. He highlights the importance of recognizing the spiritual significance and fulfillment of Ezekiel's visions in Christ, revealing the eternal truths and mysteries hidden within the prophecies. Charles challenges the incompetence of evangelical pulpit exposition and encourages a deeper, spiritual understanding of Ezekiel's prophecies, pointing to the spiritual restoration and fulfillment in the Church of Jew and gentile as the true Israel of God.
What Are You to Christ?
By James Smith0MAT 7:13ROM 8:171CO 6:192CO 3:32CO 5:21HEB 7:251PE 5:7James Smith preaches about the reciprocal love and interest between Christ and His people, emphasizing the Christian's significance to Christ despite imperfections. Believers are the purchase of Christ's blood, the object of His care, the child of His providence, the subject of His intercession, the temple of His Spirit, the epistle of His love, and joint heirs with Him of the eternal inheritance. Unbelievers are urged to consider their enmity towards Jesus and the consequences of rejecting His love and salvation.
Homily 1 on Matthew
By St. John Chrysostom0MAT 1:1JHN 14:26ACT 8:282CO 3:3HEB 8:10John Chrysostom preaches about the importance of embracing the written Word as a second best course after failing to exhibit a life pure enough to rely solely on the grace of the Spirit. He highlights the superiority of the grace of the Spirit over written words, as seen in the lives of saints in the Old and New Testaments. Chrysostom emphasizes the significance of heeding the written Word, comparing the giving of the Old Law at Mount Sinai with the New Covenant given by Christ. He urges the listeners to diligently study the Scriptures, especially the Gospel of Matthew, to understand the mysteries of the heavenly city and the blessings promised by God.
The Law in the Hand of Christ.
By John Gill0Law And GraceChrist as Fulfillment of the LawDEU 10:5PSA 119:96MAT 5:17JHN 4:34ROM 3:31ROM 8:1ROM 10:41CO 9:212CO 3:3HEB 7:22John Gill preaches on 'The Law in the Hand of Christ,' emphasizing that the ark of the covenant symbolizes Christ, who embodies the law and fulfills its demands. He explains how the two tables of stone represent the moral law, which remains unchanged and is fulfilled in Christ, who is both the lawgiver and the one who bears the penalty for sin. Gill highlights that while the law is no longer a covenant of works for believers, it continues to guide them in their conduct under grace. The sermon concludes with the assurance that through Christ, the law is not a source of condemnation but a means of grace and guidance for believers.
December 1. 1678. Letter and Spirit. the Vision of a Roll.
By Jane Lead0PSA 119:18ISA 40:81CO 2:102CO 3:3HEB 4:12REV 3:18Jane Lead preaches about a divine revelation received during a resting trance, where a message from the Prince of Love and Peace was presented on a paper-roll, emphasizing the reconciliation of outward and inward birth through life-union with God in nature. Despite the disappearance of the written inscription, it symbolizes the transient nature of earthly things, while highlighting the eternal imprint of spiritual truths by the Spirit. Believers are encouraged to seek the fresh revelation of God's truth in the Book of Life within them, waiting for divine insight to discern and understand it.
The True Life and the False Life
By T. Austin-Sparks0Discernment of TruthEternal LifeGEN 2:17EXO 25:8PSA 132:3ISA 14:13MAT 18:20LUK 19:10JHN 1:112CO 3:31JN 2:271JN 5:12T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the distinction between true life, which is eternal life found in Jesus Christ, and false life, which is a deceptive imitation offered by Satan. He explains that eternal life governs humanity's destiny, and that our relationship with Jesus determines whether we experience life or death. Sparks highlights the importance of recognizing the true nature of life and the need for believers to discern between the genuine and the counterfeit, especially in a world filled with falsehoods. He also discusses the significance of Mary’s renunciation and her role in bringing God back into the world, illustrating that true service to God is about making space for His presence in our lives.
'life... Promised Before Times Eternal'
By T. Austin-Sparks0Spiritual GrowthEternal LifeJHN 1:4ROM 5:17ROM 8:292CO 3:3T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is writing a spiritual biography of Jesus in the hearts of believers, starting from eternity rather than earthly beginnings. He explains that just as Jesus was born of God before time, so too are believers, linking them to eternal life and a new identity that transcends earthly origins. Sparks highlights the importance of understanding our spiritual journey as one that progresses through stages of infancy, childhood, and manhood, each marked by the governing factor of eternal life. He encourages believers to recognize their true home is in eternity, and that their spiritual growth involves both the joys and trials of life. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a deeper appreciation of the profound truth of being born from above and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in shaping our lives to reflect Christ.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ - Ye are in our hearts, and Christ has written you there; but yourselves are the epistle of Christ; the change produced in your hearts and lives, and the salvation which you have received, are as truly the work of Christ as a letter dictated and written by a man in his work. Ministered by us - Ye are the writing, but Christ used me as the pen; Christ dictated, and I wrote; and the Divine characters are not made with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; for the gifts and graces that constitute the mind that was in Christ are produced in you by the Holy Ghost. Not in tables of stone - Where men engrave contracts, or record events; but in fleshly tables of the heart - the work of salvation taking place in all your affections, appetites, and desires; working that change within that is so signally manifested without. See the parts of this figurative speech: 1. Jesus Christ dictates. 2. The apostle writes. 3. The hearts of the Corinthians are the substance on which the writing is made. And, 4. The Holy Spirit produces that influence by which the traces are made, and the mark becomes evident. Here is not only an allusion to making inscriptions on stones, where one dictates the matter, and another cuts the letters; (and probably there were certain cases where some colouring matter was used to make the inscription the more legible; and when the stone was engraved, it was set up in some public place, as monuments, inscriptions, and contracts were, that they might be seen, known, and read of all men); but the apostle may here refer to the ten commandments, written by the finger of God upon two tables of stone; which writing was an evidence of the Divine mission of Moses, as the conversion of the Corinthians was an evidence of the mission of St. Paul. But it may be as well to take the words in a general sense, as the expression is not unfrequent either in the Old Testament, or in the rabbinical writers. See Schoettgen.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
declared--The letter is written so legibly that it can be "read by all men" (Co2 3:2). Translate, "Being manifestly shown to be an Epistle of Christ"; a letter coming manifestly from Christ, and "ministered by us," that is, carried about and presented by us as its (ministering) bearers to those (the world) for whom it is intended: Christ is the Writer and the Recommender, ye are the letter recommending us. written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God--Paul was the ministering pen or other instrument of writing, as well as the ministering bearer and presenter of the letter. "Not with ink" stands in contrast to the letters of commendation which "some" at Corinth (Co2 3:1) used. "Ink" is also used here to include all outward materials for writing, such as the Sinaitic tables of stone were. These, however, were not written with ink, but "graven" by "the finger of God" (Exo 31:18; Exo 32:16). Christ's Epistle (His believing members converted by Paul) is better still: it is written not merely with the finger, but with the "Spirit of the living God"; it is not the "ministration of death" as the law, but of the "living Spirit" that "giveth life" (Co2 3:6-8). not in--not on tables (tablets) of stone, as the ten commandments were written (Co2 3:7). in fleshy tables of the heart--ALL the best manuscripts read, "On [your] hearts [which are] tables of flesh." Once your hearts were spiritually what the tables of the law were physically, tables of stone, but God has "taken away the stony heart out of your flesh, given you a heart of flesh" (fleshy, not fleshly, that is, carnal; hence it is written, "out of your flesh" that is, your carnal nature), Eze 11:19; Eze 36:26. Compare Co2 3:2, "As ye are our Epistle written in our hearts," so Christ has in the first instance made you "His Epistle written with the Spirit in (on) your hearts." I bear on my heart, as a testimony to all men, that which Christ has by His Spirit written in your heart [ALFORD]. (Compare Pro 3:3; Pro 7:3; Jer 31:31-34). This passage is quoted by PALEY [HorÃ&brvbr PaulinÃ&brvbr] as illustrating one peculiarity of Paul's style, namely, his going off at a word into a parenthetic reflection: here it is on the word "Epistle." So "savor," Co2 2:14-17.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared,.... But lest it should be thought that the apostle attributed too much to himself, by saying that the Corinthians were our epistle; here he says, they were "manifestly declared" to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us; so that the apostles and ministers of the word were only amanuenses, Christ was the author and dictator; yea, he himself is the very matter, sum, substance, and subject of the epistle; he is formed in the hearts of his people in conversion, his image is stamped, his grace is implanted, his word, his Gospel dwells richly, his laws and ordinances are written here; he also is the exemplar, believers are but copies of him, in grace and duty, in sufferings, in the likeness of his death and resurrection: and they are "manifestly declared" to be so, by the impresses of Christ's grace upon them; by the fairness of the copy; by the style and language of the epistle; by their likeness to Christ; by their having not the form only, but the power of godliness; and by their lives and conversations: now in writing these epistles, the ministers of the Gospel are only instruments, "ministered by us". They are made use of to show the sinner the black characters which are written upon him, and that what is written in him, and to be read by him, by the light of nature is not sufficient for salvation; they are employed as instruments in drawing the rough draught of grace in conversion, and in writing the copy over again, fairer and fairer; being the happy means blessed by God, for the building up of souls in faith and holiness, in spiritual knowledge and comfort. These epistles are not written with ink; of nature's power, or of rhetorical eloquence and moral persuasion; but with the Spirit of the living God: every grace that is implanted in the soul is wrought there by the Spirit of God; or he it is that draws every line, and writes every word and letter; he begins, he carries on and finishes the work of grace on the soul; and that as "the Spirit of the living God": hence saints become the living epistles of Christ; and every letter and stroke of his making, is a living disposition of the soul in likeness to him; and such are written among the living in Jerusalem, and shall live and abide for ever as the epistles of Christ: again, the subjects of these epistles, or that on which they are written, are not tables of stone; such as the law was written upon, on Mount Sinai: of these tables there were the first and second; the first were the work of God himself, the latter were hewed by Moses, at the command of God, Exo 32:16 the former being broken when he came down from the mount, which by the Jewish writers are said to be miraculously made, and not by the means and artifice of men (l); yea, that they were made before the creation of the world (m), and which, they commonly say, were made of sapphire; See Gill on Co2 3:7 these, as the latter, were two stones, which, Jarchi says (n), were of an equal size; and were, as Abarbinel says (o), in the form of small tables, such as children are taught to write upon, and therefore are so called: some pretend to give the dimensions of them, and say (p), that they were six hands long, and as many broad, and three thick; nay, even the weight of them, which is said (q) to be the weight of forty "seahs", and look upon it as a miracle that Moses should be able to carry them; on these stones were written the ten commands; and the common opinion of the Jewish writers is, that five were written on one table, and five on the other; this is the opinion of Josephus (r), Philo (s), and the Talmudic writers (t); and the tables are said to be written on both sides, Exo 32:15. Some think that the engraving of the letters perforated and went through the tables, so that, in a miraculous manner, the letters were legible on both sides; others think, only the right and left hand of the tables are meant, on which the laws were written, five on a side, and which folded up like the tables or pages of a book; though others are of opinion, that they were written upon, both behind and before, and that the law was written twice, both upon the fore part and back part of the tables, yea, others say four times; and some think the phrase only intends the literal and mystical, the external and internal sense of the law: however, certain it is, as the apostle here suggests, that the law was written on tables of stone, which may denote the firmness and stability of the law; not as in the hands of Moses, from whence the tables fell and were broken, but as in the hands of Christ, by whom they are fulfilled; or else the hardness of man's heart, his stupidity, ignorance of, and not subject to the law of God: but fleshly tables of the heart: alluding to Eze 36:26 and designs not carnal hearts, but such as are made soft and tender by the Spirit of God. The table of the heart is a phrase to be met with in the books of the Old Testament; see Pro 3:3 and very frequently in the writings of the Jews (u). (l) R. Levi ben Gersom in Pentateuch, fol. 113. 2. (m) Zohar in Exod. fol. 35. 1. (n) Perush in Exod. xxxi. 18. (o) In Pentateuch, fol. 209. 2. & 211. 3. (p) T. Hieres Shekalim, fol. 49. 4. Shemot Rabba, c. 47. fol. 143. 2. Bartenora in Misn. Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 6. (q) Targum Jon. in Exod. xxxi. 18. & in Deut. xxxiv. 12. (r) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 5. sect. 8. (s) De Decalogo, p. 761, 768. (t) T. Hieros. Shekalim, fol. 49. 4. Shemot Rabba, sect. 47. fol. 143. 2. Zohar in Exod. fol. 35. 1. (u) Vid. Targum Jon. in Dent. vi. 5, & in Cant. iv. 9.