3:6 What does "the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life" mean?

This statement has been used by many in the church to teach that Christians should not focus on the literal meaning of scripture (the letter), but on its underlying intention (the Spirit). But it has nothing to do with that whatever. Paul is contrasting the old and New Covenants here, distinguishing between the ministries under each (CP V7-9). The ministration of death in V7 refers to the Old Covenant law of Moses "written and engraven in stones" (CP Ex 34:27-35).

This is the "letter that killeth" in 2Cor 3:6 - the letter of the law. No one could satisfy the demands of the law under the Old Covenant and so it condemned them to death (CP Psa 143:1-2; Ro 3:19-20; 7:9-11; Ga 3:10-11). The ministry of the Spirit under the New Covenant is entirely different, because the New Covenant is a covenant of grace, entered into through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, God's son, who has made possible for all who believe on Him that which was impossible under the law (CP Ac 13:38-39; Ro 3:21-26; 7:5-6; 8:1-4; Ga 2:16).

In contrast to the Old Covenant law which made demands but gave no one the power to satisfy them, the ministry of the Spirit under the New Covenant actually causes those who believe on Jesus to walk in the way of God's commandments (CP Ro 6:1-2, 17-18; 2Cor 3:18; Col 2:8-13; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:3-4). This could never be achieved under the law and that is why God made a New Covenant (CP Jer 31:31-34 and Eze 36:25-27 with He 7:18-25; 8:1-13; 9:11-15; 10:1-10).

Paul's primary purpose in contrasting the old and the New Covenants and distinguishing between the ministries under each is to highlight the glorious character of the New Covenant (CP 2Cor 3:7-10). The reason the New Covenant exceeds the old in glory is because the old was only for a time - it was a shadow or type of the new (CP V11 and 13 with Ro 10:4; Ga 3:19-25; He 9:8-10; 10:1). The New Covenant is for all time (CP Mt 26:28-29; He 7:14-17).

In closing here it needs to be stressed that in contrasting the old and the New Covenants Paul is not demeaning the value of Old Testament scriptures in Christian life and ministry. They still stand for our example (CP Ro 15:4; 1Cor 10:1-11; 2Ti 3:16-17; He 4:1-11). See also comments on Mt 5:17-19; Ro 10:4; 2Cor 3:12-16; Eph 2:15-16(A); Col 2:14; He 7:18-19 and 8:8 and see also author's study The Old Covenant - Fulfilled in Christ and Completely Abolished in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).

2 Corinthians