The Letter Kills, But the Spirit gives Life
If you have spent any considerable period of time in Church circles, you cannot but be familiar with the following statement, the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. What you may not be familiar with is its real meaning, because that statement is usually used in an attempt to manipulate those who are faithful to what is written. It is usually used to present a dichotomy of the “letter of the Word” against the “spirit of the Word”.
For example, recently a regular defender of apostate preachers commented as follows:
You can colour in as mush scripture to back what you are doing to the letter of the word and still totally miss the spirit of the Word!
That is exactly the kind of context in which the phrase, the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life, is used by people who refuse to rightly divide the Word of truth. Let us see where that phrase has been extracted from:
2 Corinthians 3:1-11
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
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.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
We see that there is a context in which it is used. However, by extracting it out of its context, compromised Christians make it say what it does NOT say. Let us examine what the Holy Spirit actually inspired apostle Paul to say.
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
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.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
See what Paul was comparing:
- laws written with ink versus those written with the Spirit of God
- laws in tables of stone versus fleshly tables of the heart
- ministration of death written in stone versus the ministration of the Spirit
- the old covenant versus the new
Here it is clearly: Paul was comparing the Law of Moses (laws written in ink, in tablets of stone, and ministration of death) with Life in Christ (laws written with the Spirit in tables of the heart, and the ministration of the Spirit). The “letter” is the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant that passed away. The “spirit” is Life in Christ, the New Covenant that the believer enjoys.
Nowhere does the Bible teach that there is such a thing as the “letter of the word” and the “spirit of the word”. To a believer, the Letter (the Law of Moses) is death: we cannot practice the Law as believers. That was why Paul was very strong-worded in his letter to the Galatians. He was saying that by going back to the Law they were subjecting themselves to death!
We teach the Law to show people their sins, the depravity of their hearts and the utter hopelessness of their own efforts to attain righteousness. Then we teach them the Gospel of Jesus to bring them into the light. But we cannot live by the Law – for the letter written on graven stones is a ‘ministration of death’ to the believer.
That is why the apostle said that God “has made us able ministers of the new testament” (verse 6). The life of the believer is one built and based on the new covenant, sealed with the incorruptible blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The “Spirit” is the life we have in Christ, and is encapsulated in what has been written down for us as the entire revelation of God and His plan of redemption in the Bible. That is the “Spirit”. This entire and complete revelation is the “Spirit” that gives life. This revelation has been written down for us. People read it and get saved! Why? It is spirit. When I study my Bible and read the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles, for example, I receive life. Those very words are Spirit. Jesus said:
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
See? God does NOT say what He does not mean. He is NOT stupid. Jesus did not say that there is a letter of the word and there is a spirit. The apostles did not teach such nonsense either. If you stick with the letter (as in the written words), you have the Spirit and are in the Spirit. To walk in the written word is to walk in the Spirit. You will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh by so doing.
I grieve everyday as people who claim to belong to God malign and misrepresent Him. For whatever reason they do it, it is evil! And God will answer people who do this with judgement someday, if they will not repent.
I grieve and shed tears as men twist Scriptures for their personal gain. They claim to win souls but only make those souls twice as fit for hell with their gross distortions and abuse of the Bible. Because those souls too will not study and be diligent, they swallow everything those men say. And instead of defending the One they claim is their Lord and Saviour, they defend men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth (1 Timothy 6:5) – men who have no love for God or they would not be lying in His name.
But when we agree with what is written, we are in the Spirit and we are walking in love.
The Bible says that men who are not in Christ are condemned. I agree. I am walking in the spirit and in love by agreeing with and obeying that.
That same Bible says that men who teach and practice things contrary to what Jesus and the apostles taught are apostate. I am bold to also agree with that. The Bible tells us to refute their errors and pernicious ways. I agree and will obey. The Bible says to warn people about these wolves. I agree and will obey. And I am walking in the spirit and in love by obeying that which is written.
Shame on those who twist God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15), for they received not the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Those who defend those the Bible stamps as godless and apostate may expect to share in their lot. True believers owe no apologies on this point and offer none.
The Law certainly brings spiritual death, but the Spirit of Christ (encapsulated in the words delivered to us) indeed gives life. Obeying the words of Jesus and the apostles is life and brings life. Those who refuse to agree with and obey those words are walking in darkness, though with their lips they may claim to have the life of Christ.
James 1:21-25
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
