2 Corinthians 3:1

Contextual Overview

¹Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ¹ Does is seem like we are tooting our own horns so that y'all will believe we are who we say we are? Do we really need some letter of introduction or endorsement concerning the things we've done? ¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?¹Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? ¹ Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you? ¹ Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you? ¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ¹ Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? ¹ Do we again begin to recommend ourselves? Unless we need, as some do, recommendatory letters to you, or recommendatory letters from you?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

begin: 2 Corinthians 2:17, 2 Corinthians 5:12, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 12:19, 1 Corinthians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 4:15, 1 Corinthians 10:33

epistles: Acts 18:27, 1 Corinthians 16:3

Reciprocal: Romans 15:18 - which Romans 16:1 - commend 1 Corinthians 9:2 - for 2 Corinthians 10:14 - we stretch not 2 Corinthians 10:18 - not 2 Corinthians 13:3 - which Galatians 1:1 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God sayd vnto the woman: Why hast thou done this? And the woman sayde: the serpent begyled me, and I dyd eate.

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" She said, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said vnto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Do we begin again to commend ourselves?.... The apostle having asserted that he and his fellow ministers always triumphed in Christ, and made manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place; were a sweet savour of Christ to God, did not corrupt the word of God, as some did, but sincerely and faithfully preached Christ; some might insinuate from hence, that he was guilty of arrogance and vain glory; wherefore to remove such a charge, or prevent its being brought, he asks, "do we begin again to commend ourselves?" we do not; what we say, we say honestly, sincerely, in the simplicity of our hearts, without any view to our own glory and applause among men, or for any worldly profit and advantage, or to ingratiate ourselves into your affections; we have no such views: some read these words without an interrogation, "we do begin again to commend ourselves"; as we have done already, in this and the former epistles; and as it is but just and right that we should vindicate our characters, support our good name and reputation, and secure and maintain our credit, which some would maliciously deprive us of:

though we have no need, as some others, of epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you; our persons, characters, and usefulness are too well known, to require commendatory letters front others to you, or from you to others. The false apostles are here struck at, whose practice it was to get letters of commendation from place to place; which they carried about and made use of for their temporal advantage, having nothing truly good and excellent in them to recommend them to others. The apostle does not hereby condemn letters of recommendation, which in proper cases may be very lawfully given, and a good use be made of them; only that he and other Gospel ministers were so well known, as to stand in no need of them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Do we begin again - This is designed evidently to meet an objection. He had been speaking of his triumph in the ministry 2 Corinthians 2:14, and of his sincerity and honesty, as contrasted with the conduct of many who corrupted the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 2:17. It might be objected that he was magnifying himself in these statements, and designed to commend himself in this manner to the Corinthians. To this he replies in the following verses.

To commend ourselves? - To recommend ourselves; do we speak this in our own praise, in order to obtain your favor.

Or need we, as some others - Probably some who had brought letters of recommendation to them from Judea. The false teachers at Corinth had been originally introduced there by commendatory letters from abroad. These were letters of introduction, and were common among the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews, as they are now. They were usually given to persons who were about to travel, as there were no inns. and as travelers were dependent on the hospitality of those among whom they traveled.

Of commendation from you - To other congregations. It is implied here by Paul, that he sought no such letter; that he traveled without them; and that he depended on his zeal, and self-denial, and success to make him known, and to give him the affections of those to whom he ministered - a much better recommendation than mere introductory letters. Such letters were, however, sometimes given by Christians, and are by no means improper, Acts 18:27. Yet, they do not appear to have been sought or used by the apostles generally. They depended on their miraculous endowments, and on the attending grace of God to make them known.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER III.

The apostle shows, in opposition to his detractors, that the

faith and salvation of the Corinthians were sufficient

testimony of his Divine mission; that he needed no letters of

recommendation, the Christian converts at Corinth being a

manifest proof that he was an apostle of Christ, 1-3.

He extols the Christian ministry, as being infinitely more

excellent than that of Moses, 4-12.

Compares the different modes of announcing the truth under the

law and under the Gospel: in the former it was obscurely

delivered; and the veil of darkness, typified by the veil which

Moses wore, is still on the hearts of the Jews; but when they

turn to Christ this veil shall be taken away, 13-16.

On the contrary, the Gospel dispensation is spiritual; leads to

the nearest views of heavenly things; and those who receive it

are changed into the glorious likeness of God by the agency of

his Spirit, 17, 18.

NOTES ON CHAP. III.

Verse 2 Corinthians 3:1. Do we begin again to commend ourselves — By speaking thus of our sincerity, Divine mission, c., is it with a design to conciliate your esteem, or ingratiate ourselves in your affections? By no means.

Or need we - epistles of commendation — Are we so destitute of ministerial abilities and Divine influence that we need, in order to be received in different Churches, to have letters of recommendation? Certainly not. God causes us to triumph through Christ in every place and your conversion is such an evident seal to our ministry as leaves no doubt that God is with us.

Letters of commendation — Were frequent in the primitive Church; and were also in use in the apostolic Church, as we learn from this place. But these were, in all probability, not used by the apostles; their helpers, successors, and those who had not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, needed such letters and they were necessary to prevent the Churches from being imposed on by false teachers. But when apostles came, they brought their own testimonials, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.