SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:1
¶ ¿Comenzamos otra vez a alabarnos a nosotros mismos? ¿O tenemos necesidad, como algunos, de letras de recomendacin para vosotros, o de recomendacin de vosotros para otros ?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 3:1
Verse 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Do we begin again to commend ourselves ? etc..] 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Even the appearance of self-praise and courting human applause, is painful to the humble and spiritual mind. Nothing is more delightful to faithful ministers, or more to their praise, than the success of their ministry, as shown in the spirits and lives of those among whom the labour. The law of Christ was written in their hearts, and the love of Christ shed abroad there. Nor was it written in tables of stone, as the law of God given to Moses, but on the fleshy (not fleshly, a fleshliness denotes sensuality) tables of the heart, Eze 36:26. Their hearts were humbled and softened to receive this impression, by the new-creating power of the Holy Spirit. He ascribes all the glory to God. And remember, as our whole dependence is upon the Lord, so the whole glory belongs to him alone. The letter killeth: the letter of the law is the ministration of death; and if we rest only in the letter of the gospel, we shall not be the better for so doing: but the Holy Spirit gives life spiritual, and life eternal. The Old Testamen dispensation was the ministration of death, but the New Testament of life. The law made known sin, and the wrath and curse of God; it showe us a God above us, and a God against us; but the gospel makes know grace, and Emmanuel, God with us. Therein the righteousness of God by faith is revealed; and this shows us that the just shall live by his faith; this makes known the grace and mercy of God through Jesu Christ, for obtaining the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The gospel so much exceeds the law in glory, that it eclipses the glory of the legal dispensation. But even the New Testament will be a killin letter, if shown as a mere system or form, and without dependence of God the Holy Spirit, to give it a quickening power.
Greek Textus Receptus
αρχομεθα 756 5731 V-PMI-1P παλιν 3825 ADV εαυτους 1438 F-3APM συνιστανειν 4921 5721 V-PAN {VAR1: ει 1487 COND } {VAR2: η 2228 PRT } μη 3361 PRT-N χρηζομεν 5535 5719 V-PAI-1P ως 5613 ADV τινες 5100 X-NPM συστατικων 4956 A-GPM επιστολων 1992 N-GPF προς 4314 PREP υμας 5209 P-2AP η 2228 PRT εξ 1537 PREP υμων 5216 P-2GP συστατικων 4956 A-GPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Do we begin again. Rev., are we beginning. As if anticipating, the taunt so often repeated, that he had no commendatory letters, and therefore was forced to commend himself by self-laudation and by dishonest means. See ch. iv. 2; x. 12. You will say, "You are beginning again the old strain of self-commendation as in the first epistle." See 1 Corinthians in ix. 15-21.To commend (sunistanai). See on Rom. iii. 5.
Some others. Others is superfluous. The reference is to certain false teachers accredited by churches or by other well-known teachers.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:1 {To commend ourselves?} (heautous sunistanein?). Late (_Koin_) form of sunistemi, to place one with another, to introduce, to commend. Paul is sensitive over praising himself, though his enemies compelled him to do it. {Epistles of commendation} (sustatikwn epistolwn). Late verbal adjective from sunistemi and often in the papyri and in just this sense. In the genitive case here after creizomen. Such letters were common as seen in the papyri (Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 226). N.T. examples of commending individuals by letters occur in #Ac 15:25f.; 18:27 (Apollos), #1Co 16:10f. (Timothy); #Ro 16:1 (Phoebe with the verb sunistemi); #Col 4:10 (Mark); #2Co 8:22f. (Titus and his companion).
