2 Corinthians 3:5
New International Version
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

New Living Translation
It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

English Standard Version
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

Berean Standard Bible
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

Berean Literal Bible
Not that we are sufficient from ourselves to reckon anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God,

King James Bible
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

New King James Version
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

New American Standard Bible
Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

NASB 1995
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

NASB 1977
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

Legacy Standard Bible
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

Amplified Bible
Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God.

Christian Standard Bible
It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.

American Standard Version
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Not that we are sufficient to think anything as from ourselves, but our power is from God,

Contemporary English Version
We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.

English Revised Version
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified.

Good News Translation
There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God;

International Standard Version
By ourselves we are not qualified to claim that anything comes from us. Rather, our credentials come from God,

Literal Standard Version
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] of God,

Majority Standard Bible
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

New American Bible
Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God,

NET Bible
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

New Revised Standard Version
Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God,

New Heart English Bible
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

Webster's Bible Translation
Not that we are sufficient by ourselves to think any thing as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

Weymouth New Testament
not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God.

World English Bible
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

Young's Literal Translation
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ministers of a New Covenant
4Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. 6And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.…

Cross References
Genesis 41:16
"I myself cannot do it," Joseph replied, "but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer."

2 Chronicles 30:12
Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.

Romans 15:18
I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

2 Corinthians 2:16
To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.


Treasury of Scripture

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

that.

2 Corinthians 2:16
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Exodus 4:10
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

but.

2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Exodus 4:11-16
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? …

Jeremiah 1:6-10
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child…

Jump to Previous
Able Account Adequate Claim Competent Consider Credit Decide Ourselves Power Reasonings Sufficiency Sufficient Think
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Able Account Adequate Claim Competent Consider Credit Decide Ourselves Power Reasonings Sufficiency Sufficient Think
2 Corinthians 3
1. Lest their false teachers should charge him with vain glory,
2. he shows the faith of the Corinthians to be a sufficient commendation of his ministry.
6. Whereupon entering a comparison between the ministers of the law and of the gospel,
12. he proves that his ministry is so far the more excellent,
17. as the gospel of life and liberty is more glorious than the law of condemnation.














(5) Not that we are sufficient . . .--He had not used the word "sufficient" of himself, but it was clearly the implied answer to the question, "Who is sufficient for these things?" In the Greek there are two different prepositions for the one "of" in English. "Not as though we are sufficient of ourselves to form any estimate as originating with ourselves," would be a fair paraphrase. The habit of mind which led St. Paul to emphasise the shades of meaning in Greek prepositions to an extent hardly to be expressed in English, and not commonly recognised, it may be, in colloquial Greek, is seen again in Romans 11:36.

Is of God.--The preposition is the same as in the second of the two previous clauses. The sufficiency flows from God as its source: originates with him.

Verse 5. - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves. He here reverts to the question asked in 2 Corinthians 2:16. He cannot bear the implication that any "confidence" on his part rests on anything short of the overwhelming sense that he is but an agent, or rather nothing but an instrument, in the hands of God. To think anything as of ourselves. He has, indeed, the capacity to form adequate judgments about his work, but it does not come from his own resources (ἀφ ἑαυτῶν) or his own independent origination (ἐξ ἑαυτῶν); comp. 1 Corinthians 15:10. But our sufficiency. Namely, to form any true or right judgment, and therefore to express the confidence which I have expressed. Is of God. We are but fellow workers with him (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Not
οὐχ (ouch)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

we are
ἐσμεν (esmen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

competent
ἱκανοί (hikanoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2425: From hiko; competent, i.e. Ample or fit.

in
ἀφ’ (aph’)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

ourselves
ἑαυτῶν (heautōn)
Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

to claim that
λογίσασθαί (logisasthai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Strong's 3049: To reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

anything
τι (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

[comes]
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

from
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

us,
ἑαυτῶν (heautōn)
Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

competence
ἱκανότης (hikanotēs)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2426: Sufficiency, ability, power, fitness. From hikanos; ability.

[comes] from
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 3:4
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