2 Corinthians 3:1

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
begin	ἄρχομαι árchomai	G756	to commence (in order of time)
again	πάλιν palin	G3825	(adverbially) anew · adverb
commend	συνιστάνειν; sunistanein	G4921	to set together · verb — present active infinitive
ourselves	ἑαυτοὺς he'autous	G1438	him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
or	εἰ ei	G1487	if
we	χρῄζομεν chrēzomen	G5535	to make (i.e. have) necessity · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
as	ὥς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
some	τινες tines	G5100	some or any person or object · indefinite pronoun — nominative plural masculine
epistles	ἐπιστολῶν epistolōn	G1992	a written message · noun — genitive plural feminine
commendation	συστατικῶν sustatikōn	G4956	introductory · adjective — genitive plural feminine
to	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
you	ὑμᾶς hymâs	G5209	you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
of	ἐξ ex	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
commendation	συστατικός systatikós	G4956	introductory
you	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by thems…
2 Corinthians 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefes…
2 Corinthians 5:12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which gl…
Acts 18:27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them…
1 Corinthians 16:3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But…
1 Corinthians 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gos…
1 Corinthians 10:33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 3:1-5

In these verses, I. The apostle makes an apology for seeming to commend himself. He thought it convenient to protest his sincerity to them, because there were some at Corinth who endeavoured to blast his reputation; yet he was not desirous of vain-glory. And he tells them, 1. That he neither needed nor desired any verbal commendation to them, nor letters testimonial from them, as some others did, meaning the false apostles or teachers, Co2 3:1. His ministry among them had, without controversy, been truly great and honourable, how little soever his person was in reality, or how contemptible soever some would have him thought to be. 2. The Corinthians themselves were his real commendation, and…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 3:1

Do we begin again to commend ourselves - By speaking thus of our sincerity, Divine mission, etc., 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 fr…

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John Gill on 2 Corinthians 3:1

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 advan…

The Church Fathers

Paul gently expresses his surprise that the Corinthians are still unaware of the implication of his apostleship.
— Didymus the Blind, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Paul is telling the Corinthians that they should have been commending him without any reminders of this kind.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 301

Paul is not saying this in order to boast but so that the Corinthians will not be seduced by others.
— Pelagius, COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 3

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Epicureans, The — derived their name from Epicurus (342-271 B.C.), a philosopher of Attic descent, whose “Garden” at Athens rivalled in popularity the “Porch” and the “Academy.” The doctrines of Epicurus found wide…
Spirit — (Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means “breath,” and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is…
Letters · Of recommendation — Of recommendation

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Corinthians 3:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 3:1-5

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 3:1

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 3:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Corinthians 3:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 3:1-5

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 3:1

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 3:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 3:1-3