2COR 3:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Not that we are sufficient from ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves. Instead, our sufficiency is from God,

UST Of course, we cannot proclaim the good news well on our own, and we do not think that anything we do well is because of us. Rather, God enables us to proclaim the good news well.

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

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

AICNT Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

OEB I do not mean that we are fit to form any judgment by ourselves, as if on our own authority;

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

WMBB (Same as above)

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

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

FBV Not that we would consider ourselves able to do this on our own—it's God who gives us this capacity!

TCNT Not that we are competent in and of ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

T4T We (exc), by ourselves, do not have the ability to do this work. None of us apostles can say, “I have changed the lives of these people.” God is the one who has given us this ability.

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

BBE Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;

Moff No Moff 2COR book available

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

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

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

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

Drby not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of [fn]God;

3.5 Elohim

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

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

KJB-1769 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
(Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; )

KJB-1611 Not that wee are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues: but our sufficiencie is of God:
(Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke anything as of our selves: but our sufficiencie is of God:)

Bshps Not that we are sufficiet of our selues to thynke any thyng as of our selues: but our ablenesse is of God,
(Not that we are sufficiet of our selves to think anything as of our selves: but our ablenesse is of God,)

Gnva Not that we are sufficient of our selues, to thinke any thing, as of our selues: but our sufficiencie is of God,
(Not that we are sufficient of our selves, to thinke anything, as of our selves: but our sufficiencie is of God, )

Cvdl not that we are sufficient of oure selues to thynke eny thinge, as of oure selues, but oure ablenesse commeth of God,
(not that we are sufficient of our selves to think anything, as of our selves, but our ablenesse cometh/comes of God,)

TNT not that we are sufficient of oure selves to thinke enythinge as it were of oure selves: but oure ablenes cometh of God
(not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke anything as it were of our selves: but our ablenes cometh/comes of God )

Wycl not that we ben sufficient to thenke ony thing of vs, as of vs, but oure sufficience is of God.
(not that we been sufficient to thenke any thing of us, as of us, but our sufficience is of God.)

Luth Nicht daß wir tüchtig sind von uns selber, etwas zu denken als von uns selber, sondern daß wir tüchtig sind, ist von GOtt,
(Nicht that we/us tüchtig are from us/to_us/ourselves selber, etwas to denken als from us/to_us/ourselves selber, rather that we/us tüchtig are, is from God,)

ClVg non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis, quasi ex nobis: sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est:[fn]
(non that sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid from nobis, as_if from nobis: but sufficientia nostra from Deo it_is: )

3.5 Non quod sufficientes. AUG., lib. 2, contra duasepist. Pelag., c. 8. Quis non videat prius esse cogitare quamcredere? Nullus quippe credit aliquid nisi prius cogitaverit esse credendum. Quanquam et ipsum credere nihil est aliud, quam cum assensione cogitare. Si ergo cogitare bonum non est ex nobis, nec credere. Sed sufficientia. Attendant hic et verba ista perpendant, qui putant ex nobis esse fidei cœptum, et ex Deo ejus supplementum. Commendat enim gratiam, quæ non datur secundum aliqua merita, sed efficit omnia bona merita.

3.5 Non that sufficientes. AUG., lib. 2, on_the_contrary duasepist. Pelag., c. 8. Who not/no videat first/before esse cogitare quamcredere? Nullus quippe he_believes aliquid nisi first/before cogitaverit esse credendum. Quanquam and ipsum credere nihil it_is something_else, how when/with assensione cogitare. When/But_if therefore cogitare bonum not/no it_is from nobis, but_not credere. But sufficientia. Attendant this and words ista perpendant, who putant from us esse of_faith cœptum, and from Deo his supplementum. Commendat because gratiam, which not/no datur after/second aliqua merita, but efficit everything good merita.

UGNT οὐχ ὅτι ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ’ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ,
(ouⱪ hoti af’ heautōn hikanoi esmen logisasthai ti hōs ex heautōn, all’ haʸ hikanotaʸs haʸmōn ek tou Theou,)

SBL-GNT οὐχ ὅτι ⸂ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν⸃ λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ⸀αὑτῶν, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,
(ouⱪ hoti ⸂afʼ heautōn hikanoi esmen⸃ logisasthai ti hōs ex ⸀hautōn, allʼ haʸ hikanotaʸs haʸmōn ek tou theou,)

TC-GNT οὐχ ὅτι [fn]ἱκανοί ἐσμεν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ [fn]ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ·
(ouⱪ hoti hikanoi esmen af heautōn logisasthai ti hōs ex heautōn, all haʸ hikanotaʸs haʸmōn ek tou Theou; )

3:5 ικανοι εσμεν αφ εαυτων ¦ αφ εαυτων ικανοι εσμεν CT

3:5 ἑαυτῶν ¦ αὑτῶν SBL WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

God’s New Covenant

God had promised to establish a new covenant with his people (Jer 31:31-34). This new covenant was initiated by Christ (see Luke 22:19-20), who removes the veil associated with the old covenant (2 Cor 3:14). Using the creation story of Genesis 1–2, Paul explains how the God of creation is also the God of the new creation (2 Cor 4:4-6; 5:17). God is now revealed in Christ, who brings God close to us.

In the new covenant, God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is also our Father because he has enabled us to be adopted as his children (2 Cor 1:3; Gal 3:26–4:7). He is the faithful God whose Old Testament promises are fulfilled in the Messiah (2 Cor 1:18-22). And he is the author of reconciliation (5:18-21), as Christ became the means by which God won the sinful world back to himself. Jesus Christ became one with sinful humankind (see 8:9) and released God’s saving power and righteousness to restore the broken relationship between God and the world.

Under the new covenant, God sends his Spirit to dwell among his people. The Spirit gives believers life, freedom, and the ability to conform to Christ (3:6, 17-18). The Spirit unites us to Christ and serves as the guarantee of our complete salvation in the resurrection (1:22; 5:1-5), when believers’ mortal bodies will be transformed into glorified bodies (1 Cor 15:42-57). Paul gives a full account of this hope in 2 Cor 5:1-10. This will be the final outcome of the new covenant that God has established for his people.

Passages for Further Study

Gen 9:1-17; 12:1-9; 15:1-21; Exod 19:3-6; 2 Sam 7:5-16; 1 Chr 10:13-14; Isa 59:20-21; 65:17-25; Jer 2:1–3:10; 31:31-34; Matt 26:27-29; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:23-32; 2 Cor 3:4-18; 4:4-6; Heb 8:6-13; 9:11-28; 10:1-25; 12:18-24

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

οὐχ

not

Here, the word Not introduces a contrast with what Paul said in the previous verse about confidence (See: 3:4). He wishes to clarify that the confidence is not based on human abilities but on God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast. Alternate translation: “But it is not” or “However, it is not”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἑαυτῶν & ἐσμεν & ἑαυτῶν & ἡμῶν

ourselves & ˱we˲_are & ourselves & ˱of˲_us_‹is›

Here, just as in 3:1–4, the words we, ourselves, and our do not include the Corinthians. They could refer to: (1) Paul and those who proclaim the gospel with him. Alternate translation: “we who preach the gospel are … ourselves … ourselves … our” (2) just Paul. Alternate translation: “I am … myself … myself … my”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί & ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν

from ourselves worthy & the qualified ˱of˲_us_‹is›

Here Paul does not state what they are not sufficient to do. He implies that it is serving God by preaching the gospel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “sufficient in preaching the gospel from ourselves … our sufficiency for this task”

ἑαυτῶν & λογίσασθαί

ourselves & /to/_reckon

Here, the phrase to consider introduces an explanation or elaboration of what sufficient from ourselves means. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an explanation or elaboration. Alternate translation: “ourselves, that is, we do not consider” or “ourselves, so that we consider”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τι

anything

Here, the word anything refers to whatever they do to serve God well. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “anything we do preach the gospel” or “whatever we do well”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ

the qualified ˱of˲_us_‹is› of ¬the God

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of sufficiency, you could express the idea by using an adjective such as “sufficient.” Alternate translation: “God makes us sufficient”

Parallel 2COR 3:5