Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Ver. 6. Not of the letter] To wit, of the law, which requireth perfect obedience, presupposing holiness in us, and cursing the disobedient; but the gospel (called here the Spirit) presupposeth unholiness, and, as an instrument, maketh us holy,John 17:17; Acts 10:32. For we preach Christ,1 Corinthians 1:23. We give what we preach. The Spirit is received by the preaching of faith, Galatians 3:2. This manna is rained down in the sweet dews of the ministry of the gospel, 1 Peter 1:22 .
For the letter killeth] Many popish priests, that hardly ever had seen, much less read, St Paul's writings, having gotten this sentence by the end, "The letter killeth," took care of being killed, by not meddling with good literature. Hence that of Sir Thomas Moore to one of them,
" Tu bene cavisti, ne te ulla occidere possit
Littera: nam nulla est littera nota tibi. "