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When trying harder still leaves you discouraged, what does God offer instead? In this episode, Krisan turns to 2 Corinthians 3:1–6 to explore Paul’s defense of his ministry and his astonishing claim to be a “minister of a new covenant.” Along the way, she shows how this new covenant does not simply give us better instructions or more spiritual effort—it gives us new hearts, written on by the Spirit of the living God.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why “try harder Christianity” leaves so many believers frustrated, and how Paul addresses that struggle in 2 Corinthians 3
• Paul’s question about “letters of recommendation” and how the Corinthian believers themselves function as his living letter
• What it means for the Corinthians to be a “letter from Christ,” written not with ink but by the Spirit on human hearts
• The contrast between tablets of stone and hearts of flesh, and how that echoes key Old Testament promises in Deuteronomy 30, Ezekiel 36, and Jeremiah 31
• What Paul means by the “new covenant,” and how it fulfills God’s long-standing promise to forgive sin and transform the heart
• The true meaning of “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” and why it’s not about breaking the “letter” but keeping the “spirit” of the rules
• A careful look at Victorious Christian Life / Keswick teaching and why it misreads this passage and misunderstands the role of the Holy Spirit
• How Paul can say he is “not sufficient” in himself, yet boldly claim that God has made him sufficient as an apostle—and why that matters for how we read his letters today

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of what is truly new about the new covenant: not a fresh technique for spiritual success, but God’s promise to forgive, to give His Spirit, and to change His people from the inside out. You’ll be invited to lay down the burden of self-improvement as your primary hope, and instead rest in the God who not only points you toward life, but is actively making you into the kind of person who loves Him and walks in His ways.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.