^{《哥林多后书》}

^3:6他叫我们能承当这新约的执事，不是凭着字句，乃是凭着精意；因为那字句是叫人死，精意（或作：圣灵）是叫人活。

保罗是在论述新约的执事时做这个强烈的对比的。保罗所表达的是：如果是按照旧约的文字去用律法衡量审判人，结果只能是死，因为世人都犯了罪，罪的工价是死。而新约的执事不是凭着这些律法条文，而是凭着精意，而更大的不同是结果和目的，这就是“叫人活”。

这样的截然不同，是我们理解新约和旧约不同的关键。对这个关键的理解，是和“精意”紧密相关的。

那么精意是什么意思呢？

其实中文译本已经在括号中做了提示 - 或作：圣灵。如果中译本直接翻译成“圣灵是叫人活”，可能会使我们更清晰地知道新约和旧约执事果效的重大不同。

为了确认中文翻成精意的地方确实是圣灵，让我们看看其他译本是如何翻译的。

New International Version (©1984)
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

New Living Translation (©2007)
He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

English Standard Version (©2001)
who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

International Standard Version (©2012)
who has also qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, which is not written but spiritual, because the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

New King James Version (NKJV)

who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;^[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

以上主要的英译本只有旧版雅各用的小写，其他都是大写的灵，也就是特指圣灵。即使雅各版的新版也是使用了“圣灵”。同时，我看到的希腊语和英语字典，也翻译成圣灵。

由此，根j据这些英译本，原文和英文字典，尤其是圣经的上下文，我认为这句经文翻译成“圣灵是叫人活”，或者至少是理解成“圣灵是叫人活”，是更适宜地表述了原文圣经的意思的，也可以使读者更清楚地知道圣经的教导是什么 - 是让我们基督徒在主耶稣为首的教会里，每天做的都是新约的执事，与圣灵同工，以达到“叫人活”的目的。

弟兄姊妹，让我们都以“新约的执事”自勉自策，让我们的言行都符合这个身份，包括在论坛的发言，都是使人得生命，向老我死，每天成圣得造就。

一些分享，与主内弟兄姊妹共勉。