^{《哥林多後書》}

^3:6他叫我們能承當這新約的執事，不是憑着字句，乃是憑着精意；因為那字句是叫人死，精意（或作：聖靈）是叫人活。

保羅是在論述新約的執事時做這個強烈的對比的。保羅所表達的是：如果是按照舊約的文字去用律法衡量審判人，結果只能是死，因為世人都犯了罪，罪的工價是死。而新約的執事不是憑着這些律法條文，而是憑着精意，而更大的不同是結果和目的，這就是“叫人活”。

這樣的截然不同，是我們理解新約和舊約不同的關鍵。對這個關鍵的理解，是和“精意”緊密相關的。

那麼精意是什麼意思呢？

其實中文譯本已經在括號中做了提示 - 或作：聖靈。如果中譯本直接翻譯成“聖靈是叫人活”，可能會使我們更清晰地知道新約和舊約執事果效的重大不同。

為了確認中文翻成精意的地方確實是聖靈，讓我們看看其他譯本是如何翻譯的。

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.

以上主要的英譯本只有舊版雅各用的小寫，其他都是大寫的靈，也就是特指聖靈。即使雅各版的新版也是使用了“聖靈”。同時，我看到的希臘語和英語字典，也翻譯成聖靈。

由此，根j據這些英譯本，原文和英文字典，尤其是聖經的上下文，我認為這句經文翻譯成“聖靈是叫人活”，或者至少是理解成“聖靈是叫人活”，是更適宜地表述了原文聖經的意思的，也可以使讀者更清楚地知道聖經的教導是什麼 - 是讓我們基督徒在主耶穌為首的教會裡，每天做的都是新約的執事，與聖靈同工，以達到“叫人活”的目的。

弟兄姊妹，讓我們都以“新約的執事”自勉自策，讓我們的言行都符合這個身份，包括在論壇的發言，都是使人得生命，向老我死，每天成聖得造就。

一些分享，與主內弟兄姊妹共勉。