Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:11-16
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.
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness 2Cor3:6-9
Moses stated obeying the law handed down would not be too difficult for the people or beyond their reach. Yet Paul stated, referring to the law engraved in stone it was the letter that killed, the ministry of death and condemnation. Why the difference? Moses was referring to what we might say is the Spirit of the law. The peoples lives could generally reflect obedience to how God wanted them to live, but though that is true, they never would perfectly obey in their humanity, hence the animal sacrifices for sin were included with the law. That was not beyond peoples reach
Paul on the other hand is referring to obeying the letter of the law. ‘’thou shalt not’’ no wiggle room for error. Perfect obedience of the ten commandments or stand guilty before them. In that sense the letter killlls, for no one can or will perfectly obey the letter of the law
This is more Protestant candy land fantasy mumbo jumbo.
Protestants today misinterpret 2 Corinthians 3:6.
It says,
“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.” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Now, this verse is not saying that we are to interpret Scripture in a literal way over some overly spiritualistic interpretation (i.e. read the Bible as metaphor when it does not align with what you like to hear). The letter that kills is in reference to the Torah or the Old Testament Law of Moses (the 613 Laws of Moses given to Israel). The context is referring to the two different ways each of these covenants began and it's not talking about the letter in general like the literal commands of Jesus or His followers.
The Old Covenant Law of Moses BEGAN with the letter with the two tablets of stone, and the written Torah.
The New Covenant BEGAN with the audible words of Jesus Christ, and His apostles, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not by the letter like with the Law of Moses. That is the point Paul was making. We are now under a New Covenant (Which means we are to serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter - Romans 7:6). The oldness of the letter is the Torah or the Old Testament Law of Moses. We are not to serve by looking to the Law of Moses. Yes, all believers (who are truly faithful) are guided by the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is not going to guide us into any wrongdoing, but the Spirit is going to guide us to obey what the New Testament says. The Spirit is not going to guide us into obeying the whole of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses as a whole or package deal is no more.
The context of 2 Corinthians 3:6 shows the differences of the two covenants.
2 Corinthians 3:3, 2 Corinthians 3:7, 2 Corinthians 3:12-17 says,
[3] “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. [7] But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [12] Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: [13] And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: [14] But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. [15] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. [16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. [17] Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
The context is not saying for us to look at Scripture in a non-literal way and if you do it will bring death. The point Paul was making is that the Old Law is no more. For in the Old Law it did bring death because if somebody disobeyed God's commands in the Old Testament, you could be stoned and or killed physically by God's people (the Israelites). This does not mean we can turn God's grace into a license for immorality by saying that Jesus paid for all future sin or by just believing in Jesus alone for salvation. This is not to oversimplify God's commands in loving God and others in a way that we want when God has given us more than just the two greatest commands. In fact, obeying the 400 approximate commands in the New Testament is a partial fulfillment of the 1st greatest commandment. For to love God with all your heart is to keep His commandments. For Jesus says if you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Just painting a broad brush stroke of loving God and your neighbor without truly seeking to obey all of what God says in His Word is to simply follow our own way of thinking vs. simply following what God's Word says.
