"we must depend utterly on God"

"And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not the we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God who made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3:4-6).

As Christians we are not a people of the book, as is commonly supposed. We are the people of the resurrected and living Lord, who remains present among us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The letter kills because we cannot live according to the letter (of the Law, that is). "This passage holds out great hope for Christian ministry. 'Who is sufficient for these things?' ([2 Cor.] 2:16) - the one who places trust through Christ in God (v. 4). The minister gives his all in study and service, but ultimately human power is not sufficient for ministry or for salvation: we must depend utterly upon God" (Orthodox Study Bible, pg. 409- footnote to 2 Cor. 3:4-6).