What's a Living Letter?

The apostle Paul wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3  "Do we begin again to commend ourselves?  Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?  You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 

What did Paul mean by the term "living letters?" 

The church at Corinth was a problem church.  They had strayed far from the truth of God's word, preached by Paul just a few years previous.  They had even begun to question his apostleship.  Two letters and a personal visit later, Paul had just about straightened them out again by wooing them back to Christ, when he wrote 2 Corinthians. 

Evidently, it was common practice for traveling preachers of the first century to obtain letters of recommendation so that when they traveled they would have "credentials" from known brethren who vouched for their doctrinal purity and virtue.   Paul said that he didn't need any such letters. 

The existence of the church at Corinth was proof enough of Paul's apostleship, his strong doctrinal teaching, his tearful exhortations (Acts 20:31), and his sincerity (2 Corinthians 2:17).  The Corinthians were living proof "known and read by all men" that Paul had delivered the true word of God to them and  had faithfully served them by preaching them the Gospel.

Now they were, Paul declares, living letters.

How can we be living letters?

In the same way the Corinthians were—by having the word of God, preached by Jesus, Paul and the other apostles, and now written in the Bible, written on our hearts.  We need to allow the Bible message shape every aspect of our lives.  By our website, we strive to let others know about the goodness of God, the important lessons of the Bible, how to have a godly family, and the Bible plan of salvation, thereby shaping ourselves and our readers into living letters "written on tablets of the heart." 

This website is called Living Letters because we believe every Christian should be the kind of person described by the words "living letter."  It has been said that the only Bible some people ever read is the life of a Christian.  By living a life of godliness and love toward our fellow man, we can show them what they may never read in the Bible—the reality of serving Jesus.  In similar terms, Paul urged those who would live the Christian life to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

Living letters and living sacrifices—these are the hallmarks of Christianity!