The Third Epistle to the Corinthians (M. R. James Translation) 3 Corinthians – Chapter 3

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Sep 09, 2025 1 Min Read

Stand ye therefore steadfast in the tradition which ye have received from me, whether by word or by epistle,
for the enemies of the cross wish to pervert the truth of the gospel.
They deny the law and the prophets, they blaspheme God Almighty, they deny the resurrection of the flesh, and they say that the world is not the work of God, but of angels.
Ye know that I have not omitted to teach you all the counsel of God.
Therefore, brethren, do not be deceived by these vain words: for when God made the world, he made it out of nothing;
and he formed man in his own image;
and the sun and the moon and the stars also, he prepared for the service of man,
that they might not be worshipped, neither be served, but that man might serve the God who made them.
I am not afraid of these things, for I have learnt from the Lord Jesus Christ that what I write to you is true.

II.

See that ye do not walk in the vanity of these men, but keep yourselves from their error.
And may the God of all grace, who hath called us in his Son Jesus Christ, keep your hearts untroubled, and confirm you in his peace even unto the end.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

This final chapter is largely an exhortation—urging the Corinthians to:
- Stand firm in the apostolic tradition (v. 1).
- Reject teachings that deny creation, resurrection, or the incarnation.
- Avoid worship of celestial bodies (v. 7–8)—a theme also in Romans 1:25 and Deut 4:19.
It closes in a Pauline benediction style, mirroring endings in canonical letters (e.g., 2 Thess 2:15–17).