2 Corinthians 3:3

καρδίαις (אABCDGLP) rather than καρδίας (FK, Vulg. Copt. Arm. Syr-Pesh., Iren-Lat. Orig. Chrys.). Westcott and Hort suspect that the second πλαξίν is a primitive clerical error.

3. φανερούμενοι. Nothing need be inserted: being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ. No article: see on 2 Corinthians 2:16. The participles are in logical order; first known as being there, then read by all, then made manifest as an epistle of Christ. He means that Christ is the real giver of the commendatory letter, for it is He who sends the Apostle and his colleagues and gives them success. In these Chapter s φανερόω is frequent; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 7:12.

διακονηθεῖσα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν. Is the διακονία that of the amanuensis (Romans 16:22), or that of the bearer (Acts 15:30; 1 Peter 5:12 probably)? The latter best accords with the idea of dissemination (ὑπὸ πάντων�, 2 Corinthians 3:2): wherever S. Paul went he spoke of his Corinthian friends (2 Corinthians 9:2-3).

οὐ μέλανι … οὐκ ἐν πλαξίν. We might have expected ἐν μεμβράναις (2 Timothy 4:13) or ἐν χάρτῃ (2 John 1:12): but the proverbial opposition between ‘hearts of flesh’ and ‘hearts of stone’ (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33) comes into his mind, together with the thought of God’s writing His law—formerly on tables of stone, now on tables which are hearts of flesh. We may sum the whole up thus: ‘What Christ by the Spirit of God has written on your hearts is written on our hearts as a commendation to all men.’ The Apostle ever “wore his heart on his sleeve.” These two verses (2, 3) should be compared with 2 Corinthians 4:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 6:11-12. In all four places we see S. Paul’s great love for his converts breaking through the subject in hand and coming to the surface. Note the difference between the dative without ἐν and with ἐν, μέλανι and to ἐν πλαξίν; and also between σαρκίναις, balancing λιθίναις, both of which refer to material, and σαρκικαῖς (2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4), which would refer to quality. If we read καρδίαις, not καρδίας (see critical note), the dative is in apposition with πλαξίν: not on tables of stone, but on tables, (which are) hearts of flesh. For ‘ink’ and ‘tables’ see atramentum and tabulae in Dict. of Antiquities. The connexion with what follows seems to be close: yet WH. begin a fresh paragraph with 2 Corinthians 3:4.