Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 3:5

"not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;" — 2 Corinthians 3:5 (ASV)

Paul’s confidence before God in claiming that the Corinthians were a letter written by Christ that validated his apostolic credentials came through Christ (v.1). It was not the product of a pious wish or imagination. Still speaking of this confidence before God, he disowns any ability to form a competent judgment on the results of his own ministry or any personal right to lay claim to the results of what was in reality God’s work. Paul’s confidence came through Christ and his competence came from God.