3:5 sufficient. Paul answers the question of 2:16 (“Who is sufficient for these things?”). Earlier he had disavowed any dependence on merely human ability (1 Cor. 2:1–5). Unfortunately, Paul’s opponents valued worldly ability more than the sufficiency that comes from God alone.

our sufficiency is from God. A major theme of 2 Corinthians. All ability and power in ministry comes from God, not from ourselves.