Melan denotes the material used for writing, contrasted with writing by the living Spirit or with personal speech.

The attested verses use the term for the material of written communication: it is contrasted with the living Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:3 and with face-to-face speech in 2 John 1:12 and 3 John 1:13.

1. Material used in writing · dominant

   In 2 Corinthians 3:3, the dative singular neuter form occurs in the contrast between a letter written not with this material and the living Spirit of God. In 2 John 1:12 and 3 John 1:13, the genitive singular neuter form belongs to statements about writing rather than coming to speak directly; the APB renders the clauses with "paper and ink" and "ink and pen."

   2 Corinthians 3:32 John 1:123 John 1:13

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term in writing contexts, rendering the relevant clauses as "written not with ink," "with paper and ink," and "with ink and pen." These phrases confirm the clauses' writing context rather than isolate a precise English equivalent in every instance.