2 Corinthians 3
3
Ministers of the New Covenant
1#Ac 18:27; 2Co 5:12Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men. 3#Ex 24:12; Jer 31:33For you are prominently declared to be the letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on human tablets of the heart.
4#Eph 3:12We have such trust through Christ toward God, 5#1Co 15:10not that we are sufficient in ourselves to take credit for anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6#Lk 22:20; Jn 6:63who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7#Ex 24:12; 31:18If the ministry that brought death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, the glory which was to fade away, 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9#Heb 12:18–21; Ro 3:21–22For if the ministry of condemnation is glorious, the ministry of righteousness much more exceeds it in glory. 10Even that which was made glorious had no glory in comparison to the glory that excels. 11For if that which fades was glorious, that which remains is much more glorious.
12#2Co 7:4; Ac 4:13Seeing then that we have such hope, we speak with great boldness, 13#Ex 34:33–35; 2Co 3:7not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14#Ac 13:15; Ro 11:25Instead, their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the old covenant, the veil which was done away with in Christ. 15But even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is in their hearts. 16#Ex 34:34; Isa 25:7Nevertheless when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17#Gal 4:6; Jn 8:32Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18#Ro 8:29; 1Co 13:12; 2Co 4:4But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.
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Military Bible Association
2 Corinthians 3
3
Ministers of a New Covenant
1Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!] 2You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. [Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15, 16; Jer 31:33]
4Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. 6He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life. [Jer 31:31]
7Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones [the covenant of the Law which led to death because of sin], came with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, [a brilliance] that was fading, [Ex 34:29-35] 8how will the ministry of the Spirit [the new covenant which allows us to be Spirit-filled] fail to be even more glorious and splendid? 9For if the ministry that brings condemnation [the old covenant, the Law] has glory, how much more does glory overflow in the ministry that brings righteousness [the new covenant which declares believers free of guilt and sets them apart for God’s special purpose]! 10Indeed, what had glory [the Law], in this case no longer has glory because of the glory that surpasses it [the gospel]. 11For if that [Law] which fades away came with glory, how much more must that [gospel] which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
12Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident expectation, we speak with great courage, 13and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze at the end of the glory which was fading away. 14But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ. 15But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart; 16but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. [Is 61:1, 2] 18And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
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