2 Corinthians 3
3
1Are we starting to speak well of ourselves again? Or do we need to have some letter of recommendation for you, or from you, as some people do? 2You are our letter, written in our experience with you, that everybody reads and knows about. 3You demonstrate that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us; not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not written on stone slabs but in our living experience as human beings. 4We have total confidence before God through Christ.
5Not that we would consider ourselves able to do this on our own—it's God who gives us this capacity! 6He also gave us the ability to be ministers of a new agreement,#3:6. Or “covenant.” based not on the letter of the law, but on the spirit. The letter of the law kills, but the spirit gives life. 7However, the old way of relating to God, written in letters carved in stone, ended in death, even though it came with God's glory—so much so that the Israelites couldn't even bear to look at Moses' face because it shone so brightly, even though the glory was fading. 8If that was so, shouldn't the new way of relating to God in the Spirit come with even greater glory? 9If the old way that condemns us has glory, the new way that makes us right with God has so much more glory! 10For the old that was once glorious has no glory at all in comparison with the incredible glory of the new. 11If the old that is fading away had glory, the new that continues has so much more glory.
12Since we have such a confident hope, we are truly bold! 13We don't have to be like Moses, who had to put on a veil to cover his face so the Israelites wouldn't be dazzled by the glory, even though it was fading away. 14In spite of that, they had a hard, stubborn attitude. For right up until today when the old agreement is read, the same “veil”#3:14. In other words, they are not able to see clearly. remains. Only through Christ can it be removed. 15Even today, whenever the books of Moses are read, a veil covers their minds. 16But when they turn and accept the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom. 18So all of us, with our faces unveiled, see and reflect the glory of the Lord as in a mirror. We are being transformed into the same mirror image, whose glory grows brighter and brighter. This is what the Lord the Spirit does.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
2 Corinthians 3
3
A Living Letter
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?#tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply (“No, we do not”) which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do we?” 2 You yourselves are our letter,#tn That is, “letter of recommendation.” written on our hearts, known and read by everyone, 3 revealing#tn Or “making plain.” that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us,#tn Grk “cared for by us,” an expression that could refer either to the writing or the delivery of the letter (BDAG 229 s.v. διακονέω 1). Since the following phrase refers to the writing of the letter, and since the previous verse speaks of this “letter” being “written on our [Paul’s and his companions’] hearts” it is more probable that the phrase “cared for by us” refers to the delivery of the letter (in the person of Paul and his companions). written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets#sn An allusion to Exod 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut 9:10-11. but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate#tn Or “competent.” in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy#tn Or “competence.” is from God, 6 who made us adequate#tn Or “competent.” to be servants of a new covenant#sn This new covenant is promised in Jer 31:31-34; 32:40. not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The Greater Glory of the Spirit’s Ministry
7 But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets#tn Grk “on stones”; but since this is clearly an allusion to the tablets of the Decalogue (see 2 Cor 3:3) the word “tablets” was supplied in the translation to make the connection clear. – came with glory, so that the Israelites#tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.” could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face#sn The glory of his face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Decalogue, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was so radiant (Exod 34:29-30). (a glory#tn The words “a glory” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to “glory” has been repeated from the previous clause for clarity. which was made ineffective),#tn Or “which was transitory.” Traditionally this phrase is translated as “which was fading away.” The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning “to render inoperative, ineffective”; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (WUNT 81), 301-13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13. 8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?#tn Grk “how will not rather the ministry of the Spirit be with glory?” 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation,#tn Grk “the ministry of condemnation”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produced condemnation.” how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness#tn Grk “the ministry of righteousness”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produces righteousness.” excel#tn Traditionally, “abound.” in glory! 10 For indeed, what had been glorious now#tn Grk “in this case.” has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it.#tn The words “of what replaced it” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning. 11 For if what was made ineffective#tn Or “what was fading away.” See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7. came with#tn Or “through” (διά, dia). glory, how much more has what remains#tn Or “what is permanent.” come in glory! 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness,#tn Or “we employ great openness of speech.” 13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites#tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” from staring#tn Or “from gazing intently.” at the result#tn Or “end.” The word τέλος (telos) can mean both “a point of time marking the end of a duration, end, termination, cessation” and “the goal toward which a movement is being directed, end, goal, outcome” (see BDAG 998-999 s.v.). The translation accepts the interpretation that Moses covered the glory of his face with the veil to prevent Israel from being judged by the glory of God (see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel [WUNT 81], 347-62); in this case the latter meaning for τέλος is more appropriate. of the glory that was made ineffective.#tn Or “was fading away”; Grk “on the result of what was made ineffective.” The referent (glory) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7. 14 But their minds were closed.#tn Grk “their minds were hardened.” For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read.#tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.#tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.” 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds,#tn Grk “their heart.” 16 but when one#tn Or perhaps “when(ever) he turns,” referring to Moses. turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.#sn An allusion to Exod 34:34. The entire verse may refer to Moses, viewing him as a type portraying the Jewish convert to Christianity in Paul’s day. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present,#tn Grk “where the Spirit of the Lord is”; the word “present” is supplied to specify that the presence of the Lord’s Spirit is emphasized rather than the mere existence of the Lord’s Spirit. there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord,#tn Or “we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.” are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,#tn Grk “from glory to glory.” which is from#tn Grk “just as from.” the Lord, who is the Spirit.#tn Grk “from the Lord, the Spirit”; the genitive πνεύματος (pneumato") has been translated as a genitive of apposition.
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