2 Corinthians 3
3
God's New Agreement
1Are we once again bragging about ourselves? Do we need letters to you or from you to tell others about us? Some people do need letters telling about them. 2But you are our letter, and you are in our#3.2 our: Some manuscripts have “your.” hearts for everyone to read and understand. 3#Ex 24.12; Jr 31.33; Ez 11.19; 36.26. You are like a letter written by Christ and delivered by us. But you are not written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. You are written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God.
4We are sure about all this. Christ makes us sure in the very presence of God. 5We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do. 6#Jr 31.31. He makes us worthy to be the servants of his new agreement that comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a written Law. After all, the Law brings death, but the Spirit brings life.
7 #
Ex 34.29. The Law of Moses brought only the promise of death, even though it was carved on stones and given in a wonderful way. Still the Law made Moses' face shine so brightly the people of Israel could not look at it, even though it was a fading glory. 8So won't the agreement the Spirit brings to us be even more wonderful? 9If something that brings the death sentence is glorious, won't something that makes us acceptable to God be even more glorious? 10In fact, the new agreement is so wonderful that the Law is no longer glorious at all. 11The Law was given with a glory that faded away. But the glory of the new agreement is much greater, because it will never fade away.
12This wonderful hope makes us feel like speaking freely. 13#Ex 34.33. We are not like Moses. His face was shining, but he covered it to keep the people of Israel from seeing the brightness fade away. 14The people were stubborn, and something still keeps them from seeing the truth when the Law is read. Only Christ can take away the covering that keeps them from seeing.
15When the Law of Moses is read, they have their minds covered over 16#Ex 34.34. with a covering that is removed only for those who turn to the Lord. 17The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord's Spirit sets us free. 18#4 Macc 9.22. So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
2 Corinthians 3
3
Servants of God’s New Agreement
1Why are we beginning again to tell you all these good things about ourselves? Do we need letters of introduction to you or from you, like some other people? 2No, you yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts. It is known and read by all people. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ that he sent through us. This letter is not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on stone#3:3 stone Meaning the law that God gave to Moses, which was written on stone tablets. Also in verse 7. See Ex. 24:12; 25:16. tablets but on human hearts.
4We can say this, because through Christ we feel sure before God. 5I don’t mean that we are able to do anything good ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do. 6He made us able to be servants of a new agreement from himself to his people. It is not an agreement of written laws, but it is of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
An Agreement With Greater Glory
7The old agreement#3:7 agreement In verses 7-11 literally, “service” or “ministry.” that brought death, written with words on stone, came with God’s glory. In fact, the face of Moses was so bright with glory (a glory that was ending) that the people of Israel could not continue looking at his face. 8So surely the new agreement that comes from the life-giving Spirit has even more glory. 9This is what I mean: That old agreement judged people guilty of sin, but it had glory. So surely the new agreement that makes people right with God has much greater glory. 10That old agreement had glory. But it really loses its glory when it is compared to the much greater glory of the new agreement. 11If the agreement that was brought to an end came with glory, then the agreement that never ends has much greater glory.
12We are so sure of this hope that we can speak very openly. 13We are not like Moses, who put a covering over his face. He covered his face so that the people of Israel would not see it. The glory was disappearing, and Moses did not want them to see it end. 14But their minds were closed. And even today, when those people read the writings of the old agreement,#3:14 old agreement See “agreement” in the Word List. Here, “old agreement” is used to mean the Law of Moses on which that agreement was based. that same covering hides the meaning. That covering has not been removed for them. It is taken away only through Christ. 15Yes, even today, when they read the Law of Moses, there is a covering over their minds. 16But when someone changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away. 17The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
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