2 Corinthians 3
3
A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh
1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.
3It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God—
5not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.
6He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.
7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory—although it was passing away—
8how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious?
9For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory.
10For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.
11For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.
12Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness.
13We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away.
14But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away.
15But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart.
16But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom.
18But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
2 Corinthians 3
3
Living Letters
1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.#1Co 9:2 3You show that you are Christ’s letter,#Phm 13 delivered#3:3 Lit ministered to by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God#Dt 5:26 — not on tablets of stone#Ex 24:12 but on tablets of human hearts.#3:3 Lit fleshly hearts#Pr 3:3; 7:3; Jr 17:1; 31:33; Ezk 11:19; 36:26; Heb 8:10
Paul’s Competence
4Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. 5It is not that we are competent in#3:5 Lit from ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.#1Co 15:10 6He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,#Lk 22:20; Heb 7:22 not of the letter,#Rm 7:6 but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
New Covenant Ministry
7Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,#Ex 34:29–35; Mk 10:37; Lk 9:32; Jn 17:24; 2Co 3:18; 2Pt 3:18 so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside, 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. 10In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. 11For if what was set aside#Heb 2:14 was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.
12Since, then, we have such a hope,#1Th 1:3 we act with great boldness. 13We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face#Ex 34:33 to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the end#3:13 Or at the outcome of the glory of what was being set aside, 14but their minds were hardened.#Mk 8:17; Heb 3:13 For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,#Ac 13:15; 15:21; Heb 7:22 the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.#Rm 16:7; 1Pt 5:14 15Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, 16but whenever a person turns#1Pt 2:25 to the Lord, the veil is removed.#Ex 34:34 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at#3:18 Or are reflecting#1Co 13:12 the glory of the Lord#Jn 17:24; 2Co 1:20; 4:4–6; 1Tm 1:11,17 and are being transformed#Mk 9:2 into the same image#Gn 1:27; 1Jn 3:2 from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.#3:18 Or from the Spirit of the Lord, or from the Lord, the Spirit
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