2 Corinthians 3
3
1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you?
2You are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men:
3Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.
4And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God.
5Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.
6Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth.
7Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious; so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which is made void:
8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?
9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.
10For even that which was glorious in this part was not glorified, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is in glory.
12Having therefore such hope, we use much confidence:
13And not as Moses put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the face of that which is made void.
14But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void).
15But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
16But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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