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
Servants of the New Covenant
1Does this sound as if we were again boasting about ourselves? Could it be that, like some other people, we need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. 3#Ex 24.12; Jer 31.33; Ezek 11.19; 36.26It is clear that Christ himself wrote this letter and sent it by us. It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts.
4We say this because we have confidence in God through Christ. 5There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God; 6#Jer 31.31it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 #
Ex 34.29
The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory, 8how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit! 9The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation! 10We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone. 11For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts for ever!
12Because we have this hope, we are very bold. 13#Ex 34.33We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear. 14Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ. 15Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers their minds. 16#Ex 34.34But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: “His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord.”#3.16 Verse 16 may be translated: But the veil is removed whenever someone turns to the Lord. 17Now, “the Lord” in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.