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, recognized and read by everyone. # 1Co 9:2 3It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, # Phm 13 produced # Lit ministered to by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God # Dt 5:26 — not on stone tablets # Ex 24:12 but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. # Pr 3:3; 7:3; Jr 17:1; 31:33; Ezk 11:19; 36:26; Heb 8:10
Paul’s Competence
4We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. 5It is not that we are competent in # Lit from ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence 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 produces life.
New Covenant Ministry
7Now if the ministry of 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 look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face — a fading glory — 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of 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 fading away # Heb 2:14 was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.
12Therefore, having such a hope, # 1Th 1:3 we use great boldness. 13We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face # Ex 34:33 so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, 14but their minds were closed. # Lit their thoughts 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 15Even to this day, 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 # 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; # Progressive glorification or sanctification this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. # Or from the Spirit of the Lord, or from the Lord, the Spirit
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2 Corinthians 3: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
2 Corinthians 3
3
1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or commendatory from you? 2Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men, 3being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of the heart. 4And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God: 5not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency is of God;
6who has also made us competent, as ministers of the new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens. 7(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, a glory which is annulled; 8how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory? 9For if the ministry of condemnation be glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory. 10For also that which was glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory. 11For if that annulled was introduced with glory, much rather that which abides subsists in glory.
12Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness: 13and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled. 14But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled. 15But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart. 16But when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.) 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.