2 Corinthians 3
3
New Covenant Ministry
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, 3revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.
4Now we possess such confidence through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory, 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. 10For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. 11For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.
12Therefore, because we#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal have such a hope, we use much boldness, 13and not as Moses used to place a veil over his face, in order that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was transitory. 14But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ. 15But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart, 16but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting#Or “contemplating” the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
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2 Corinthians 3
3
Ministers of a New Covenant
1Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!] 2You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. [Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15, 16; Jer 31:33]
4Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. 6He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life. [Jer 31:31]
7Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones [the covenant of the Law which led to death because of sin], came with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, [a brilliance] that was fading, [Ex 34:29-35] 8how will the ministry of the Spirit [the new covenant which allows us to be Spirit-filled] fail to be even more glorious and splendid? 9For if the ministry that brings condemnation [the old covenant, the Law] has glory, how much more does glory overflow in the ministry that brings righteousness [the new covenant which declares believers free of guilt and sets them apart for God’s special purpose]! 10Indeed, what had glory [the Law], in this case no longer has glory because of the glory that surpasses it [the gospel]. 11For if that [Law] which fades away came with glory, how much more must that [gospel] which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
12Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident expectation, we speak with great courage, 13and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze at the end of the glory which was fading away. 14But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ. 15But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart; 16but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. [Is 61:1, 2] 18And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
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