2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?
2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,
And this is the certain faith which we have in God through Christ:
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,
Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;
6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away,
For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time:
8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
Will not the operation of the Spirit have a much greater glory?
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
For if the operation of the law, producing punishment, had its glory, how much greater will be the operation of the Spirit causing righteousness?
10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
For the glory of the first no longer seems to be glory, because of the greater glory of that which comes after.
11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
For if the order which was for a time had its glory, much more will the eternal order have its glory.
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
Having then such a hope, we keep nothing back,
13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face, so that the children of Israel might not see clearly to the end of the present order of things:
14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.
But their minds were made hard: for to this very day at the reading of the old agreement the same veil is still unlifted; though it is taken away in Christ.
15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
But to this day, at the reading of the law of Moses, a veil is over their heart.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
But when it is turned to the Lord, the veil will be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free.
18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit.
