2 Corinthians 3-5

New American Standard Bible

Ministers of a New Covenant

3 Are we beginning to ^(A)commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, ^(B)letters of commendation to you or from you? ^2 (C)You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all people, ³ revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, ^[a](D)delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(E)the living God, not on ^(F)tablets of stone but on ^(G)tablets of ^[b](H)human hearts.

⁴ Such is the ^(I)confidence we have toward God through Christ. ⁵ Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but ^(J)our adequacy is from God, ⁶ who also made us adequate as ^(K)servants of a ^(L)new covenant, not of ^(M)the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but ^(N)the Spirit gives life.

⁷ But if the ^(O)ministry of death, engraved ^(P)in letters on stones, came ^[c]with glory ^(Q)so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? ⁹ For if ^(R)the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ^(S)ministry of righteousness excel in glory. ¹⁰ For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if that which fades away was ^[d]with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

^12 (T)Therefore, having such a hope, ^(U)we use great boldness in our speech, ¹³ and we are not like Moses, ^(V)who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away. ¹⁴ But their minds were ^(W)hardened; for until this very day at the ^(X)reading of ^(Y)the old covenant the same veil ^[e]remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; ^16 (Z)but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where ^(AA)the Spirit of the Lord is, ^(AB)there is freedom. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled faces, ^(AC)looking as in a mirror at the ^(AD)glory of the Lord, are being ^(AE)transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from ^(AF)the Lord, the Spirit.

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

4 Therefore, since we have this ^(AG)ministry, as we ^(AH)received mercy, we ^(AI)do not lose heart, ² but we have renounced the ^(AJ)things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor ^(AK)distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth ^(AL)commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our ^(AM)gospel is ^(AN)veiled, it is veiled ^[f]to ^(AO)those who are perishing, ⁴ in whose case ^(AP)the god of ^(AQ)this ^[g]world has ^(AR)blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that ^[h]they will not see the ^(AS)light of the gospel of the ^(AT)glory of Christ, who is the ^(AU)image of God. ⁵ For we ^(AV)do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants ^[i]on account of Jesus. ⁶ For God, who said, “^(AW)Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has ^(AX)shone in our hearts to give the ^(AY)Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in ^[j](AZ)earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of ^(BA)the power will be of God and not from ourselves; ⁸ we are ^(BB)afflicted in every way, but not ^(BC)crushed; ^(BD)perplexed, but not despairing; ^9 (BE)persecuted, but not ^(BF)abandoned; ^(BG)struck down, but not destroyed; ^10 (BH)always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that ^(BI)the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death works in us, but life in you.

¹³ But having the same ^(BJ)spirit of faith, according to what is written: “^(BK)I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that He who ^(BL)raised the Lord Jesus ^(BM)will also raise us with Jesus, and will ^(BN)present us with you. ¹⁵ For all things are ^(BO)for your sakes, so that grace, having ^[k](BP)spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we ^(BQ)do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our ^(BR)inner person is ^(BS)being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary, ^(BT)light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ while we ^(BU)look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The Temporal and Eternal

5 For we know that if our ^[l](BV)earthly ^(BW)tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house ^(BX)not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For indeed, in this tent we ^(BY)groan, longing to be ^(BZ)clothed with our ^[m]dwelling from heaven, ³ since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For indeed, we who are in this tent ^(CA)groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be ^(CB)clothed, so that what is ^(CC)mortal will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who ^(CD)gave us the Spirit as a ^[n]pledge.

⁶ Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that ^(CE)while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for ^(CF)we walk by faith, not by ^[o]sight— ⁸ but we are of good courage and ^(CG)prefer rather to be absent from the body and ^(CH)to be at home with the Lord. ⁹ Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be ^(CI)pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before ^(CJ)the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for ^[p]his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the ^(CK)fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also ^(CL)well known in your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you ^(CM)again, but are giving you an ^(CN)opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For if we have ^(CO)lost our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ ^(CP)controls us, having concluded this, that ^(CQ)one died for all, therefore all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer ^(CR)live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one ^[q](CS)by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is ^(CT)in Christ, this person is ^(CU)a new ^[r]creation; ^(CV)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ Now ^(CW)all these things are from God, ^(CX)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(CY)ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that ^(CZ)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ^(DA)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and ^[s]He has ^[t]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ^(DB)ambassadors for Christ, ^(DC)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be ^(DD)reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who ^(DE)knew no sin to be ^[u](DF)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the ^(DG)righteousness of God in Him.