2 Corinthians 2:12-3:18

Holman Christian Standard Bible

A Trip to Macedonia

¹² When I came to Troas^(A) to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door^(B) for me. ¹³ I had no rest^(C) in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus,^(D) but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.^(E)

A Ministry of Life or Death

¹⁴ But thanks be to God,^(F) who always puts us on display^[a] in Christ^[b] and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.^{(G) 15} For to God we are the fragrance^(H) of Christ among those who are being saved^(I) and among those who are perishing.^{(J) 16} To some we are an aroma of death^(K) leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life^(L) leading to life. And who is competent for this? ¹⁷ For we are not like the many^[c] who market God’s message^(M) for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

Living Letters

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone.^{(N) 3} It is clear that you are Christ’s letter,^(O) produced^[d] by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God^(P)—not on stone tablets^(Q) but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.^(R)

Paul’s Competence

⁴ We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we are competent in^[e] ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.^{(S) 6} He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,^(T) not of the letter,^(U) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

New Covenant Ministry

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,^(V) so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. ¹⁰ In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was fading away^(W) was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

¹² Therefore, having such a hope,^(X) we use great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face^(Y) so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, ¹⁴ but their minds were closed.^[f](Z) For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,^(AA) the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.^{(AB) 15} Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns^(AC) to the Lord, the veil is removed.^{(AD) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at^[g](AE) the glory of the Lord^(AF) and are being transformed^(AG) into the same image^(AH) from glory to glory;^[h] this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.^[i]