保罗的荐信

难道我们又是在称赞自己吗?难道我们像别人一样,需要拿着推荐信去见你们,或拿着你们的推荐信去见别人吗? 你们自己就是我们的推荐信,写在了我们心坎上,众所周知,人人可读。 显然,你们是从基督而来的一封信,是我们工作的成果。这信不是用笔墨写成的,乃是借着永活上帝的灵写成的;不是写在石版上的,而是刻在心版上的。

我们靠着基督在上帝面前有这样的确信。 我们并不认为自己能够承担什么,我们能够承担全是靠上帝。 祂使我们能够担任新约的执事。这新约不是用律法条文立的,而是圣灵的工作,因为律法条文带给人死亡,但圣灵赐给人生命。

新约的荣耀

这最终带来死亡、刻在石版上的律法条文的事工尚且有荣耀,甚至使摩西的脸上发出荣光,尽管很快就消逝了,以色列人仍然无法定睛看他, 那么圣灵的事工岂不更有荣耀吗? 那定人罪的事工尚且有荣耀,这使人被称为义人的事工岂不更有荣耀吗? 10 其实先前的荣耀和现今的大荣耀相比,就黯然失色了。 11 那渐渐消逝的尚且有荣耀,这永远长存的更是荣耀无比。

12 我们因为有这极大的盼望,就放胆无惧, 13 不像摩西将帕子蒙在脸上,以免以色列人看见那渐渐消逝的荣光。 14 但以色列人的心刚硬,直到今日,他们每逢读旧约的时候,同样的帕子还在那里,没有揭去。因为只有在基督里,那帕子才能被除去。 15 时至今日,每逢他们读摩西律法的时候,帕子仍然蒙在他们心上。 16 然而,他们一旦归向基督,那帕子就被除去了。 17 主就是那灵,主的灵在哪里,哪里就有自由。 18 我们这些脸上不再蒙着帕子的人,可以像镜子一样反映主的荣光,渐渐变成主的样式,荣上加荣。这都是主的作为,主就是那灵。

新旧约之比较

难道我们又在自我推荐吗?难道我们像有些人,要拿荐信给你们,或向你们拿荐信吗? 你们就是我们的荐信,写在我们的心里,是众人所认识所诵读的, 显明你们自己是基督的书信,是借着我们写成的,不是用墨,而是用永活 神的灵写的;不是写在石版上,而是写在心版上。

我们在 神面前,借着基督才有这样的信心。 我们不敢以为自己有资格作甚么,我们所能够作的是出于 神。 他使我们有资格作新约的仆役,这新约不是从仪文来的,而是从圣灵来的;因为仪文会使人死,而圣灵却使人活。

如果那以文字刻在石上使人死的律法的工作,尚且带有荣光,以致以色列人因着摩西脸上短暂的荣光,不能注视他的脸, 那出于圣灵的工作不是更有荣光吗? 如果那定人有罪的工作尚且有荣光,那使人称义的工作就更有荣光了! 10 那从前有荣光的,现在因那超越的荣光,就算不得有荣光; 11 如果那短暂的有荣光,那长存的就更有荣光了。

12 所以,我们既然有这样的盼望,就大大地放胆行事, 13 不像摩西那样,把帕子蒙在脸上,使以色列人看不见那短暂的荣光的结局。 14 但是他们的心思迟钝,因为直到今日,他们诵读旧约的时候,这帕子仍然存在,没有揭开,唯有在基督里才能把这帕子废掉。 15 可是直到今日,他们每逢诵读摩西的书的时候,这帕子还盖在他们的心上。 16 但他们甚么时候归向主,这帕子就甚么时候除掉了。 17 主就是那灵;主的灵在哪里,哪里就有自由。 18 我们众人脸上的帕子既然已经揭开,反映主的荣光(“反映主的荣光”或译:“对着镜子看见主的荣光”),就变成主那样的形象,大有荣光。这是主所作成的,他就是那灵。

You Yourselves Are Proof To Everyone That God Is Working Through Us

Are we[a] beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not have-need of letters of recommendation[b] to you or from you, like some, do we? You are our letter— it having been inscribed in our hearts, it being known and being read by all people, you being made-known[c] that you are a letter from[d] Christ having been served by us, having been inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tablets made-of-stone but in tablets[e] which are hearts made-of-flesh.

It Is God Who Makes Us Sufficient As Ministers of His New Covenant

And we have such[f] a confidence through Christ toward God— not that we are sufficient[g] from ourselves to count anything as out of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, Who indeed made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives-life.

And This Ministry Is More Glorious Than That of The Old Covenant

And if the ministry of death having been engraved in letters on stones came in glory (so that the sons of Israel could not look-intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face[h]— the glory passing-away), how shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory! For if in the ministry of condemnation there was glory, by much more the ministry of righteousness is abounding in glory. 10 For indeed the [ministry of the letter][i] having been glorified has not[j] been glorified in this respect— because of the surpassing glory! 11 For if the [ministry of the letter] passing-away was with glory, by much more the [ministry of the Spirit] remaining is in glory.

We Don’t Veil The Glory Like Moses. We Reflect It And Are Transformed By It

12 Therefore, having such a hope, we are using great boldness, 13 and are not like Moses. He was putting a veil on his face so that the sons of Israel might not look-intently at the end[k] of the [face of glory][l] passing-away. 14 But[m] their minds were hardened[n], for until this very day the same[o] veil remains on the reading of the old covenant— it not being unveiled because[p] it passes-away[q] in Christ. 15 Indeed[r], until today whenever Moses is being read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 But whenever it[s] turns to the Lord, the veil is taken-away. 17 Now the Lord[t] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! 18 But[u] we all with a face having been unveiled, while reflecting[v] the glory of the Lord as a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory[w] to glory, just-as[x] from the Lord[y], the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:1 Paul pauses to answer a false conclusion that could be drawn from 2:14-17.
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:1 That is, to prove we are authorized representatives of God.
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:3 That is, through the letter recorded on your hearts.
  4. 2 Corinthians 3:3 That is, from Christ to others; or, about Christ.
  5. 2 Corinthians 3:3 in tablets... flesh. Or, in tablets made-of-flesh— in hearts.
  6. 2 Corinthians 3:4 That is, such as described in 2:14-3:3.
  7. 2 Corinthians 3:5 Or, adequate, worthy, competent.
  8. 2 Corinthians 3:7 God made the face of Moses shine temporarily, Ex 34:29-30.
  9. 2 Corinthians 3:10 Lit, the thing. Paul leaves it to the reader to supply the reference from the context. Likewise three more times below.
  10. 2 Corinthians 3:10 That is, the ministry glorified in the face of Moses and other ways pales by comparison to the surpassing glory now.
  11. 2 Corinthians 3:13 Or, cessation, termination, finish, goal.
  12. 2 Corinthians 3:13 For Paul, the fading glory on Moses’ face symbolized the temporary nature of that covenant. Others supply [ministry of the letter].
  13. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Paul makes an application from Moses to Israel.
  14. 2 Corinthians 3:14 That is, to the spiritual meaning of the fading glory, and thus to the true intent of the old covenant.
  15. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Like the one on Moses, it hides the fading glory.
  16. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Or, that; it not being unveiled (revealed) to them that it (the old covenant) passes away in Christ.
  17. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Or, is done-away.
  18. 2 Corinthians 3:15 Paul clarifies that the veil is not on the Law, but on their hearts.
  19. 2 Corinthians 3:16 That is, such a veiled heart (v 15) or hardened mind (v 14); or, a person, a Jew. Or, he (Moses), as the type of one turning to the Lord, Ex 34:34. As with Moses physically then, so today spiritually.
  20. 2 Corinthians 3:17 That is, the Lord in Moses’ case (v 16) is the Spirit today; or, the Lord (Christ) is the OT ‘Spirit of the Lord’ in our experience of God today.
  21. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Now Paul makes an application from Moses to us, completing what he began in v 13. We are not like Moses who veiled his face... But we all are being transformed.
  22. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or, looking at. Moses did both.
  23. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, from glory to more glory (not fading); or, from His glory to our glory.
  24. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, just as would be expected.
  25. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, the Lord who is the Spirit; or, the Spirit who is the Lord; or, the Lord of the Spirit (that is, who sends the Spirit).