保羅的薦信

難道我們又是在稱讚自己嗎?難道我們像別人一樣,需要拿著推薦信去見你們,或拿著你們的推薦信去見別人嗎? 你們自己就是我們的推薦信,寫在了我們心坎上,眾所周知,人人可讀。 顯然,你們是從基督而來的一封信,是我們工作的成果。這信不是用筆墨寫成的,乃是藉著永活上帝的靈寫成的;不是寫在石版上的,而是刻在心版上的。

我們靠著基督在上帝面前有這樣的確信。 我們並不認為自己能夠承擔什麼,我們能夠承擔全是靠上帝。 祂使我們能夠擔任新約的執事。這新約不是用律法條文立的,而是聖靈的工作,因為律法條文帶給人死亡,但聖靈賜給人生命。

新約的榮耀

這最終帶來死亡、刻在石版上的律法條文的事工尚且有榮耀,甚至使摩西的臉上發出榮光,儘管很快就消逝了,以色列人仍然無法定睛看他, 那麼聖靈的事工豈不更有榮耀嗎? 那定人罪的事工尚且有榮耀,這使人被稱為義人的事工豈不更有榮耀嗎? 10 其實先前的榮耀和現今的大榮耀相比,就黯然失色了。 11 那漸漸消逝的尚且有榮耀,這永遠長存的更是榮耀無比。

12 我們因為有這極大的盼望,就放膽無懼, 13 不像摩西將帕子蒙在臉上,以免以色列人看見那漸漸消逝的榮光。 14 但以色列人的心剛硬,直到今日,他們每逢讀舊約的時候,同樣的帕子還在那裡,沒有揭去。因為只有在基督裡,那帕子才能被除去。 15 時至今日,每逢他們讀摩西律法的時候,帕子仍然蒙在他們心上。 16 然而,他們一旦歸向基督,那帕子就被除去了。 17 主就是那靈,主的靈在哪裡,哪裡就有自由。 18 我們這些臉上不再蒙著帕子的人,可以像鏡子一樣反映主的榮光,漸漸變成主的樣式,榮上加榮。這都是主的作為,主就是那靈。

N ap sèvi Bondye anba yon nouvo kontra

Èske nou dwe kòmanse ap di bèl bagay pou fè moun wè nou? Oubyen èske nou bezwen lèt rekòmandasyon menm jan ak kèk lòt moun pou nou vin lakay ou, oswa lè n ap kite lakay ou? Non, se ou menm ki lèt nou. Se yon lèt ki ekri nan kè nou. Tout moun konnen l, tout moun kapab li l. Wi, ou montre ou se yon lèt Kris la ekri li menm epi li voye l pa mwayen nou menm. Lèt sa a pa ekri ak lank, men se avèk Lespri Bondye vivan an. Li pa ekri sou tablèt wòch,[a] men li ekri nan kè moun.

Nou pale konsa, devan Bondye, poutèt konfyans nou genyen, pa mwayen Kris la. Nou pa met nan tèt nou nou ka fè anyen pou kont nou. Se Bondye ki ban nou kapasite pou nou fè tout sa nou fè. Se li menm ki ban nou kapasite pou nou travay kòm sèvitè l anba nouvo kontra a. Kontra sa a pa depann de lalwa, men li depann de Sentespri a. Lalwa pote lanmò, men Sentespri a bay lavi.

Nouvo kontra gen plis glwa

Lalwa te ekri sou wòch, li pote lanmò, men laglwa Bondye te toujou akonpanye l. Moyiz te sèvi Bondye anba lalwa, epi laglwa Bondye te tèlman briye sou vizaj li, pèp la pa t ka gade l nan vizaj. Poutan glwa ki te briye sou vizaj li a te pasaje. Pa gen okenn dout, glwa ministè Sentespri a ki bay lavi ap depase anpil glwa sa k te sou lalwa a. Men sa m vle di: Si ministè ki pote anpil kondanasyon poutèt peche a te gen glwa konsa, ministè k ap deklare moun jis devan Bondye a gen plis glwa toujou. 10 Devan glwa nouvo ministè a, glwa ansyen ministè a vin pa reprezante anyen. 11 Si kontra ki te la pou yon ti tan an te gen glwa konsa, kontra ki la pou tout tan an gen plis glwa toujou.

12 Konsa, poutèt esperans nou genyen an sèten, nou pale avèk anpil asirans. 13 Nou pa fè tankou Moyiz ki te oblije mete yon vwal sou vizaj li pou Izrayelit yo pa t ka wè lè glwa ki sou vizaj li a t ap disparèt. 14 Entèlijans moun yo te vwale tou. Dayè jouk jodi a, lè Izrayelit yo ap li sa ki te ekri nan ansyen pwomès la,[b] vwal la toujou rete. Vwal la soti sèlman pou moun ki fè youn ak Kris la. 15 Wi, jis jodi a, lè Izrayelit yo ap li lalwa Moyiz la, gen yon vwal ki kouvri entèlijans yo. 16 Men chak fwa yon moun vire vin jwenn Senyè a, Senyè a fè vwal la tonbe, jan Bib la di sa te rive ak Moyiz la. 17 Senyè a, nan kontèks sa a, se Sentespri a. E lè Lespri Senyè a yon kote, li pote libète. 18 Nou pa gen vwal sou vizaj nou. N ap kontanple glwa Senyè a ki reflete sou nou tankou nan yon miwa, epi n ap transfòme pou nou vin reflete imaj li. Transfòmasyon sa a pote plis glwa toujou, paske li soti nan Senyè a ki se Sentespri a.

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 wòch Li ap pale de lwa Moyiz la ki te ekri sou tablèt wòch lè Bondye t ap bay li. Gade tou nan vèsè 7. Gade nan Egz 24:12; 25:16.
  2. 3:14 ansyen pwomès la Gade Kontra nan Lis Mo yo. Isi a, “ansyen kontra” vle di Lalwa Moyiz la ki te nan baz kontra a.

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.