2 Corinthians 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.(A) 3 It is clear that you are Christ’s letter,(B) produced[a] by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God(C)—not on stone tablets(D) but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.(E)
Paul’s Competence
4 We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. 5 It is not that we are competent in[b] ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.(F) 6 He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,(G) not of the letter,(H) 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,(I) 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(J) was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.
12 Therefore, having such a hope,(K) we use great boldness. 13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face(L) so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, 14 but their minds were closed.[c](M) For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,(N) the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.(O) 15 Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, 16 but whenever a person turns(P) to the Lord, the veil is removed.(Q) 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[d](R) the glory of the Lord(S) and are being transformed(T) into the same image(U) from glory to glory;[e] this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.[f]
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 3:3 Lit ministered to
- 2 Corinthians 3:5 Lit from
- 2 Corinthians 3:14 Lit their thoughts were hardened
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or are reflecting
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Progressive glorification or sanctification
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or from the Spirit of the Lord, or from the Lord, the Spirit
2 Corinthians 3
Lexham English Bible
New Covenant Ministry
3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Now we possess such confidence through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. 10 For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.
12 Therefore, because we[a] have such a hope, we use much boldness, 13 and not as Moses used to place a veil over his face, in order that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was transitory. 14 But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ. 15 But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart, 16 but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting[b] the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 3:12 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or “contemplating”
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