Christ’s Epistle^(A)

3 Do ^(B)we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, ^(C)epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? ^2 (D)You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ^(E)ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not ^(F)on tablets of stone but ^(G)on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter

⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. ^5 (H)Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but ^(I)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ^(J)ministers of ^(K)the new covenant, not ^(L)of the letter but of the ^[a]Spirit; for ^(M)the letter kills, ^(N)but the Spirit gives life.

Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ But if ^(O)the ministry of death, ^(P)written and engraved on stones, was glorious, ^(Q)so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will ^(R)the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry ^(S)of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. ¹¹ For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

¹² Therefore, since we have such hope, ^(T)we use great boldness of speech— ¹³ unlike Moses, ^(U)who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at ^(V)the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But ^(W)their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless ^(X)when one turns to the Lord, ^(Y)the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now ^(Z)the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(AA)liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding ^(AB)as in a mirror ^(AC)the glory of the Lord, ^(AD)are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as ^[b]by the Spirit of the Lord.

¹⁶ So let no one ^(A)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a ^[a]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ^17 (B)which are a shadow of things to come, but the ^[b]substance is of Christ.

⁹ For ^(A)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[a]bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the ^(B)head of all ^[b]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹ In Him you were also ^(C)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(D)putting off the body ^[c]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(A)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(B)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(C)earth. ^3 (D)For you died, ^(E)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ^4 (F)When Christ who is ^(G)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(H)glory.

^5 (I)Therefore put to death ^(J)your members which are on the earth: ^(K)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(L)which is idolatry. ^6 (M)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(N)the sons of disobedience, ^7 (O)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

^8 (P)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who ^(Q)is renewed in knowledge ^(R)according to the image of Him who ^(S)created him, ¹¹ where there is neither ^(T)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(U)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, ^(V)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(W)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

The Essence of the Law

¹² “And now, Israel, ^(A)what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to ^(B)love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today ^(C)for your ^[a]good? ¹⁴ Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the ^(D)Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. ¹⁵ The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their ^[b]descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. ¹⁶ Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your ^(E)heart, and be ^(F)stiff-necked^[c] no longer. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is ^(G)God of gods and ^(H)Lord of lords, the great God, ^(I)mighty and awesome, who ^(J)shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. ^18 (K)He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹ Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. ^20 (L)You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. ²¹ He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. ²² Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.

Love and Obedience Rewarded

11 “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.

⁶ And ^(A)the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

³ For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:

Conflict over Circumcision

15 And ^(A)certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ^(B)“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”