2 Corinthians 3-4

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. 2 Corinthians 3:1 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply (“No, we do not”) which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do we?”
2. 2 Corinthians 3:2 tn That is, “letter of recommendation.”
3. 2 Corinthians 3:3 tn Or “making plain.”
4. 2 Corinthians 3:3 tn Grk “cared for by us,” an expression that could refer either to the writing or the delivery of the letter (BDAG 229 s.v. διακονέω 1). Since the following phrase refers to the writing of the letter, and since the previous verse speaks of this “letter” being “written on our [Paul’s and his companions’] hearts” it is more probable that the phrase “cared for by us” refers to the delivery of the letter (in the person of Paul and his companions).
5. 2 Corinthians 3:3 sn An allusion to Exod 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut 9:10-11.
6. 2 Corinthians 3:5 tn Or “competent.”
7. 2 Corinthians 3:5 tn Or “competence.”
8. 2 Corinthians 3:6 tn Or “competent.”
9. 2 Corinthians 3:6 sn This new covenant is promised in Jer 31:31-34; 32:40.
10. 2 Corinthians 3:7 tn Grk “on stones,” but since this is clearly an allusion to the tablets of the Decalogue (see 2 Cor 3:3) the word “tablets” was supplied in the translation to make the connection clear.
11. 2 Corinthians 3:7 tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”
12. 2 Corinthians 3:7 sn The glory of his face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Decalogue, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was so radiant (Exod 34:29-30).
13. 2 Corinthians 3:7 tn The words “a glory” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to “glory” has been repeated from the previous clause for clarity.
14. 2 Corinthians 3:7 tn Or “which was transitory.” Traditionally this phrase is translated as “which was fading away.” The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning “to render inoperative, ineffective”; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (WUNT 81), 301-13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13.
15. 2 Corinthians 3:8 tn Grk “how will not rather the ministry of the Spirit be with glory?”
16. 2 Corinthians 3:9 tn Grk “the ministry of condemnation”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produced condemnation.”
17. 2 Corinthians 3:9 tn Grk “the ministry of righteousness”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produces righteousness.”
18. 2 Corinthians 3:9 tn Traditionally, “abound.”
19. 2 Corinthians 3:10 tn Grk “in this case.”
20. 2 Corinthians 3:10 tn The words “of what replaced it” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning.
21. 2 Corinthians 3:11 tn Or “what was fading away.” See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7.
22. 2 Corinthians 3:11 tn Or “through” (διά, dia).
23. 2 Corinthians 3:11 tn Or “what is permanent.”
24. 2 Corinthians 3:12 tn Or “we employ great openness of speech.”
25. 2 Corinthians 3:13 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”
26. 2 Corinthians 3:13 tn Or “from gazing intently.”
27. 2 Corinthians 3:13 tn Or “end.” The word τέλος (telos) can mean both “a point of time marking the end of a duration, end, termination, cessation” and “the goal toward which a movement is being directed, end, goal, outcome” (see BDAG 998-999 s.v.). The translation accepts the interpretation that Moses covered the glory of his face with the veil to prevent Israel from being judged by the glory of God (see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel [WUNT 81], 347-62); in this case the latter meaning for τέλος is more appropriate.
28. 2 Corinthians 3:13 tn Or “was fading away”; Grk “on the result of what was made ineffective.” The referent (glory) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7.
29. 2 Corinthians 3:14 tn Grk “their minds were hardened.”
30. 2 Corinthians 3:14 tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader.
31. 2 Corinthians 3:14 tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.”
32. 2 Corinthians 3:15 tn Grk “their heart.”
33. 2 Corinthians 3:16 tn Or perhaps “when(ever) he turns,” referring to Moses.
34. 2 Corinthians 3:16 sn An allusion to Exod 34:34. The entire verse may refer to Moses, viewing him as a type portraying the Jewish convert to Christianity in Paul’s day.
35. 2 Corinthians 3:17 tn Grk “where the Spirit of the Lord is”; the word “present” is supplied to specify that the presence of the Lord’s Spirit is emphasized rather than the mere existence of the Lord’s Spirit.
36. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tn Or “we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.”
37. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tn Grk “from glory to glory.”
38. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tn Grk “just as from.”
39. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tn Grk “from the Lord, the Spirit”; the genitive πνεύματος (pneumatos) has been translated as a genitive of apposition.
40. 2 Corinthians 4:1 tn Grk “just as we have been shown mercy”; ἠλεήθημεν (ēleēthēmen) has been translated as a “divine passive” which is a circumlocution for God as the active agent. For clarity this was converted to an active construction with God as subject in the translation.
41. 2 Corinthians 4:1 tn Or “we do not lose heart.”
42. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn L&N 13.156; the word can also mean “to assert opposition to,” thus here “we have denounced” (L&N 33.220).
43. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Grk “the hidden things [deeds] of shame”; here αἰσχύνης (aischunēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
44. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “not conducting ourselves”; Grk “not walking” (a common NT idiom for conduct, way of life, or behavior).
45. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “craftiness.”
46. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Or “of unbelievers.”
47. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Grk “the gospel of the glory”; δόξης (doxēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
48. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Or “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ would not be evident to them” (L&N 28.37).
49. 2 Corinthians 4:5 tn Or “preach.”
50. 2 Corinthians 4:5 tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households.
51. 2 Corinthians 4:6 sn An allusion to Gen 1:3; see also Isa 9:2.
52. 2 Corinthians 4:6 tn Grk “the light of the knowledge of the glory”; δόξης (doxēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
53. 2 Corinthians 4:6 tc ‡ Most witnesses, including several early and significant ones (P⁴⁶ א C H Ψ 0209 1739^c M sy), read ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Iēsou Christou, “Jesus Christ”), while other significant witnesses, especially of the Western text (D F G 0243 630 1739* 1881 lat Ambst), have Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. The reading with just Χριστοῦ is found in A B 33 sa Tert Or Ath Chr. Even though the witnesses for the shorter reading are not numerous, they are weighty. And in light of the natural scribal proclivity to fill out the text, particularly with reference to divine names, as well as the discrepancy among the witnesses as to the order of the names, the simple reading Χριστοῦ seems to be the best candidate for authenticity. NA²⁸ reads ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ with ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
54. 2 Corinthians 4:7 tn Grk “the surpassingness of the power”; δυνάμεως (dunameōs) has been translated as an attributed genitive (“extraordinary power”).
55. 2 Corinthians 4:8 tn Grk “we are hard pressed [by crowds] on every side.”
56. 2 Corinthians 4:8 tn Or “at a loss.”
57. 2 Corinthians 4:9 tn Or “forsaken.”
58. 2 Corinthians 4:9 tn Or “badly hurt.” It is possible to interpret καταβαλλόμενοι (kataballomenoi) here as “badly hurt”: “[we are] badly hurt, but not destroyed” (L&N 20.21).
59. 2 Corinthians 4:10 tn The first clause of 2 Cor 4:10 is elliptical and apparently refers to the fact that Paul was constantly in danger of dying in the same way Jesus died (by violence at least). According to L&N 23.99 it could be translated, “at all times we live in the constant threat of being killed as Jesus was.”
60. 2 Corinthians 4:10 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
61. 2 Corinthians 4:11 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
62. 2 Corinthians 4:11 tn Grk “mortal flesh.”
63. 2 Corinthians 4:12 tn Or “So then.”
64. 2 Corinthians 4:12 tn Grk “death is at work in us, but life in you”; the phrase “is at work in” is repeated in the translation for clarity.
65. 2 Corinthians 4:13 tn Grk “spirit of faith according to.”
66. 2 Corinthians 4:13 sn A quotation from Ps 116:10.
67. 2 Corinthians 4:14 tn Grk “speak, because.” A new sentence was started here in the translation, with the words “We do so” supplied to preserve the connection with the preceding statement.
68. 2 Corinthians 4:14 tc ‡ Several significant witnesses (א C D F G Ψ 1881), as well as the Byzantine text, add κύριον (kurion) here, changing the reading to “the Lord Jesus.” Although the external evidence in favor of the shorter reading is slim, the witnesses are significant, early, and diverse (P⁴⁶ B [0243 33] 629 [630] 1175* [1739] r sa). Very likely scribes with pietistic motives added the word κύριον, as they were prone to do, thus compounding this title for the Lord.
69. 2 Corinthians 4:15 tn Or “that is abounding to.”
70. 2 Corinthians 4:15 tn Or “to abound.”
71. 2 Corinthians 4:16 tn Or “do not lose heart.”
72. 2 Corinthians 4:16 tn Grk “our outer man.”
73. 2 Corinthians 4:16 tn Grk “our inner [man].”
74. 2 Corinthians 4:17 tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”