2 Corinthians 3

New International Version

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves^(A) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation^(B) to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^(C) ³You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(D) not on tablets of stone^(E) but on tablets of human hearts.^(F)

⁴Such confidence^(G) we have through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves^(H) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.^(I) ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(J)—not of the letter^(K) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(L)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷Now if the ministry that brought death,^(M) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,^(N) transitory though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that brought condemnation^(O) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^(P) ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹²Therefore, since we have such a hope,^(Q) we are very bold.^(R) ¹³We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face^(S) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴But their minds were made dull,^(T) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant^(U) is read.^(V) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,^(W) the veil is taken away.^(X) ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit,^(Y) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^(Z) ¹⁸And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a]^(AA) the Lord’s glory,^(AB) are being transformed into his image^(AC) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 3:18 Or reflect

哥林多後書 3

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)

門徒為保羅的薦書

3 我們豈是又舉薦自己嗎？豈像別人，用人的薦信給你們或用你們的薦信給人嗎？ ²你們就是我們的薦信，寫在我們的心裡，被眾人所知道所念誦的。 ³你們明顯是基督的信，藉著我們修成的：不是用墨寫的，乃是用永生神的靈寫的；不是寫在石版上，乃是寫在心版上。 ⁴我們因基督，所以在神面前才有這樣的信心。 ⁵並不是我們憑自己能承擔什麼事，我們所能承擔的，乃是出於神。 ⁶他叫我們能承當這新約的執事，不是憑著字句，乃是憑著精意；因為那字句是叫人死，精意^[a]是叫人活。 ⁷那用字刻在石頭上屬死的職事尚且有榮光，甚至以色列人因摩西面上的榮光，不能定睛看他的臉，這榮光原是漸漸退去的； ⁸何況那屬靈的職事，豈不更有榮光嗎？ ⁹若是定罪的職事有榮光，那稱義的職事榮光就越發大了。 ¹⁰那從前有榮光的，因這極大的榮光就算不得有榮光了。 ¹¹若那廢掉的有榮光，這長存的就更有榮光了。

主的靈在哪裡哪裡就得以自由

¹²我們既有這樣的盼望，就大膽講說， ¹³不像摩西將帕子蒙在臉上，叫以色列人不能定睛看到那將廢者的結局。 ¹⁴但他們的心地剛硬，直到今日誦讀舊約的時候，這帕子還沒有揭去；這帕子在基督裡已經廢去了。 ¹⁵然而直到今日，每逢誦讀摩西書的時候，帕子還在他們心上。 ¹⁶但他們的心幾時歸向主，帕子就幾時除去了。 ¹⁷主就是那靈，主的靈在哪裡，哪裡就得以自由。 ¹⁸我們眾人既然敞著臉得以看見主的榮光，好像從鏡子裡返照，就變成主的形狀，榮上加榮，如同從主的靈變成的。

Footnotes

哥林多後書 3:6 「精意」或作「聖靈」。

2 Corinthians 3

English Standard Version

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 ^(A)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^(B)as some do, ^(C)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ²^(D)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our^[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. ³And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(E)the living God, not on ^(F)tablets of stone but on ^(G)tablets of ^(H)human hearts.^[b]

⁴^(I)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵^(J)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^(K)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶who has made us sufficient to be ^(L)ministers of ^(M)a new covenant, not of ^(N)the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^(O)the Spirit gives life.

⁷Now if ^(P)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^(Q)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹For if there was glory in ^(R)the ministry of condemnation, ^(S)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

¹²Since we have such a hope, ^(T)we are very bold, ¹³not like Moses, ^(U)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴But ^(V)their minds were ^(W)hardened. For to this day, ^(X)when they read ^(Y)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶But when ^(Z)one^[c] turns to the Lord, ^(AA)the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now the Lord^[d] is the Spirit, and where ^(AB)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(AC)freedom. ¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, ^(AD)beholding ^(AE)the glory of the Lord,^[e] ^(AF)are being transformed into the same image ^(AG)from one degree of glory to another.^[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 3:2 Some manuscripts your
2 Corinthians 3:3 Greek fleshly hearts
2 Corinthians 3:16 Greek he
2 Corinthians 3:17 Or this Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18 Or reflecting the glory of the Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18 Greek from glory to glory

2 Corinthians 3

New King James Version

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; ³clearly 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

⁴And 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, ⁶who 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

⁷But 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, ⁸how will ^(R)the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry ^(S)of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. ¹¹For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

¹²Therefore, since we have such hope, ^(T)we use great boldness of speech— ¹³unlike 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. ¹⁴But ^(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. ¹⁵But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless ^(X)when one turns to the Lord, ^(Y)the veil is taken away. ¹⁷Now ^(Z)the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(AA)liberty. ¹⁸But 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.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 3:6 Or spirit
2 Corinthians 3:18 Or from the Lord, the Spirit

New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 3

New International Version

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

哥林多後書 3

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)

門徒為保羅的薦書

主的靈在哪裡哪裡就得以自由

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 3

English Standard Version

Ministers of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

2 Corinthians 3

New King James Version

Christ’s Epistle^(A)

The Spirit, Not the Letter

Glory of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

2 Corinthians 3 New International Version

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

哥林多後書 3 Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)

門徒為保羅的薦書

主的靈在哪裡哪裡就得以自由

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 3 English Standard Version

Ministers of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

2 Corinthians 3 New King James Version

Christ’s Epistle(A)

The Spirit, Not the Letter

Glory of the New Covenant

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

2 Corinthians 3

New International Version

哥林多後書 3

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)

2 Corinthians 3

English Standard Version

2 Corinthians 3

New King James Version

Christ’s Epistle^(A)