Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

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.

Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord

4 Because of this, since we^[c] have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart, ² but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience before God. ³ But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴ among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus^[d] as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. ⁶ For God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”^[e] is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.^[f]

Treasure in Earthenware Jars

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. ¹³ But because we^[g] have the same spirit of faith in accordance with what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,”^[h] we also believe, therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ because we^[i] know that the one who raised Jesus^[j] will also raise us together with Jesus and present us together with you. ¹⁵ For all these things are for your sake^[k], in order that the grace that is increasing through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outer person is being destroyed, yet our inner person is being renewed day after day. ¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure and proportion^[l], ¹⁸ because^[m] we are not looking at what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal.