Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
You Yourselves Are Proof To Everyone That God Is Working Through Us
3 Are we[a] beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not have-need of letters of recommendation[b] to you or from you, like some, do we? 2 You are our letter— it having been inscribed in our hearts, it being known and being read by all people, 3 you being made-known[c] that you are a letter from[d] Christ having been served by us, having been inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tablets made-of-stone but in tablets[e] which are hearts made-of-flesh.
It Is God Who Makes Us Sufficient As Ministers of His New Covenant
4 And we have such[f] a confidence through Christ toward God— 5 not that we are sufficient[g] from ourselves to count anything as out of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 Who indeed made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives-life.
And This Ministry Is More Glorious Than That of The Old Covenant
7 And if the ministry of death having been engraved in letters on stones came in glory (so that the sons of Israel could not look-intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face[h]— the glory passing-away), 8 how shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory! 9 For if in the ministry of condemnation there was glory, by much more the ministry of righteousness is abounding in glory. 10 For indeed the [ministry of the letter][i] having been glorified has not[j] been glorified in this respect— because of the surpassing glory! 11 For if the [ministry of the letter] passing-away was with glory, by much more the [ministry of the Spirit] remaining is in glory.
We Don’t Veil The Glory Like Moses. We Reflect It And Are Transformed By It
12 Therefore, having such a hope, we are using great boldness, 13 and are not like Moses. He was putting a veil on his face so that the sons of Israel might not look-intently at the end[k] of the [face of glory][l] passing-away. 14 But[m] their minds were hardened[n], for until this very day the same[o] veil remains on the reading of the old covenant— it not being unveiled because[p] it passes-away[q] in Christ. 15 Indeed[r], until today whenever Moses is being read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 But whenever it[s] turns to the Lord, the veil is taken-away. 17 Now the Lord[t] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! 18 But[u] we all with a face having been unveiled, while reflecting[v] the glory of the Lord as a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory[w] to glory, just-as[x] from the Lord[y], the Spirit.
So We Don’t Lose Heart In This Ministry Or Its Reception; God Is Shining Through Us
4 For this reason, having this ministry even-as[z] we received-mercy, we do not lose-heart. 2 But we renounced the hidden things of [aa] shame, not walking in craftiness[ab], nor handling-deceitfully[ac] the word of God, but by the open-disclosure of the truth, commending[ad] ourselves to every conscience of mankind[ae] in the sight of God. 3 And if indeed our good-news is veiled, it is veiled in the ones perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this age blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they might not see[af] the illumination of the good-news of the glory of Christ— Who is the image of God. 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus, 6 because God, the One having said “Light will shine out of darkness”, is He Who shined in our hearts for[ag] the illumination of [ah] the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
God Is Making Life Known Through Clay Vessels Handed Over To Death
7 But[ai] we have this treasure in vessels made-of-clay, in order that the excess[aj] of the power may be God’s and not from us— 8 in every way being afflicted[ak] but not restrained[al], being perplexed but not utterly-perplexed, 9 being persecuted but not forsaken, being struck down but not perishing; 10 at-all-times carrying-around in our body the dying[am] of Jesus in order that the life of Jesus may also be made-evident[an] in our body. 11 For we the ones living are always being handed-over to death for the sake of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be made-evident in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at-work in us, but life in you.
But We Believe And Speak Because We Know God Will Raise Us Up With Jesus
13 But having the same spirit[ao] of faith in accordance with the thing having been written, “I believed, therefore I spoke” [Ps 116:10]— we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that the One having raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes— in order that grace, having increased through the more people, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
And Our Affliction Is Producing an Eternal Weight of Glory For Us In Heaven
16 Therefore we do not lose-heart. But even though our outer person is being destroyed[ap], nevertheless our inner person is being renewed day in and day out. 17 For the momentary lightness of our affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory extremely beyond measure, 18 while we are not looking-for[aq] the things being seen, but the things not being seen. For the things being seen are temporary, but the things not being seen are eternal.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing