The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?

You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.

It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Such confidence before God is ours through Christ.

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

(Exodus 34:10–35)

Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,

will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!

Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.

For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.

But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

(Exodus 34:10–35)

But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away,

won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.