New Testament
2 Corinthians 3
Overview
Answering critics who carried letters of recommendation, Paul declares that the Corinthians themselves are his letter of commendation, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God on tablets of human hearts (3:1-3). His competence is from God, who made him a minister of a new covenant—"not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (3:4-6). Paul then mounts a sustained contrast between the old covenant and the new: if the ministry of death, carved on stone, came with such glory that Israel could not gaze at Moses' radiant face, how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit that brings righteousness (3:7-11). The old glory was fading and Moses veiled it; that same veil lies over the hearts of Israel whenever Moses is read, and it is removed only in Christ (3:12-16). The chapter climaxes in freedom and transformation: "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom," and beholding the Lord's glory with unveiled faces, believers are being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another (3:17-18).
1Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
2You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
3being 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.
4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,
5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,
6who 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.
7But 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,
8won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
9For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
10For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
11For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
12Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
13and 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.
14But 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.
15But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
16But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18But 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.