2 Corinthians
Summary
Ministers of the New Covenant and the Glory of the Spirit: 2 Corinthians Chapter 3 addresses the validity of Paul's ministry, declaring that the Corinthian believers themselves are his "epistle... written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God." He contrasts the ministry of the "Old Covenant," which was a "ministry of death" written on stones, with the "New Covenant," which is a "ministry of the Spirit" that gives life. Paul explains that while Moses wore a veil because of the fading glory of the law, believers now behold the "glory of the Lord" with unveiled faces. This transformation by the Spirit allows us to reflect His glory and be changed "from glory to glory," for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?
You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.
For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech,
unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly at the end of what was passing away.
But 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.
But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Nevertheless when one 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, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.