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).
1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others , epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is , there is liberty.
18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.