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Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not!
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.
You show 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.
Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
Such confidence we have through Christ before God.
We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
The Greater Glory of the New Covenant
Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,
Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?
If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.
And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.
We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
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 freedom.
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.