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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!
Ministers of a New Covenant
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you?
*Ye* are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
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.
being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but [the] Spirit of [the] living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of [the] heart.
We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency [is] of God;
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.
who has also made us competent, [as] ministers of [the] new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.
The Glory of the New Covenant
(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, [a glory] which is annulled;
(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, [a glory] which is annulled;
Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?
how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
For if the ministry of condemnation [be] glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.
In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.
For also that [which was] glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.
So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
For if that annulled [was introduced] with glory, much rather that which abides [subsists] in glory.
Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:
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.
and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.
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.
But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.
Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart.
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
But when it shall turn to [the] Lord, the veil is taken away.)
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of [the] Lord [is, there is] liberty.
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.
But *we* all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by [the] Lord [the] Spirit.