1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, as some others, need letters of commendation to or from you?
2You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone;
3Inasmuch as you are plainly shown to be a letter from Christ, delivered by us, not written with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but on fleshy tablets of the heart.
4And such confidence we have through Christ before God;
5Not that we are sufficient within ourselves to claim anything on our own, but our sufficiency comes from God,
6Who has also enabled us to be ministers of the new testament (covenant), not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7If the old way, of laws written and engraved in stones, which led to death, was glorious in the way it came, so that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face,
8How much more glorious shall the ministry of the Spirit be, since the Spirit gives life, a spiritual mind, and peace.
9For if the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the new ministry that brings righteousness!
10For even that which was glorious lacks glory in comparison with the overwhelming glory of this new dispensation (ministry).
11For if that which was transitory and replaced was glorious, how much more glorious is that which lasts!
12Since this new dispensation (ministry) gives us such hope and confidence, then we can be even more bold with greater plainness of speech;
13We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not steadfastly look at what was destined to fade away,
14But their minds were blinded (hardened); for to this day, the same veil covers their minds so that they remain unable to understand the truth; and this veil can only be removed by belief in Christ.
15Even to this day, when the writing of Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
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 freedom.
18And so all of us, who have had that veil removed, can see, contemplate, and reflect the glory of the Lord, as we are changed into the His image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Spirit of the Lord. In some of the apostle Paul’s letters, he sometimes refers or responds to accusations or criticisms by opposition to his ministry, that we 21st century readers are not privy to. Paul’s responses to such accusations, that he and the recipients of his letter(s) were aware of, may appear to us in his letters as inexplicable and puzzling comments, given our lack of insight into those contentions. Some of those responses are found here in: II Cor. 3:1, and 4:2, Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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