2 Corinthians 3:1-4:6

English Standard Version

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 ^(A)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^(B)as some do, ^(C)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ^2 (D)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our^[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(E)the living God, not on ^(F)tablets of stone but on ^(G)tablets of ^(H)human hearts.^[b]

^4 (I)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ^5 (J)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^(K)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ^(L)ministers of ^(M)a new covenant, not of ^(N)the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^(O)the Spirit gives life.

⁷ Now if ^(P)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^(Q)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in ^(R)the ministry of condemnation, ^(S)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰ Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

¹² Since we have such a hope, ^(T)we are very bold, ¹³ not like Moses, ^(U)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴ But ^(V)their minds were ^(W)hardened. For to this day, ^(X)when they read ^(Y)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when ^(Z)one^[c] turns to the Lord, ^(AA)the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord^[d] is the Spirit, and where ^(AB)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(AC)freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, ^(AD)beholding ^(AE)the glory of the Lord,^{[e] (AF)}are being transformed into the same image ^(AG)from one degree of glory to another.^[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, having ^(AH)this ministry ^(AI)by the mercy of God,^[g] we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced ^(AJ)disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[h] cunning or ^(AK)to tamper with God's word, but ^(AL)by the open statement of the truth ^(AM)we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even ^(AN)if our gospel is veiled, ^(AO)it is veiled to ^(AP)those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case ^(AQ)the god of this world ^(AR)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing ^(AS)the light of ^(AT)the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^(AU)who is the image of God. ⁵ For what ^(AV)we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ^(AW)ourselves as your servants^[i] for Jesus' sake. ⁶ For God, who said, ^(AX)“Let light shine out of darkness,” ^(AY)has shone in our hearts to give ^(AZ)the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.