2 Corinthians 3
The Corinthians are a living testament to the authenticity of Paul's ministry, written in their hearts by the Spirit of God. Paul's adequacy comes from God, who has made him a suitable minister of the New Testament, not in the letter but in the Spirit. The ministry of the Spirit is more glorious than the ministry of death, which was engraved on stone tablets, and brings life and liberty. As believers gaze upon the unveiled glory of the Lord, they are transfigured into His image by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 Must we begin again to commend ourselves? Or are we in need (as some are) of epistles of commendation for you, or from you 2 You are our Epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men 3 It has been made manifest that you are the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written down, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on tablets of stone, but on the fleshly tablets of the heart 4 And we have such faith, through Christ, toward God 5 It is not that we are adequate to think anything of ourselves, as if anything was from us. But our adequacy is from God 6 And he has made us suitable ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life 7 But if the ministration of death, engraved with letters upon stones, was in glory, (so much so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze intently upon the face of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance) even though this ministration was ineffective 8 how could the ministration of the Spirit not be in greater glory 9 For if the ministration of condemnation is with glory, so much more is the ministration of justice abundant in glory 10 And neither was it glorified by means of an excellent glory, though it was made illustrious in its own way 11 For if even what was temporary has its glory, then what is lasting has an even greater glory 12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with much confidence 13 and not as Moses did, in placing a veil over his face, so that the sons of Israel would not gaze intently at his face. This was ineffective 14 for their minds were obtuse. And, even until this present day, the very same veil, in the readings from the Old Testament, remains not taken away (though, in Christ, it is taken away) 15 But even until today, when Moses is read, a veil is still set over their hearts 16 But when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken away 17 Now the Spirit is Lord. And wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty 18 Yet truly, all of us, as we gaze upon the unveiled glory of the face of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image, from one glory to another. And this is done by the Spirit of the Lord