2 Corinthians 3
The Corinthians are a living testament to the power of Christ, written in the hearts of the apostles and known to all. The apostles' adequacy comes from God, who has made them suitable ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter but in the Spirit. The ministry of the Spirit is more glorious than the ministry of the law, which was ineffective and temporary. The veil that once covered the glory of the law is now removed in Christ, and those who turn to the Lord will experience liberty and be transformed into the image of God.
Must we begin again to commend ourselves? Or are we in need (as some are) of epistles of commendation for you, or from youYou are our Epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all menIt 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 heartAnd we have such faith, through Christ, toward GodIt is not that we are adequate to think anything of ourselves, as if anything was from us. But our adequacy is from GodAnd 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 lifeBut 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 ineffectivehow could the ministration of the Spirit not be in greater gloryFor if the ministration of condemnation is with glory, so much more is the ministration of justice abundant in gloryAnd neither was it glorified by means of an excellent glory, though it was made illustrious in its own wayFor if even what was temporary has its glory, then what is lasting has an even greater gloryTherefore, having such a hope, we act with much confidenceand 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 ineffectivefor 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)But even until today, when Moses is read, a veil is still set over their heartsBut when they will have been converted to the Lord, then the veil shall be taken awayNow the Spirit is Lord. And wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertyYet 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
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