Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;
being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh.
And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
But if the ministration of death, {Greek: in letters.}written, and engraven on stones, came {Greek: in.}with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory {Or, was being done away Compare 1 Corinthians 13:8, 10.}was passing away:
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?
{Many ancient authorities read For if the ministration of condemnation is glory.}For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.
For if that which {Or, is being done away See verse 7 margin.}passeth away was {Greek: through.}with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.
Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly {Or, unto}on the end of that which {Or, was being done away See verse 7 margin.}was passing away:
but their {Greek: thoughts. Chapter 4:4, 11:3}minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil {Or, remaineth unlifted: which veil is done away}remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.
But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.
But whensoever {Or, a man shall turn}it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with unveiled face {Or, reflecting as a mirror}beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 3,7 2Kor 3,7
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh.
And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face {Or, sent forth beams (Hebrew: horns)}shone {Or, while he talked with him}by reason of his speaking with him.
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses spake to them.
And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that Jehovah had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
But when Moses went in before Jehovah to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.
{Many ancient authorities read For if the ministration of condemnation is glory.}For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law and the commandment, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling.
And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah;
who appeared in glory, and spake of his {Or, departure}decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
For if that which {Or, is being done away See verse 7 margin.}passeth away was {Greek: through.}with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.
and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death:
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul:The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.
And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
but their {Greek: thoughts. Chapter 4:4, 11:3}minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil {Or, remaineth unlifted: which veil is done away}remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart:The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
מ MEM.Oh how love I thy law!It is my meditation all the day.
but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
Therefore I love thy commandmentsAbove gold, yea, above fine gold.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou brakest.
Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right;And I hate every false way.
And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten {Hebrew: words.}commandments.
I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah;And thy law is my delight.
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten {Hebrew: words.}commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.
Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; — that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
These words Jehovah spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me.
For I delight {Greek: with.}in the law of God after the inward man:
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water.
And Jehovah delivered unto me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which Jehovah spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that Jehovah gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them.
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount was burning with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
At that time Jehovah said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.
So I made an ark of acacia wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in my hand.
And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten {Hebrew: words.}commandments, which Jehovah spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and Jehovah gave them unto me.
having a golden {Or, censer 2 Chronicles 26:19; Ezekiel 8:11.}altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein {Or, is}was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;