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 3,8 2Kor 3,8
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.
Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 2:12.}gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.
And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
For I will pour water upon {Or, the thirsty land}him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.
{[Chapter 3:1 in Hebrew]}And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: {Some ancient authorities read for the Holy Spirit was not yet given.}for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
{Joel 2:28 ff.}And it shall be in the last days, saith God,I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh:And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,And your young men shall see visions,And your old men shall dream dreams:
Yea and on my {Greek: bondmen.}servants and on my {Greek: bondmaidens.}handmaidens in those daysWill I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
This Jesus did God raise up, {Or, of whom}whereof we all are witnesses.
Being therefore {Or, at }by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.
But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies {Many ancient authorities read because of.}through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:
for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the {Greek: doings.}deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
Know ye not that ye are a {Or, sanctuary}temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
and to another workings of {Greek: powers.}miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.
This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the {Or, message}hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, {or, do ye now make an end in the flesh?}are ye now perfected in the flesh?
Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain.
He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh {Greek: powers}miracles {Or, in}among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you {Many ancient authorities read as firstfruits.}from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and {Or, faith}belief of the truth:
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
These are they who make separations, {Or, natural Or, animal}sensual, having not the Spirit.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,