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 3,9 2Kor 3,9
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.
Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.
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:
I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will {Or, give salvation in Zion, and my glory unto Israel}place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
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 thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
no hand shall touch {Or, it}him, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, he shall not live: when the {Or, ram's horn}trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their garments.
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not near a woman.
And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp trembled.
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
And mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
And when the voice of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: {Or, Jehovah is our righteousness}Jehovah our righteousness.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.
And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they {Or, were moved}trembled, and stood afar off.
For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, {Habakkuk 2:4.}But the righteous shall live {Greek: from.}by faith.
And Moses indeed was faithful in all {That is, God's house. See Numbers 12:7.}his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken;
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
but Christ as a son, over {That is, God's house. See Numbers 12:7.}his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end.
For the {Or, a wrath}wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who {Or, hold the truth Compare 1 Corinthians 7:30 (Greek)}hinder the truth in unrighteousness;
even the righteousness of God through faith {Or, of}in Jesus Christ unto all {Some ancient authorities add and upon all.}them that believe; for there is no distinction;
For what the law could not do, {Greek: wherein.}in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of {Greek: flesh of sin.}sinful flesh {Or, and as an offering for sin Leviticus 7:37 & c. Hebrews 10:6 & c. }and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
that the {Or, requirement}ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.
And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto {Greek: an act of righteousness. Revelation 15:4; 19:8.}justification.
For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and {Some ancient authorities omit of the gift.}of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.
So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.
And {Or, law}the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:
that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, {Deuteronomy 27:26.}Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
For Moses writeth that {Leviticus 18:5}the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.
But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus, {Deuteronomy 30:12 f.}Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down:)
or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)
But what saith it? {Deuteronomy 30:14}The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:
{Or, that}because if thou shalt {Some ancient authorities read confess the word with thy mouth, that Jesus is Lord.}confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:
for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For ye are not come unto {Or, a palpable and kindled fire}a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them;
for they could not endure that which was enjoined, {Exodus 19:12 f.}If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;
and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, {Deuteronomy 9:19.}I exceedingly fear and quake:
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, {Or, both rightousness and sanctification and redemption}and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
Ye are {Greek: brought to nought. Compare Romans 7:2, 6 (in the Greek).}severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.
For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.
and be found in him, {Or, not having as my righteousness that which is of the law}not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God {Greek: upon.}by faith:
{Many ancient authorities read Symeon. See Acts 15:14.}Simon Peter, a {Greek: bondservant.}servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained {Greek: an equally precious.}a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of {Or, our God and Saviour Compare verse 11; 2:20; 3:18; Titus 2:13}our God and the Saviour Jesus Christ: