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 3,13 2Kor 3,13
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 Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, {Many ancient authorities read they can.}can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.
Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year.
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, {Psalm 11:6 ff}Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,But a body didst thou prepare for me;
In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure:
Then said I, Lo, I am come(In the roll of the book it is written of me)To do thy will, O God.
Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein (the which are offered according to the law),
then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.