2 Corinthians 3
1DO we again begin to commend ourselves? Or need we, as some, letters of commendation to you, or of commendation from you?
2Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3being made manifest that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart.
4And such confidence have we through Christ, toward God.
5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7But if the ministration of death, engraven with letters in stones, was made glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away;
8how shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious?
9For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness abound in glory.
10For even that which was made glorious has no glory in this respect, on account of the glory that excels.
11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which abides is glorious.
12Having therefore such hope, we use great plainness of speech;
13and not as Moses put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the end of that which was to be done away.
14But their understandings were hardened; for until this day the same vail on the reading of the old covenant remains, not being taken away; which vail is done away in Christ[3:14].
15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, a vail lies upon their heart.
16But whenever it turns to the Lord, the vail is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18But we all, with unvailed face beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.