2 Corinthians 3:4-4:6

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Paul’s Competence

⁴ We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we are competent in^[a] ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.^{(A) 6} He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,^(B) not of the letter,^(C) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

New Covenant Ministry

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,^(D) so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. ¹⁰ In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was fading away^(E) was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

¹² Therefore, having such a hope,^(F) we use great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face^(G) so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, ¹⁴ but their minds were closed.^[b](H) For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,^(I) the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.^{(J) 15} Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns^(K) to the Lord, the veil is removed.^{(L) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at^[c](M) the glory of the Lord^(N) and are being transformed^(O) into the same image^(P) from glory to glory;^[d] this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.^[e]

The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy,^(Q) we do not give up.^{(R) 2} Instead, we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking^(S) in deceit or distorting God’s message,^(T) but commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in God’s sight by an open display of the truth.^{(U) 3} But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case, the god of this age^(V) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,^[f](W) who is the image of God.^{(X) 5} For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(Y) and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. ⁶ For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^(Z) has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge^(AA) of God’s glory^(AB) in the face of Jesus Christ.