An aside

1(Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, ³³or commendation from you?

2You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all men;

3you are manifestly a letter of Christ, mediated by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, ³⁴not on stone tablets but on ‘tablets’ that are hearts of flesh.)

Competent ministers

4Now we have such confidence before God because of the Christ;

5not that we are competent of ourselves to reckon anything as being from ourselves, but our competence is from God ³⁵—

6indeed, He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant; ³⁶not of letter but of Spirit, because the letter kills, while the Spirit gives life. ³⁷

A greater glory

7Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory—so that the children of Israel could not gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance (that was fading)—

8how can the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

9For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!

10Because what had glory could actually be said to be without glory, compared to the surpassing glory—

11if what is being set aside had glory, that which is continuing is much more glorious. ³⁸

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we use great boldness of speech—

13not like Moses, who put a veil over his own face, so that the children of Israel would not observe the end of what was fading. ³⁹

14But, it was their minds that were closed, because to this day that very veil remains in place when the Old Testament is read, since only in Christ is it taken away.

15Yes, even to this day, when Moses is read a veil lies on their heart.

16However, whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is removed. ⁴⁰

17Now the Spirit is the Lord, ⁴¹and where the Lord's Spirit is there is freedom. ⁴²

18So we all, contemplating as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, ⁴³are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, precisely from Lord Spirit. ⁴⁴