Parallel Bible results for "2 corinthians 3"

2 Corinthians 3

Common English Bible CEB

1 Are we starting to commend ourselves again? We don't need letters of introduction to you or from you like other people, do we?

2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.

3 You show that you are Christ's letter, delivered by us. You weren't written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You weren't written on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 This is the confidence that we have through Christ in the presence of God.

5 It isn't that we ourselves are qualified to claim that anything came from us. No, our qualification is from God.

6 He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not based on what is written but on the Spirit, because what is written kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 The ministry that brought death was carved in letters on stone tablets. It came with such glory that the Israelites couldn't look for long at Moses' face because his face was shining with glory, even though it was a fading glory.

8 Won't the ministry of the Spirit be much more glorious?

9 If the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness?

10 In fact, what was glorious isn't glorious now, because of the glory that is brighter.

11 If the glory that fades away was glorious, how much more glorious is the one that lasts!

12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence.

13 We aren't like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn't watch the end of what was fading away.

14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ.

15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.

16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed.

17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.

18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Do we have to show you our qualifications again? Do we, like some people, need letters that recommend us to you or letters from you that recommend us to others?

2 You're our letter of recommendation written in our hearts that everyone knows and reads.

3 It's clear that you are Christ's letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Christ gives us confidence about you in God's presence.

5 By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified.

6 He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

7 The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn't look at Moses' face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading.

8 Won't the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory?

9 If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God's approval has an overwhelming glory.

10 In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry.

11 If that former ministry faded away despite its glory, how much more does that ministry which remains continue to be glorious?

12 Since we have confidence [in the new promise], we speak very boldly.

13 We are not like Moses. He kept covering his face with a veil. He didn't want the people of Israel to see the glory fading away.

14 However, their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Testament. It isn't removed, because only Christ can remove it.

15 Yet, even today, when they read the books of Moses, a veil covers their minds.

16 But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17 This Lord is the Spirit. Wherever the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.

18 As all of us reflect the Lord's glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.