2 Corinthians 3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again i.e., by saying that we are not like other people? Or, do we need letters of recommendation to you or from you, as others do?

AUV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again [i.e., by saying that we are not like other people]? Or, do we need letters of recommendation to you or from you, as others do? ² You people are our letters [of recommendation], written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ You people show [i.e., by your conversions] that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us [i.e., the result of our ministry], not written with ink but with the Holy Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets [i.e., as in the case with Moses’ ministry], but on tablets of the human heart. [See Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10]. ⁴ [We say this] because we have such confidence in God through [our relationship with] Christ. ⁵ It is not that we are [so] competent as to consider anything [we do] as coming from ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has also made us competent as ministers of a New Agreement [i.e., between Himself and mankind]. It is not [an agreement] based [merely] on a written document [i.e., such as the law of Moses], but on the Holy Spirit, for the written document brings [spiritual] death [See Rom. 8:2], but the Holy Spirit brings [never ending] life. ⁷ But if the ministry [of the law] that brings [spiritual] death, being carved in letters on stones, came with [such] splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face because of its radiance [See Ex. 34:29-35], (even though such radiance [eventually] faded away), ⁸ will not the ministry of the Holy Spirit [i.e., the New Agreement] have [greater] splendor? ⁹ For if the ministry [of the law] that brings condemnation came with splendor, will not the ministry that brings righteousness [i.e., the New Agreement] have greater splendor? ¹⁰ For truly, what once came with splendor [i.e., the Old Agreement] has now lost it in comparison to that which has surpassing splendor [i.e., the New Agreement]. ¹¹ For if that which was fading away [i.e., the Old Agreement, represented by the law of Moses] had splendor, how much greater is the splendor of that which remains [i.e., the New Agreement represented by the Gospel]? [Note: In this section Paul uses the analogy of the fading splendor on Moses’ face to the fading splendor of the Old Agreement]. ¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope [i.e., that the Gospel is much superior to the law], we speak with great boldness, ¹³ and are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at it as [its] radiance was completely fading away. [Note: The analogy continues by suggesting that the Old Agreement was fading away like the splendor on Moses’ face did]. ¹⁴ But the minds of the Israelites became dull for, to this very day, the same veil remains on them [i.e., figuratively] when the Old Agreement [Scriptures] are read. It is not being revealed to them that the Old Agreement is being abolished by Christ [i.e., by His death on the cross. See Col. 2:14]. ¹⁵ But to this day, a veil remains on their minds whenever [the writings of] Moses are read. ¹⁶ But whenever a person [i.e., the Jews] turn to the Lord, the veil is removed [i.e., so they can understand the meaning of God’s promises to them through Christ]. ¹⁷ Now the Lord [i.e., Christ] is the Holy Spirit, and there is freedom [from the bondage of sin and fear] wherever the Spirit of the Lord is. ¹⁸ But all of us [Christians], with unveiled faces, see the Lord’s splendor reflected, as [though we were] looking in a mirror, and [so] are being transformed into His likeness in ever-increasing splendor. This is [the work] of the Lord, [who is] the Holy Spirit.