1 DO we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1Doe wee begin againe to commend our selues? or need wee, as some others, Epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts, knowen and read of all men.

3Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs, written not with inke, but with the spirit of the liuing God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

4And such trust haue wee through Christ to Godward:

5Not that wee are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues: but our sufficiencie is of God:

6Who also hath made vs able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giueth life.

7But if the ministration of death written, and ingrauen in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly beholde the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glorie was to be done away:

8How shall not the ministration of the spirit, be rather glorious?

9For if the ministration of condemnation bee glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glorie.

10For euen that which was made glorious, had no glorie in this respect by reason of the glorie that excelleth.

11For if that which is done away, was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12Seeing then that wee haue such hope, we vse great plainnesse of speech.

13And not as Moses, which put a vaile ouer his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly looke to the end of that which is abolished;

14But their mindes were blinded: for vntill this day remaineth the same vaile vntaken away, in the reading of the old testament: which vaile is done away in Christ.

15But euen vnto this day, when Moses is read, the vaile is vpon their heart.

16Neuerthelesse, when it shall turne to the Lord, the vaile shall be taken away.

17Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie.

18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glorie to glorie, euen as by the spirit of the Lord.

3:1==ACTS 18:27 ROM 16:1 1st COR 16:3

3:3==EX 24:12 31:18 32:15-16 JER 31:33

3:6==SER 31:31

3:7==EX 34:29-35

3:17==IS 61:1-2

 

1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, 3 shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. 4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, 6 who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, 8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory. 10 Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we act very boldly 13 and not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not look intently at the cessation of what was fading. 14 Rather, their thoughts were rendered dull, for to this present day the same veil remains unlifted when they read the old covenant, because through Christ it is taken away. 15 To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This chapter deals with the glory of Paul’s ministry.
v1-3. Apparently the Corinthians has given heed to other teachers, even false teachers who had been given letters of commendation. Paul’s commendation was the lives of believers there. Commendations could be written in ink or even on tables of stone, like the law, but believers show the commendation of the Holy Spirit written on their hearts by their lives.
v4-6. Even though Paul needed no written commendation, he was the first to admit that this was not of his own ability, but wholly of God. In the new testament, Paul is not offering two methods of interpretation, but two Divine methods of dealing. One method was through the law, the other through the Holy Spirit. Christ kept the law, which we can not do, but through Him, we can be counted righteous before God.
v7,8. It was wonderful how Moses’ face shone when he came down  after receiving the tables of the law, but that was temporary. The wonderful work of the Holy Spirit and the permanence is much greater.
v9-11. The law was a ministration of death, v8, and of condemnation. The standards of grace are even more exacting and have replaced the standards of the law, but again, our righteousness is only through Christ, not our efforts.
v12-16. Moses had the veil over his face that the Israelites could not see the diminishing of the glory. The veil is still there as they cannot understand that the law was temporary, pointing to Christ. The veil is on their hearts, but when they turn their hearts to the Lord, that veil is removed. [It is not take away the veil, then I will turn to the Lord.] For blind, not  realizing they are lying, see v 14; 4:4; 11:3. Our weapons are God’s Word, 10:4,5 and renewing of our minds,12:2.
v17,18. The Lord Jesus Christ though separate in person, is interchangeable with the Holy Spirit spoken of in verse 6. Notice He gives liberty compared to the letter, not license, as some seek. We see the glory of the Lord, not in it’s fullness, but as reduced in a brass mirror, through the Gospel and to a certain extent, other believers. Even this is able to transform our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.