Chapter 3
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves ? Or do we need , as do some , letters of commendation to you or from you ?
2 You are our letter , written in our hearts , known and read by all men ,
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ , served by us , written not with ink , but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tablets of stone , but in tablets that are hearts of flesh .
4 Such confidence we have through Christ towards God ,
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves ; but our sufficiency is from God ,
6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant , not of the letter but of the Spirit . For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life .
7 But if the service of death , written engraved on stones , came with glory , so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face , which was passing away ,
8 won’ t service of the Spirit be with much more glory ?
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory , the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory .
10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect , by reason of the glory that surpasses .
11 For if that which passes away was with glory , much more that which remains is in glory .
12 Having therefore such a hope , we use great boldness of speech ,
13 and not as Moses , who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’ t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away .
14 But their minds were hardened , for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains , because in Christ it passes away .
15 But to this day , when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart .
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord , the veil is taken away .
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit ; and where the Spirit of the Lord is , there is liberty .
18 But we all , with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror , are transformed into the same image from glory to glory , even as from the Lord , the Spirit .