Ministers of a New Covenant 1 UEB Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? We do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you, like some people, do we? BSB BSB: Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2 UEB You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, known and read by all people. BSB BSB: You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.
3 UEB You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us. It was written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God. It was not written on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. BSB BSB: It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 UEB And this is the confidence that we have through Christ before God. BSB BSB: Such confidence before God is ours through Christ.
5 UEB We are not competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us. Instead, our competence is from God. BSB BSB: Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
6 UEB It is God who made us able to be servants of a new covenant. This is a covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. BSB BSB: And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The Glory of the New Covenant (Exodus 34:10–35)
7 UEB Now the service that produced death—engraved in letters on stones—came in such glory that the people of Israel could not look directly at Moses' face. This is because of the glory of his face, a glory that was fading. BSB BSB: Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,
8 UEB How much more glorious will be the service that the Spirit does? BSB BSB: will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 UEB For if the service of condemnation had glory, how much more does the service of righteousness abound in glory! BSB BSB: For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
10 UEB For indeed, that which was once made glorious is no longer glorious in this respect, because of the glory that exceeds it. BSB BSB: Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.
11 UEB For if that which was passing away had glory, how much more will what is permanent have glory! BSB BSB: For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!
12 UEB Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. BSB BSB: Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
13 UEB We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the people of Israel were not able to look directly at the ending of a glory that was passing away. BSB BSB: We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.
14 UEB But their minds were closed. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. BSB BSB: But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
15 UEB But even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. BSB BSB: And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16 UEB But when a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. BSB BSB: But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 UEB Now the Lord is the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. BSB BSB: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 UEB Now all of us, with unveiled faces, see the glory of the Lord. We are being transformed into the same glorious likeness from one degree of glory into another, just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit. BSB BSB: And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.