Continuing from the end of chapter 2 where Paul wrote, "2:17For we are not as many-people adulterating the word of God but (we are) as out-from genuineness, but (we are) as out-from God – before God we utter-forth in Christ," he says:
II Corinthians 3:1-3:
3:1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or, we do not need commendatory letters towards you or from you, as some-people, do we? – (no.) .2You are the letter of us, (the letter) having been in-written2 in our hearts, (the letter) being known and being read by all men, .3(you are) being manifested that you are Christ’s letter, (the letter) having been ministered by us and having been in-written2 not with black-ink but with (the) spirit of (the) living God, not in stony tablets but in tablets (which are) fleshy hearts.
Paul asks the Corinthian church and all the holy-people in the whole of Achaia: do we (myself and those with me) make a beginning (start) now another-time to favorably-introduce ourselves to you? Is that the reason why I am writing a letter to you again? Or let me ask you, we don't need (have a necessity to use), in comparison to some-people, introductory letters about ourselves towards you or out-from you, do we? Paul does not specifically answer these questions, but according to the Greek structure of the second question the answer to it must be "no."
Perhaps some people wanted proof that Paul was still carrying-out his apostleship, that he and those with him were really doing what God and the Lord Jesus Christ wanted them to do. If anyone felt that they indeed needed a commendatory letter (epistle, that-which is sent by a messenger, a courier whether verbal or in writing), Paul tells them where they can find it: you holy-people are…
Paul explains: you are being manifested (evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth) that you are…
[Reference: Exodus 24:12, 31:18, and 32:15, 16; Deuteronomy 9:9-10:5; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 11:19, 20, and 36:26, 27; Acts 18:27; Romans 2:29, 5:5, 8:27, 15:15, 16, and 16:1; I Corinthians 9:1 and 2; II Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6.]
Verses 4-6:
.4But we have this-kind-of persuasion by means of Christ towards God, .5not that we are sufficient from ourselves to calculate as (our sufficiency is) out-from ourselves but our sufficiency (is) out-from God .6Who also made us sufficient ministers of (the) new covenant, not of writing but of spirit, for the writing kills but the spirit makes-alive.
Paul further elaborates on the question which he posed in chapter 2, verse 16: "And towards these-things, who (is) sufficient?" He writes: but we (myself and those with me) have/hold the persuasion of this sort (such a conviction, this kind of confidence, certainty and reliance) by means of Christ (through the Anointed-one) towards the only true God. We could not have this kind of persuasion, which I am writing about here, towards God without Christ.
Continuing to teach and explain, Paul writes: not that we are sufficient from ourselves (not that we suffice enough, have come to enough, reached the point of satisfying sufficiency all by ourselves, and so there is no need to add more of anything to us, as though this sufficiency comes from us without God and so we would be able) to calculate (compute, reckon, count) that our sufficiency is out-from ourselves (originating from ourselves) – but on the contrary, our sufficiency (the state of having come to enough, having reached the point of satisfying sufficiency, not needing anything else) is out-from the only true God. The sufficiency that we have originates from God.
God is the One Who additionally made us sufficient ministers of the new covenant. He is the One Who caused us to be sufficient ministers (sufficient people who serve to benefit others, not 'being-subject' to them but doing work to bring profit to others, who carry-out our day-by-day ministerial-duties, the duties of service given to us) pertaining to the new covenant. We are sufficient to serve the new covenant to people.
What new covenant? What newly-made binding-agreement that is different from the old covenant previously in effect?
God is the One Who made Paul and those with him sufficient ministers of the new covenant, and Paul explains that this new covenant is not of writing (it does not proceed-from, pertain-to or consist-of that-which is written, written-letters, as the law which was given by God on Mount Sinai to Moses for Israel a long time ago, nor as a commendatory letter written with black-ink) – but on the contrary, this new covenant is of SPIRIT.
The new covenant proceeds-from, pertains-to and consists-of that-which is spirit – that holy spirit-life which God gives by means of the Lord Jesus Christ that was first made available on the day of Pentecost less than 2000 years ago from today, but only about 28 years before Paul wrote this physical letter to the Corinthian church and all the holy people in the whole of Achaia.
This new covenant of spirit has replaced the former covenant of law and circumcision. The new covenant came into effect at the moment that complete redemption and salvation was made available to mankind on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) when God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ shed forth holy spirit. This holy spirit-life is the deposit, token, earnest received by all who believe what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 10:8-10.
The reason why the new covenant is not of writing, but on the contrary, it is of spirit, is because in truth the writing kills (the old covenant writing cannot give life) but the spirit makes-alive (the new covenant holy spirit is what gives a person God's holy and spiritual life which is eternal). God made Paul and those with him sufficient ministers of the new covenant, not of writing but of spirit, for the writing kills but the spirit makes-alive.
[Reference: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; John 6:63; Acts 9:1-20, 13:1-4, 22:1-21, 26:1-23; Romans 3:27-4:25, 7:5-8:39, and 10:1-13; I Corinthians 11:23-26, and 15:10, 45; Galatians chapter 3; Ephesians 3:1-12; Philippians 2:13, and 4:13; Colossians 1:12-14, 23-29; Hebrews 8:6-9:28, 12:24, and 13:20, 21; I Peter 3:18-22.]
Verses 7-11:
.7But if the ministry of death in writings, having been typed-in2 stones, was caused-to-become in glory so-as-for the sons of Israel not to be able to gaze-intently into the face of Moses because-of the glory of his face, the (glory) being rendered-ineffective, .8how will the ministry of the spirit not rather be in glory? .9For if (there is) glory with the ministry of the condemnation, much rather the ministry of the righteousness exceeds with glory; .10for also the-thing having been glorified2 was not glorified2 in this particular: by-reason-of the super-throwing glory, .11for if the-thing being rendered-ineffective (is being rendered-ineffective) by means of glory, much rather the-thing remaining (is remaining) in glory.
If (since it is true that) the ministry pertaining to death (lack of holy spirit-life because the law of Moses could not give it)…
…was caused to become in glory (to come to pass to be within importance, splendor, renown), and it was so glorious that the consequence and result was that the sons of Israel (the offspring, children of the man previously called Jacob) did not have the physical fleshy able-power, the capability to fix their eyes intently into the face of Moses on account of the glory proceeding-from his face, that glory of the old covenant which was being rendered ineffective (was being caused to be inactive, inoperative and useless)…
…how will the ministry pertaining-to the spirit, the holy spirit-life from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, not rather (more-so, more and more, constantly-increasing – not ‘instead-of’ but very much more) be within glory?
Paul now gives the answer with explanation regarding some of the differences between the old and the new covenants (and in verse 17 below he explains about "the spirit"):
The new covenant of the spirit, which makes-alive, is remaining in glory!
[Reference: Genesis 32:28, and 35:10; Exodus 34:27-35; Deuteronomy 27:26; Romans 1:15-17,
Verses 12-16:
.12Therefore having this-kind-of hope we use much boldness, .13and not fully-as Moses used-to-put a covering on his face towards (the purpose of) the sons of Israel not to gaze-intently into the completion of the-thing being rendered-ineffective, .14but their mindful-devices were-hardened, for continuously-until the today day the same covering remains on the reading of the old covenant not being uncovered because it is being rendered-ineffective in Christ, .15but until today when ever Moses may be read a covering is laid on their heart .16but when if-ever it may turn-back towards (the) Lord the covering is taken-from-around (their heart);
Logically following-on from what I have just written, since we (myself and those with me) have/hold this sort of hope (such expectation of our future based on the new covenant of the spirit that is remaining in glory) we presently use (deem to be needful as a means to an end, for a purpose) a lot of boldness (a bigger amount and quality of speaking openly with freedom and frankness of speech).
Our boldness is not fully in comparison to Moses. Moses used to continually place a covering (a concealing cover as a veil) down-on his face when he would come into the presence of the sons of Israel for the purpose of them not to fix their eyes intently into the completion of the-thing which was, even at that time, in the process of being rendered ineffective. The children of Israel could not gaze intently into the ending-issue, the complete-thing, the fulfillment (not its vanishing or ceasing to exist but the bringing into its perfect state, the conclusion) of the old covenant that God had given to Moses for all of them, which was in the process of being caused to be inactive, inoperative and useless. This is referring to the spiritual aspect of the old covenant – they could physically see Moses who physically put a covering over his face to conceal the radiance of the glory emanating from him at that time because it was too much for their physical eyes, but they could not physically nor spiritually gaze intently into the spiritual completion of the old covenant even though Moses was teaching them what God told him to teach them about Himself and the promised-seed, the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed-one.
Contrary to gazing-intently into the completion of the old covenant, their mindful-devices (the contrivances or products of their minds' thinking, the plans issuing from the action of their minds) were hardened (caused to become hard like a stone against God, petrified as a callus, as being covered with a thick skin rejecting what God is offering to them via the Christ, not allowing it to penetrate inside of them; they allowed the devil and his devil-spirits to do this, blinding their minds so that they were not sharp or alert relative-to the spirit category).
In truth, for the whole duration of time up until this very day, the same covering (the concealing covering, as a veil, not physical but spiritual) stays resting upon the reading of the old covenant (on the personal knowledge that comes from the physical reading of the old covenant writings). This covering is not being uncovered (not being unveiled, the cover is not taken-upwards thus not revealing what is underneath) – why not? – the objective-cause being that this covering is presently being rendered-ineffective in Christ (it is being caused to be inactive, inoperative and useless within the sphere of action of and caused by Christ, the Anointed-one, the Messiah).
Explaining further, Paul writes: continuing up to today, at whatever time that Moses (referring to those things written in the old covenant – the law for the children of Israel) would be read, a covering (a concealing cover, as a veil, not physical but spiritual) is caused to lie down-on their heart (the center or core of their beings, and all of them together as one group having one heart) so that what is read cannot enter into their heart because it is covered.
But at whatever time, if-ever it should happen, that their heart would actively turn-back (turn-on) towards the Lord, who is the resurrected Christ Jesus, the covering is presently taken from around it (wholly taken away from their heart).
Paul and those with him used much boldness teaching what God says about Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, being ministers of the new covenant, because the only way that any person can truly gaze-intently upon the totality of the old covenant and its completion, both in the spirit category and in the walk/behavior category, is by turning upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Reference: Exodus 34:27-35; Mark 6:52; John 12:37-41; Acts 3:19, 27:20, and 28:16-31; Romans 2:29, 7:6, 10:4-17, and 11:7,8, 25; Galatians 3:22-29; Ephesians 2:10-22; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 3:8 and 15.]
Verses 17 and 18:
.17but the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of (the) Lord (is there is) freedom, .18and we, with (our) face having been uncovered2, reflect-from-ourselves the glory of (the) Lord, the (people) transforming the same image from glory into glory, fully-as from (the) Lord (who is) spirit.
The Lord is the spirit – the Lord Jesus Christ presently and actively is the spirit proceeding-from the living God (verse 3), the spirit of the new covenant which makes-alive (verse 6), the spirit of the ministry in glory (verse 8); and where the Lord's spirit is there is freedom (liberty) – and therefore there is no covering as a veil.
Paul's usage of the word "Lord" when referring to the Lord Jesus Christ here is noteworthy because it emphasizes the lordship or mastership of the resurrected Christ Jesus in the new covenant relationship between God and all of His sons, His children, as Paul has already taught in this letter (II Corinthians 1:20-22). God has actively given us holy-people the deposit (the earnest, token, the first-part of the whole, to guarantee to us recipients that we will also at a future time receive the remaining part of the whole of the same kind) of, consisting-of and which-is the spirit (holy spirit-life) within our hearts (the center or core of our beings). All holy-people have received the gift of holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the spirit of Christ in us, the Lord, which is the deposit of the great inheritance that God has promised to all of us as part of the new covenant, and its fulfillment is our hope of, pertaining-to and consisting-of future glory.
Paul continues to use himself and those with him as the example to those to whom he is writing: emphatically we – who have had our face uncovered (unveiled, the cover has been and is still taken-upwards thus revealing what is underneath) – presently reflect from ourselves (we mirror) the glory (importance, splendor, renown) belonging-to and proceeding-from the Lord Jesus Christ.
This was true of Paul and those with him, and also of all the holy-people in Corinth and in the whole of Achaia, and of every holy-person (sanctified-person, Christian, saint, child of the only true God) because we have received God's gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ; we have the spirit of the Lord within us. Every holy-person has been baptized in holy spirit and that is how every holy-person becomes a limb of the one spiritual body of Christ. We are not all Christs – but spiritually we are all limbs of his one spiritual body because we (all holy-people and the Lord Jesus Christ) all have the same holy spirit-life within us (refer to also I Corinthians 12:12-14).
We all have holy spirit-life within us which is the spirit of the new covenant, the spirit of the Lord in us, and we reflect from ourselves our Lord's glory, as a mirror reflects outward from itself the light-rays which arrive on it from the source which causes the image to form on the mirror. A mirror in Paul's time-period was usually made with polished metal and the person looking at the mirror saw the reflected rays of light producing a reflection of the source-object whether it be the person himself or something else, and these reflected rays of light from the polished metal would also land-on and so light-up his face.
How were Paul and those with him reflecting from themselves the present glory of the Lord? They were the people who were presently transforming the same image (changing the form of the image itself, metamorphosis, the whole form not just the outward-appearance of the same image, icon, resemblance, representation of the Lord Jesus Christ) away-from the glory that they had received within their holy spirit into the manifested glory emanating from it – and this manifested glory was fully-as away-from the Lord, the spirit. There was and is no fading or blurring of the Lord's glory from our holy spirit-life. This glory is the manifested essence of God in Christ in us radiating forth.
All holy-people spiritually are in the process of transforming the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our holy spirit-life, away-from its glorious light-rays emanating this glory outwards spiritually towards other people showing them the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ now, which is the guarantee of future glory to come – like Moses' face shone with glory towards the children of Israel after he had received the old covenant from God. However, only Moses reflected this glory because the rest of the sons of Israel were caused to be hardened against it – but all of us holy-people reflect from ourselves the glory of the Lord. The Lord who is spirit, the spirit of the new covenant, has entered our hearts in our reception of that holy spirit, and now we are the people transforming the same image of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ from glory into glory, fully-as from the Lord who is spirit (the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ has already received his spiritual body with its holy spirit-life from God).
[Reference: Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:16-21; John 8:36, 15:26, 16:13-15, and 17:21-24; Acts chapter 2; Romans chapter 8, and 12:2; I Corinthians 6:17, chapter 12, 13:12, and 15:45, 49-57; II Corinthians 1:21, 22, and 4:4(b)-6; Philippians 3:20 and 21, Colossians 1:25-29, and 3:10; I Thessalonians 4:13-17. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]