1 A re we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

Are we making it sound as if we think we are so important? Other people write letters about themselves. Do we need to write such a letter to you?

2 Y ou are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

You are our letter. You are written in our hearts. You are known and read by all men.

3 b eing 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.

You are as a letter from Christ written by us. You are not written as other letters are written with ink, or on pieces of stone. You are written in human hearts by the Spirit of the living God.

4 S uch confidence we have through Christ toward God;

We can say these things because of our faith in God through Christ.

5 n ot that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

We know we are not able in ourselves to do any of this work. God makes us able to do these things.

6 w ho 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.

God is the One Who made us preachers of a New Way of Worship. This New Way of Worship is not of the Law. It is of the Holy Spirit. The Law brings death, but the Holy Spirit gives life.

7 B ut 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:

The Law of Moses was written on stone and it brought death. But God’s shining-greatness was seen when it was given. When Moses took it to the Jews, they could not look at his face because of the bright light. But that bright light in his face began to pass away.

8 w on’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

The new way of life through the Holy Spirit comes with much more shining-greatness.

9 F or if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

If the Law of Moses, that leads to death, came in shining-greatness, how much greater and brighter is the light that makes us right with God?

10 F or most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

The Law of Moses came with shining-greatness long ago. But that light is no longer bright. The shining-greatness of the New Way of Worship that brings us life is so much brighter.

11 F or if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

The shining light that came with the Law of Moses soon passed away. But the new way of life is much brighter. It will never pass away.

12 H aving therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

We speak without fear because our trust is in Christ.

13 a nd not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

We are not like Moses. He put a covering over his face so the Jews would not see that the bright light was passing away.

14 B ut 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.

Their minds were not able to understand. Even to this day when the Law is read, there is a covering over their minds. They do not see that Christ is the only One Who can take the covering away.

15 B ut to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

Yes, to this day, there is a covering over their hearts whenever the Law of Moses is read.

16 B ut whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the covering is taken away.

17 N ow the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit.

18 B ut 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.

All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.