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2 Corinthians 3 (AMP)

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¹ ARE WE starting to commend ourselves again? Or we do not, like some , need written credentials or letters of recommendation to you or from you, ? ² you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody. ³ You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with Spirit of living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. ⁴ Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God. ⁵ Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God. ⁶ Who has qualified us as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant , not of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code kills, but the Spirit makes alive. ⁷ Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone , was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, that was to fade and pass away, ⁸ Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with much greater and more splendid glory? ⁹ For if the service that condemns had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous ! ¹⁰ Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it . ¹¹ For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor! ¹² Since we have such hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. ¹³ Nor like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing . ¹⁴ In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused ; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies , not being lifted that in Christ it is made void and done away. ¹⁵ Yes, down to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). ¹⁸ And all of us, as with unveiled face, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; from the Lord the Spirit.