2 Corinthians

新约的执事

1我们岂是又举荐自己吗？岂像别人用人的荐信给你们或用你们的荐信给人吗？

2你们就是我们的荐信，写在我们的心里，被众人所知道所念诵的。

3你们明显是基督的信，借着我们修成的。不是用墨写的，乃是用永生 神的灵写的；不是写在石版上，乃是写在心版上。

4我们因基督，所以在 神面前才有这样的信心。

5并不是我们凭自己能承担什么事；我们所能承担的，乃是出于 神。

6他叫我们能承当这新约的执事，不是凭着字句，乃是凭着精意；因为那字句是叫人死，精意是叫人活。

7那用字刻在石头上属死的职事尚且有荣光，甚至以色列人因摩西面上的荣光，不能定睛看他的脸；这荣光原是渐渐退去的，

8何况那属灵的职事岂不更有荣光吗？

9若是定罪的职事有荣光，那称义的职事荣光就越发大了。

10那从前有荣光的，因这极大的荣光就算不得有荣光了；

11若那废掉的有荣光，这长存的就更有荣光了。

12我们既有这样的盼望，就大胆讲说，

13不像摩西将帕子蒙在脸上，叫以色列人不能定睛看到那将废者的结局。

14但他们的心地刚硬，直到今日诵读旧约的时候，这帕子还没有揭去。这帕子在基督里已经废去了。

15然而直到今日，每逢诵读摩西书的时候，帕子还在他们心上。

16但他们的心几时归向主，帕子就几时除去了。

17主就是那灵；主的灵在哪里，那里就得以自由。

18我们众人既然敞着脸得以看见主的荣光，好像从镜子里返照，就变成主的形状，荣上加荣，如同从主的灵变成的。

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

2You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

3being 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.

4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,

5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

6who 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.

7But 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,

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

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

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

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

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

13and 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.

14But 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.

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

16But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18But 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.