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。

1Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?

2our letter ye are, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

3manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart,

4and such trust we have through the Christ toward God,

5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] of God,

6who also made us sufficient [to be] ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.

7and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face — which was being made useless,

8how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?

9for if the ministration of the condemnation [is] glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;

10for also even that which hath been glorious, hath not been glorious — in this respect, because of the superior glory;

11for if that which is being made useless [is] through glory, much more that which is remaining [is] in glory.

12Having, then, such hope, we use much freedom of speech,

13and [are] not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless,

14but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn — which in Christ is being made useless —

15but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie,

16and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

17And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty;

18and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.