2 Corinthians 3

We are not going to prove to you a second time that we are trustworthy. As you know, you do not need to write or receive a note that proves that we are trustworthy, even though {you might need to do those things} for other people.

It is you all who function like a note {that proves that we are trustworthy}. When we care for each other, all people realize that we are trustworthy, just as if they read {a note from you}.

Everyone knows that you are like a note that the Messiah wrote and that we delivered. {The Messiah} did not write {this note} on stone slabs using dye. Rather, {it is as if he wrote it} inside you by working through the Holy Spirit, {who is} the only real God. \*

I say those things because we are sure about {what} God {thinks of us}. {We are sure} because the Messiah makes {us sure}.

Of course, we cannot {proclaim the good news} well on our own, and we do not think that anything we do well is because of us. Rather, God enables us {to proclaim the good news} well.

He has also enabled us to act on behalf of the new agreement. The Holy Spirit gives {this new agreement}, so it is not just words that someone wrote down. {This is important} because {people who rely on} the Holy Spirit will live, but {people who rely on} words that someone wrote down will die. \*

Further, when Moses acted on behalf of {the old agreement that condemned people} to die, God carved the words {of the agreement} onto stone slabs. What Moses did was glorious enough that the Israelites could not gaze at his face afterwards because it {reflected how} glorious {God is}, although that would eventually go away.

So then, when people act on behalf of {the new agreement that gives} the Holy Spirit, that is even more glorious. \*

Indeed, when Moses acted on behalf of {the old agreement that led to God} condemning people, it was glorious. So then, when people act on behalf of {the new agreement that leads to people becoming} righteous, it is even more glorious!

In fact, the glorious {old agreement} does not look glorious at all because of how glorious {the new agreement} is.

Indeed, {the old agreement} that is going away was glorious. So then, {the new agreement} that will last forever is even more glorious! \*

So then, since we confidently expect {to receive} these {glorious} things, we behave very boldly.

{We are} not like Moses, who wore a cloth that hid his face. That way, the Israelites could not gaze at how his face stopped reflecting how glorious God is. \*

In fact, the Israelites did not understand {what God revealed}. Indeed, even now, when someone reads {the Scriptures that contain} the old agreement, {it is as if} the cloth that Moses wore keeps people from understanding {it}. That is because no one can understand {these Scriptures} until God unites them to the Messiah.

Indeed, even now, when someone reads the Law of Moses, it is as if that cloth keeps people from understanding it.

However, when people begin to trust the Lord {God}, God enables them to understand {the Law of Moses}, just as if he removed that cloth. \*

When I speak of the Lord {God}, I mean the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who enables {people to understand the Scriptures}.

So, all of us {who believe} show how glorious the Lord {God} is, and {we do so} without a cloth covering our faces. God is changing us so that we are like {the Messiah}. In this way, the glorious Lord, who is the Holy Spirit, makes us glorious. \*