2 Corinthians 3

Do we commend ourselves — you are our letter, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh. Our fitness is from God — who made us fit as servants of a new covenant. The writing kills, the spirit gives life. If the service of death engraved on stone came in glory, how much more the service of the spirit — what is abolished and what remains. Moses veiled his face, and to this day the veil remains at the reading of the old covenant — when one turns to the Lord it is taken away. The Lord is the Spirit. With unveiled face we behold the Lord’s glory as in a mirror and are transformed from glory to glory.

Ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς ⸀συνιστάνειν; ⸀ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες συστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐξ ⸀ὑμῶν;

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

ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστε, ἐγγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων·

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

φανερούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ’ ἡμῶν, ἐγγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι θεοῦ ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις.

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ served by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh.

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

Πεποίθησιν δὲ τοιαύτην ἔχομεν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.

Now such confidence we have through Christ toward God.

οὐχ ὅτι ⸂ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν⸃ λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ⸀αὑτῶν, ἀλλ’ ἡ ἱκανότης ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,

Not that we are fit of ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves, but our fitness is from God,

ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.

who has also made us fit as servants of a new covenant — not of writing but of spirit; for the writing kills, but the spirit gives life.

Why this rendering

2Cor.3.6 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὃς καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ — who has also made us fit as servants of a new covenant — not of writing but of spirit; for the writing kills, but the spirit gives life. Verses 5-6 hold three words on one root — ἱκανός (fit) · ἱκανότης (fitness — a New Testament hapax) · ἱκανόω (make fit — two sites); English fit / fitness / make fit keeps the root. γράμμα (writing) is the rendering fixed at John 5:47 and Rom 2:29, not paraphrased ‘letter’; ἐγγεγραμμένη in vv.2-3 (written; Luke 10:20 ‘names written in heaven’) and ἐντετυπωμένη in v.7 (engraved — a hapax) are two verbs, kept as ‘written / engraved’. πνεῦμα in this chapter is ‘spirit’ — where the text moves between God’s Spirit and spirit as such this edition marks the divine reference by capital only where the genitive makes it explicit (v.3 ‘the Spirit of the living God’, v.17 ‘the Spirit of the Lord’). σαρκίναις in v.3 (of flesh) is fixed at Rom 7:14 and 1 Cor 3:1, and λιθίναις (of stone) is the word of the stone jars in John 2:6 — ‘tablets of stone / tablets of hearts of flesh’. συστατικός in v.1 (of commendation — a hapax) is the adjective of συνίστημι (commend; Rom 16:1) — not paraphrased ‘reference letters’.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“fit · fitness · make fit” — one root, three words

Basis From the rendering fixed at Luke 3:16, the noun and verb are formed on the same root.

“sufficient · sufficiency · make sufficient”

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected It would blur the fixed ‘fit’ of Luke 3:16 and 1 Cor 15:9.

Lost in translation

ἱκανός · ἱκανότης · ἱκανόω (vv.5-6) — ‘fit’ keeps the three on one root.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

πνεῦμα — English capitalises where the genitive names God; Greek has no such mark.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

Εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν ⸀γράμμασιν ⸀ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον Μωϋσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην,

Now if the service of death, in writing engraved on stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze fixedly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was being abolished,

first here Israel Ἰσραήλ Israēl

first here Moses Μωϋσῆς Mōysēs

πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἡ διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος ἔσται ἐν δόξῃ;

how will not the service of the spirit be all the more in glory?

εἰ γὰρ ⸂τῇ διακονίᾳ⸃ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς ⸀δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ.

For if there is glory in the service of condemnation, much more does the service of righteousness abound in glory.

καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει ⸀εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης·

For indeed what has been glorified has not been glorified in this part, because of the surpassing glory.

Why this rendering

2Cor.3.10 Observation

Syntactic observation

εἰ γὰρ τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ. καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης· εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ — if there is glory in the service of condemnation, much more does the service of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what has been glorified has not been glorified in this part, because of the surpassing glory; for if what was being abolished came through glory, much more is what remains in glory. δόξα (glory) comes ten times in vv.7-11, setting three pairs against each other — the service of death / of the spirit · the service of condemnation / of righteousness · what is being abolished / what remains. The text builds all three on εἰ … πολλῷ μᾶλλον (if … much more). διακονία (service) comes four times — as fixed at Rom 11:13. κατάκρισις (condemnation — two New Testament sites, with 7:3) is the noun of κατακρίνω (condemn; Rom 2:1), set against δικαιοσύνη (righteousness). δεδόξασται … δεδοξασμένον in v.10 are two perfects of one verb — ‘has not been glorified … what has been glorified’ (the ‘be glorified’ fixed at John 13:31). ὑπερβάλλω (surpass — five New Testament sites) shares its root with καθ’ ὑπερβολήν in 1:8 (exceedingly) — ‘exceedingly / surpassing’ loses the root (a recorded loss). καταργέω (be abolished) comes four times in vv.7, 11, 13, 14 — the verb of 1 Cor 13:8-11 and 15:24-26. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει (in this part) is the μέρος (part) of 1 Cor 12:27 and 13:9.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“what was being abolished / what remains” — two participles without a supplied noun

Basis The text names no noun; what is abolished (law, glory, covenant) is left to the reader.

“the old covenant that is abolished / the new covenant that remains”

Basis Filling the sense.

Rejected It adds nouns the text lacks and closes the openness.

Lost in translation

ὑπερβάλλω (v.10) ↔ καθ’ ὑπερβολήν (1:8) — ‘surpassing / exceedingly’ loses the root.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

τὸ καταργούμενον / τὸ μένον (v.11) — two participles without a noun stand open as ‘what was being abolished / what remains’.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ.

For if what was being abolished came through glory, much more is what remains in glory.

Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ χρώμεθα,

Therefore, having such hope, we use much openness,

καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ⸀αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου.

and not as Moses put a veil on his face, so that the sons of Israel might not gaze fixedly at the end of what was being abolished.

ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ⸀ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον, ⸀ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται,

But their thoughts were hardened. For until this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, not being unveiled, because it is abolished in Christ.

Why this rendering

2Cor.3.14 Observation

Syntactic observation

οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ … ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον … ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα — not as Moses put a veil on his face … but their thoughts were hardened; for until this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, not being unveiled … but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. κάλυμμα (veil) comes four times in vv.13-16, and two verbs remove it — ἀνακαλύπτω (unveil; vv.14, 18 — two New Testament sites) and περιαιρέω (take away; v.16 — Acts 27:40 ‘taking away the anchors’). English veil / unveiled keeps noun and first verb on one root. ἐπωρώθη in v.14 (were hardened) is the verb of Mark 6:52 (‘their heart was hardened’) and Rom 11:7, and νοήματα (thoughts) the word of 2:11. παλαιᾶς διαθήκης (old covenant) has the παλαιός of Matt 9:16 (‘old garment’) — paired with καινῆς διαθήκης (new covenant) in v.6. ἀτενίζω in vv.7, 13 (gaze fixedly) is fixed at Luke 4:20 and 22:56. κατοπτρίζομαι in v.18 (behold as in a mirror — a hapax) shares its root with ἔσοπτρον (mirror; 1 Cor 13:12) — whether the middle means ‘behold’ or ‘reflect’ the text leaves open, and this edition keeps ‘beholding as in a mirror’. μεταμορφούμεθα (are being transformed) is the verb of Rom 12:2 and Matt 17:2. ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος is ‘from the Lord, the Spirit’ — whether ‘the Spirit of the Lord’ or ‘the Lord who is Spirit’, the two genitives are not resolved by the text.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“old covenant” — παλαιός as fixed at Matt 9:16

Basis One word, one rendering; paired with the καινός of ‘new covenant’ in v.6.

“former covenant”

Basis A softer familiar rendering.

Rejected It cuts the word from Matt 9:16 and Rom 6:6.

Lost in translation

κάλυμμα ↔ ἀνακαλύπτω (vv.13-18) — ‘veil / unveiled’ keeps noun and verb on one root.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

κατοπτρίζομαι (v.18, middle) — ‘behold’ or ‘reflect’; the text leaves it open, and ‘beholding as in a mirror’ closes it toward beholding.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

ἀλλ’ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ⸂ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται⸃ Μωϋσῆς κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται·

But until today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart;

ἡνίκα ⸂δὲ ἐὰν⸃ ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα.

but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα ⸀κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.

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

ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.

And we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.