2 Corinthians 3
1 [As I write these things about myself], I am [RHQ] not [doing it] to boast about how good I am, [as some of you say I do]. Some people always carry letters with them that tell how well they work, [that other people] have [written]. But I do not [RHQ] need [to bring] letters like that [when I come to you]. Nor do I need to ask you [to write] letters like that [for me when I go to other congregations].
Gaan we nu opnieuw onszelf aanprijzen? Of behoeven we misschien, als sommige anderen, aanbevelingsbrieven aan u of van u?
2 You yourselves are [MET] [like a] letter that recommends my work [for God to everyone]. People see [how Christ changed] your [lives when you believed the message that I taught you]. Everyone [who knows you] can see [the result of my work for God].
Gijzelf zijt onze brief, wel geschreven in ons hart, maar niettemin gekend en gelezen door alle mensen.
3 You are [MET] [like] a letter that Christ himself [has written] that says good things about [my work for God in your lives]. You show [people by the way you now conduct your lives that God has changed your lives] as a result of my work [among you. People did] not [find out about you by] reading [a letter that was written to them on paper] with [pen and] ink. Instead, [they saw how] the Spirit of the all-powerful God [has changed your lives]. Nor [did people find out about you by reading] a letter that was carved on stone slabs [like the stone slabs that God gave to Moses]. Instead, [it was the change that God’s Spirit made in] your lives [MET] [that they saw].
Want het is bekend, dat gij een brief van Christus zijt, die door ons is geschreven, niet met inkt, maar met den Geest van den levenden God; niet op stenen tafelen, maar op de vleselijke tafelen van het hart.
4 I [can very] confidently [write these things about the work that Silas, Timothy, and I did among you, because God knows that what I write is true. We(exc) are true workers] for God [because of what] Christ [has done for us].
Door Christus hebben we dit zelfvertrouwen bij God.
5 We [(exc)], by ourselves, do not have the ability [to do this work]. None of us [apostles] can say, “[I have changed the lives of these people].” God is the one [who has given us this ability].
Want niet door onszelf, en als door eigen kracht zijn we in staat, iets te bedenken; maar onze geschiktheid is uit God,
6 He is the one who enables us [(exc)] to be his messengers. [He has enabled us to tell people the message] about the new agreement [that he is making with them]. This is not a [message about obeying all the] written laws [of his old agreement that he made with the Jewish people]. Instead, [it is a message about God giving us his] Spirit. [Previously, God condemned people to be] separated from him forever [if they did not obey his laws]. But by [God’s new agreement] his Spirit enables people to live [eternally].
die ons bekwaam heeft gemaakt, om bedienaars te worden van een nieuw Verbond, niet van de letter, maar van den Geest. Want de letter doodt, maar de Geest maakt levend.
7 [Moses] taught [the people that if they did not obey God’s laws completely they would be] separated from God forever. [God] wrote [his laws] on stone [slabs. Then he gave them to Moses to teach them to the people. Although God’s laws condemned the people] to die, [when Moses brought those laws down from Sinai Mountain, God caused Moses’ face to shine] Moses’ face to shine radiantly [to show the people that these laws were God’s laws. It shone]. so brightly that the people of Israel could not keep looking at Moses’ face. [They had to look away]. But the brightness was slowly fading away.
Welnu, wanneer de bediening des doods, met letters op steen gegrift, in heerlijkheid is geweest, zodat de zonen Israëls het gelaat van Moses niet konden aanstaren om de voorbijgaande glans van zijn aanschijn,
8 [So], [since God showed in such a wonderful way that those laws that condemned the people to die were from him], surely when we [(exc)] teach [people about how God’s] Spirit will [change their lives], [God will show] in an even more wonderful way [that] it is [his message.] [RHQ]
hoe veel te meer moet dan de bediening des Geestes in heerlijkheid zijn!
9 The message [that Moses taught them was wonderful, but when people heard] that message, [they realized that they were sinners and that God] would punish them. But God’s message that we [(exc) teach is a] much more wonderful message. We teach people that God will (erase the record of/declare people no longer guilty for) [the sinful things that they have done].
En wanneer de bediening der verdoeming heerlijk was, hoeveel te meer moet de bediening der rechtvaardiging overvloeien van heerlijkheid!
10 [The truth is that, although the work of teaching the people to obey God’s laws] was once important, it is not as important now, because [the work of teaching people that God will forgive them and] enable them to live to please him is far more important.
Ja, wat eens verheerlijkt was, is in vergelijking met deze allesovertreffende heerlijkheid toch eigenlijk nooit zó verheerlijkt geweest.
11 Furthermore, [the message that Moses taught was not a lasting message, just like] the brightness on his face was not lasting and soon faded away. But [when God gives his Spirit to people], the wonderful work that [God’s Spirit does in their lives] is much greater [because] it lasts forever.
Want indien het vergankelijke van heerlijkheid is omgeven, hoeveel te meer is dan het onvergankelijke in heerlijkheid!
12 We [(exc)] know that the message that we teach is a [much more wonderful message than the message that Moses taught]. So we [can preach] boldly.
In het bezit van zulk een hoop, tonen we ook grote openhartigheid;
13 We do not [need to put a veil over our faces when we teach people], as Moses did. Moses put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not see that the radiance [on his face] soon faded away. [Similarly, the glory of the old agreement has also faded away].
en wij doen niet als Moses, die een sluier voor zijn gelaat trok, opdat de zonen Israëls het einde niet zouden zien van de voorbijgaande glans.
14 But the Israelis stubbornly refused to [understand that the old agreement would end]. Even now, when they read the old agreement, [they still do not realize that it has ended. It is as if] [MET] that same veil [that Moses put on his face] is now over their [minds, keeping them from understanding God’s true message]. They will [understand that message] only when [they come to trust] in Christ. Then [it will be as though God] has removed the veil.
Waarlijk, hun begrip is er door afgestompt. Want tot op de dag van heden is diezelfde sluier blijven hangen bij de voorlezing van het oude Verbond; want er werd niet ontsluierd, dat het een einde kreeg door Christus.
15 [Throughout all these years], even until now, when [the Israelis] read what Moses [write, it is as though] a veil is covering their minds.
Ja, tot heden toe ligt er een sluier over hun hart, telkens als Moses wordt voorgelezen.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Maar de sluier wordt weggenomen, als men zich wendt tot den Heer;
17 [It is by the power of his] Spirit that the Lord [works in our lives], and the Lord’s Spirit has set us free [from trying to obey all the rules and rituals that God gave Moses].
want de Heer is de Geest, en waar de Geest des Heren is, daar is vrijheid.
18 [It is as though God] has removed the veil from our faces [MET]. We realize how awesome Jesus is. As we realize that, we are continually being changed {[the Holy Spirit is] continually changing us} to become more and more like Jesus, [so that people can see], more and more, how awesome [Jesus is]. It is the Spirit of the Lord who does [this].
En wij allen spiegelen met ongesluierd gelaat de heerlijkheid des Heren terug, en worden zelfs steeds heerlijker in zijn beeld herschapen, zoals dit door ‘s Heren Geest geschiedt.
