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].
Fangen wir schon wieder an, »uns selbst zu empfehlen«? Nein; oder haben wir etwa, wie gewisse Leute, Empfehlungsbriefe an euch oder von euch nötig?
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].
Nein, unser Empfehlungsbrief seid ihr: der ist uns ins Herz hineingeschrieben, der wird von aller Welt zur Kenntnis genommen und gelesen;
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].
bei euch liegt es ja klar zutage, daß ihr ein Brief Christi seid, der von uns in seinem Dienst ausgefertigt ist, geschrieben nicht mit Tinte, sondern mit dem Geiste des lebendigen Gottes, nicht auf Tafeln von Stein, sondern auf Herzenstafeln von Fleisch.
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].
Solche Zuversicht haben wir aber durch Christus zu Gott;
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].
nicht als ob wir von uns selbst aus tüchtig wären, etwas auszudenken, als stamme es von uns selbst; nein, unsere Tüchtigkeit stammt von Gott.
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].
Er ist es auch, der uns tüchtig gemacht hat zu Dienern des neuen Bundes, (der ein Bund) nicht des Buchstabens, sondern des Geistes (ist); denn der Buchstabe (des Gesetzes) tötet, der Geist aber macht lebendig.
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.
Wenn nun aber (schon) der Dienst, der den Tod bringt, mit seiner auf Stein eingegrabenen Buchstabenschrift solche Herrlichkeit besaß, daß die Israeliten das Angesicht Moses nicht anzuschauen vermochten wegen des auf seinem Antlitz liegenden Glanzes, der doch wieder verschwand:
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]
wie sollte da der Dienst des Geistes nicht eine noch weit größere Herrlichkeit besitzen?
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].
Denn wenn (schon) der Dienst, der die Verurteilung (zum Tode) bringt, Herrlichkeit besitzt, so muß der Dienst, der die Gerechtsprechung vermittelt, in noch viel höherem Grade überreich an Herrlichkeit sein;
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, die auch dort vorhandene Herrlichkeit verschwindet in dieser Beziehung völlig gegenüber der überschwenglichen Herrlichkeit (dieses Dienstes).
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.
Denn wenn (schon) das Vergängliche Herrlichkeit besitzt, so muß das Bleibende in einer noch viel größeren Herrlichkeit dastehen.
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.
Weil wir nun eine solche Hoffnung haben, treten wir auch mit rückhaltlosem Freimut auf
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].
und (machen es) nicht wie Mose (, der) eine Decke auf sein Gesicht legte, damit die Israeliten nicht das Ende des verschwindenden (Glanzes) wahrnehmen könnten.
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.
Indessen ihr geistliches Denken ist verhärtet worden; denn bis auf den heutigen Tag ist dieselbe Decke immer noch da, wenn die Schriften des alten Bundes vorgelesen werden, und wird nicht abgetan, weil sie nur in Christus weggenommen wird.
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, bis heute liegt, sooft Mose vorgelesen wird, eine Decke über ihrem Herzen.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Sobald Israel sich aber zum Herrn bekehrt, wird die Decke weggezogen.
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].
Der Herr aber ist der Geist; wo aber der Geist des Herrn ist, da ist Freiheit.
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].
Wir alle aber, die wir mit unverhülltem Angesicht die Herrlichkeit des Herrn widerspiegeln, werden dadurch in das gleiche Bild umgestaltet von Herrlichkeit zu Herrlichkeit, wie das vom Herrn des Geistes geschieht.
