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].
Por acaso começamos a recomendarmos a nós mesmos outra vez? Ou necessitamos, como alguns [necessitam], de cartas de recomendação para vós, ou de vossa recomendação?
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].
Vós sois nossa carta [de recomendação], escrita em nossos corações, conhecida e lida por todos,
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].
Manifestando que sois a carta de Cristo, administrada por nós, [e] escrita, não com tinta, mas com o Espírito do Deus vivente; não em tábuas de pedra, mas em tábuas de carne do coração.
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].
E tal confiança temos por Cristo para com Deus.
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].
Não que sejamos capazes de pensar alguma coisa de nós como [se fosse] de nós mesmos, mas nossa capacidade é de Deus;
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].
O qual também nos fez capazes para sermos ministros do Novo Testamento, não da letra, mas do Espírito; porque a letra mata, mas o Espírito vivifica.
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.
E se o ministério da morte em letras, impresso em pedras, foi com glória, de maneira que os filhos de Israel não podiam fixar os olhos no rosto de Moisés, por causa da glória de seu rosto, que se extinguia,
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]
Por acaso o ministério do Espírito não terá ainda mais glória?
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].
Porque se o ministério da condenação teve glória, o ministério da justiça excede muito mais em glória.
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.
Pois o que já foi glorioso, em comparação, deixou de ter glória, por causa da glória superior.
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.
Porque se o que se extinguiu teve glória, muito mais glória tem o que permanece.
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.
Visto que temos tal esperança, falamos com muita ousadia,
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].
Não como Moisés, que punha um véu sobre o seu rosto, para que os filhos de Israel não enxergassem o fim do que se extinguia.
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.
Porém suas mentes foram endurecidas, porque até hoje fica o mesmo véu ainda coberto na leitura do antigo pacto, o qual é extinto por Cristo.
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.
Mas até hoje, quando se lê [as palavras de] Moisés, o véu está posto sobre o coração deles.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Porém quando se converterem ao Senhor, [então] o véu será tirado.
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].
O Senhor é o Espírito; e onde está o Espírito do Senhor, aí há liberdade.
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].
E todos nós, com o rosto descoberto, refletindo como que um espelho a glória do Senhor, somos transformados de glória em glória, [segundo] a mesma imagem, como pelo Espírito do Senhor.
