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].
Nós estamos começando de novo a falar bem de nós mesmos? Ou precisamos ter alguma carta de recomendação para vocês, ou de vocês, como algumas pessoas fazem?
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].
Vocês são a nossa carta, escrita na experiência que tivemos com vocês, para que todos leiam e conheçam.
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].
Vocês demonstram que são uma carta de Cristo, entregue por nós; uma carta que não foi escrita com tinta, mas com o Espírito do Deus vivo. Uma carta que não foi escrita em placas de pedra, mas em nossa experiência viva como seres humanos.
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].
Nós temos total confiança diante de Deus, por meio de Cristo.
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 consideremos que somos capazes de fazer esse trabalho sozinhos, pois a nossa capacidade é dada por 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].
Ele também nos deu a capacidade de servirmos a um novo acordo, que tem como base não a lei escrita, mas, sim, o Espírito. O que está escrito na lei mata, mas o Espírito dá vida.
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.
No entanto, quando a lei, que traz a morte, foi escrita em placas de pedras, a glória de Deus apareceu e o rosto de Moisés brilhou. Tanto é assim, que os israelitas não conseguiram olhar para o rosto de Moisés, por causa do brilho intenso que surgiu, ainda que a glória fosse passageira.
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]
No entanto, o novo modo de se relacionar com Deus, no Espírito, não deveria vir com glória ainda maior?
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].
Se o modo antigo, que nos condena, teve glória, o novo modo, que nos torna justos diante de Deus, é muito mais glorioso!
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 antigo, que já foi glorioso, não tem mais, de forma alguma, a incrível glória que o novo modo traz.
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.
Se o antigo, que está desaparecendo, tinha glória, o novo, que continua, tem muito mais glória.
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.
Por termos uma esperança tão confiante, somos realmente corajosos!
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 precisamos ser como Moisés, que teve que colocar um véu para cobrir o rosto, para que os israelitas não ficassem cegos pela glória, muito embora ela estivesse desaparecendo.
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.
Apesar disso, eles tiveram uma atitude dura e inflexível. Pois até hoje, quando o velho acordo é lido, o mesmo “véu” ainda permanece. Esse véu só pode ser retirado por meio de 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.
Mesmo hoje, sempre que os livros de Moisés são lidos, um véu cobre as suas mentes.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Mas, quando eles mudam e aceitam o Senhor, o véu é retirado.
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].
Agora, o Senhor é o Espírito e onde o Espírito do Senhor está, 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].
Então, todos nós, com os nossos rostos descobertos, vemos a glória do Senhor, como se olhássemos num espelho. Nós estamos sendo transformados na mesma imagem do espelho, cuja glória cresce, ficando cada vez mais brilhante. É isso que o Senhor, que é o Espírito, faz.
