Paul declares the Corinthians themselves are his letter of commendation, written by the Spirit of the living God on tablets of human hearts, and contrasts the ministry of the Spirit with the ministry of death engraved on stones. He develops the veil imagery from Moses, explaining that the same veil remains over Israel's heart when reading the old covenant but is removed in Christ, while believers with unveiled faces are transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit.
Read 2 Corinthians Chapter 3 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Places in This Chapter
Position in Book
Comfort in AfflictionChapters 1-2
New Covenant MinistryChapters 3-6
Glory of new covenant, treasure in clay jars, reconciliation.
Generous GivingChapters 7-9
Paul's DefenseChapters 10-13
Bible Bites
Paul's Letter Written with Tears
Before writing 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote a severe letter to the Corinthians 'out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears' after a painful visit. This 'letter of tears' is mentioned in 2 Corinthians but may now be lost to history.
2 Corinthians 2:3-4