2 Corinthians 3:7

The Greater Glory of the Spirit’s Ministry

3:7 But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets¹ – came with glory, so that the Israelites² could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face³ (a glory⁴ which was made ineffective),⁵

2 Corinthians 5:12

5:12 We are not trying to commend⁶ ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us,⁷ so that you may be able to answer those who take pride⁸ in outward appearance⁹ and not in what is in the heart.

2 Corinthians 9:5

9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution¹⁰ you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift¹¹ and not as something you feel forced to do.¹²

2 Corinthians 11:9

11:9 When¹³ I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs.¹⁴ I¹⁵ kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

2 Corinthians 13:10

13:10 Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive¹⁶ I may not have to deal harshly with you¹⁷ by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

¹tn Grk “on stones”; but since this is clearly an allusion to the tablets of the Decalogue (see 2 Cor 3:3) the word “tablets” was supplied in the translation to make the connection clear.

²tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”

³sn The glory of his face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Decalogue, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was so radiant (Exod 34:29-30).

⁴tn The words “a glory” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to “glory” has been repeated from the previous clause for clarity.

⁵tn Or “which was transitory.” Traditionally this phrase is translated as “which was fading away.” The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning “to render inoperative, ineffective”; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (WUNT 81), 301-13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13.

⁶tn The present tense of συνιστάνομεν (sunistanomen) has been translated as a conative present.

⁷tn Or “to boast about us.”

⁸tn Or “who boast.”

⁹tn Or “in what is seen.”

¹⁰tn Grk “the blessing.”

¹¹tn Grk “a blessing.”

¹²tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.

¹³tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

¹⁴tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).

¹⁵tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

¹⁶tn Grk “when I am present,” but in the context of Paul’s third (upcoming) visit to Corinth, this is better translated as “when I arrive.”

¹⁷tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.