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 tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective),

2 Corinthians 5:12

5:12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance 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 contribution 10  you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift 11  and not as something you feel forced to do. 12 

2 Corinthians 11:9

11:9 When 13  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  I 15  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 arrive 16  I may not have to deal harshly with you 17  by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!


tn 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.

tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”

sn 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).

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

tn 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.

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

tn Or “to boast about us.”

tn Or “who boast.”

tn Or “in what is seen.”

10 tn Grk “the blessing.”

11 tn Grk “a blessing.”

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

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

14 tn 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).

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

16 tn 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.”

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