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 ¹  – came with glory, so that the Israelites ²  could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face ³  (a glory ⁴  which was made ineffective), ⁵ 

Romans 5:20-21

5:20 Now the law came in ⁶  so that the transgression ⁷  may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 5:21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 7:21-25

7:21 but Jesus ⁸  did so ⁹  with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’” ¹⁰  – 7:22 accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee ¹¹  of a better covenant. 7:23 And the others ¹²  who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them ¹³  from continuing in office, ¹⁴  7:24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 7:25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 8:13

8:13 When he speaks of a new covenant, ¹⁵  he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear. ¹⁶ 

Hebrews 12:25-29

12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? 12:26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.” ¹⁷  12:27 Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 12:28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 12:29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire. ¹⁸ 

[3:7]  ¹ 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.

[3:7]  ² tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”

[3:7]  ³ 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).

[3:7]  ⁴ 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.

[3:7]  ⁵ 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.

[5:20]  ⁶ tn Grk “slipped in.”

[5:20]  ⁷ tn Or “trespass.”

[7:21]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁹ tn The words “did so” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:21]  ¹⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6, 6:20, and 7:17).

[7:22]  ¹¹ tn Or “surety.”

[7:23]  ¹² tn Grk “they on the one hand” in contrast with “he on the other hand” in v. 24.

[7:23]  ¹³ tn Grk “they were prevented by death.”

[7:23]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “from continuing” (the words “in office” are supplied for clarity).

[8:13]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “when he says, ‘new,’” (referring to the covenant).

[8:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “near to disappearing.”

[12:26]  ¹⁷ sn A quotation from Hag 2:6.

[12:29]  ¹⁸ sn A quotation from Deut 4:24; 9:3.