2 Korintus 3:14-18

3:14 But their minds were closed. ¹  For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. ²  It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. ³  3:15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, ⁴  3:16 but when one ⁵  turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ⁶  3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, ⁷  there is freedom. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, ⁸  are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, ⁹  which is from ¹⁰  the Lord, who is the Spirit. ¹¹ 

2 Korintus 4:3-6

4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4:4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe ¹²  so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel ¹³  of Christ, ¹⁴  who is the image of God. 4:5 For we do not proclaim ¹⁵  ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves ¹⁶  for Jesus’ sake. 4:6 For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” ¹⁷  is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge ¹⁸  of God in the face of Christ. ¹⁹ 

[3:14]  ¹ tn Grk “their minds were hardened.”

[3:14]  ² tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader.

[3:14]  ³ tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.”

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “their heart.”

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps “when(ever) he turns,” referring to Moses.

[3:16]  ⁶ sn An allusion to Exod 34:34. The entire verse may refer to Moses, viewing him as a type portraying the Jewish convert to Christianity in Paul’s day.

[3:17]  ⁷ tn Grk “where the Spirit of the Lord is”; the word “present” is supplied to specify that the presence of the Lord’s Spirit is emphasized rather than the mere existence of the Lord’s Spirit.

[3:18]  ⁸ tn Or “we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.”

[3:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “from glory to glory.”

[3:18]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “just as from.”

[3:18]  ¹¹ tn Grk “from the Lord, the Spirit”; the genitive πνεύματος (pneumato") has been translated as a genitive of apposition.

[4:4]  ¹² tn Or “of unbelievers.”

[4:4]  ¹³ tn Grk “the gospel of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:4]  ¹⁴ tn Or “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ would not be evident to them” (L&N 28.37).

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “preach.”

[4:5]  ¹⁶ tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[4:6]  ¹⁷ sn An allusion to Gen 1:3; see also Isa 9:2.

[4:6]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the light of the knowledge of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:6]  ¹⁹ tc ‡ Most witnesses, including several early and important ones (Ì⁴⁶ א C H Ψ 0209 1739^c Ï sy), read ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Ihsou Cristou, “Jesus Christ”), while other important witnesses, especially of the Western text (D F G 0243 630 1739* 1881 lat Ambst), have Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. The reading with just Χριστοῦ is found in A B 33 {sa} Tert {Or Ath Chr}. Even though the witnesses for the shorter reading are not numerous, they are weighty. And in light of the natural scribal proclivity to fill out the text, particularly with reference to divine names, as well as the discrepancy among the witnesses as to the order of the names, the simple reading Χριστοῦ seems to be the best candidate for authenticity. NA²⁷ reads ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ with ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.