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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
2 Cor C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
2 Cor 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17
OET (OET-LV) But we all having_been_unveiled in_face, the glory of_the_master reflecting, in_the same image we_are_being_transformed, from glory to glory, just_as from of_the_master, the_spirit.
OET (OET-RV) All of us who’ve had our faces unveiled are reflecting Yahweh’s greatness, and that same image transforms us from greatness to greatness. This comes from Yahweh who is the spirit.
The false teachers in Corinth were Jews (11:22). In this section, Paul wrote about some of the false teachings of these men. Since they were Jews, Paul referred to people and events in the Old Testament, such as the tablets of stone (3:3), Moses (3:7), and Moses’ veil (3:13). They probably brought letters from other false teachers who said the false teachers in Corinth taught truthfully (3:1–3). The false teachers taught that believers must obey the Jewish laws. But Paul said that believers follow the new covenant with Jesus and not the old covenant with the Jews (3:14). He also spoke against their secret and shameful ways and said that they corrupted God’s word (4:2). Throughout this section Paul also encouraged the believers to follow Jesus.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
The Ministry That Comes From Christ Is Greater Than Moses’ Ministry (GW)
The new covenant is greater than the law of Moses
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord,
Now we(incl), whose unveiled/uncovered faces all reflect the Lord’s glory/splendor,
All of us reflect like a mirror the Lord God’s glory/radiance with faces that do not have the veil that causes dullness.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord: The who clause tells the reader more about believers. It does not imply that there are other believers and only these believers have unveiled faces. Some languages must translate this clause differently to indicate the correct meaning. One way to do that is to have the who-clause as a separate sentence. For example:
We all reflect the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces. And we…
we: This pronoun refers to all people who follow Jesus.
who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord: There are several ways to interpret the Greek verb that the BSB translates as reflect:
The word means reflect as in a mirror or as in still water. For example:
like mirrors reflecting (NJB) (BSB, NIV, GNT, NJB, GW, CEV, NET, NCV)
The word means see (something) as reflected in a mirror or as reflected in still water. For example:
see as in a mirror (REB) (NRSV, NASB, REB, KJV)
The word just means see (something). For example:
beholding (RSV) (RSV, NABRE, ESV)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Keener (on TW) says “the basis of his image is simply how Moses reflected God’s glory.…like Moses, they are transformed to reflect God’s glory by the Spirit.” Louw defines the Greek word as “to reflect light or visual patterns coming from some source.” You should not follow interpretation (3), because that would be an unusual meaning of the Greek word.
unveiled faces: This phrase indicates that the faces of believers are not covered. The phrase refers figuratively to clearly seeing who God is, unlike those in 3:15. For example:
uncovered faces (GNT)
are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory,
are being changed to become more like him in ever greater glory/splendor,
It is us whom God is making to be more and more like him in ever-increasing glory.
God is changing us to be more like him in our hearts/character in brighter and brighter glory.
are being transformed into His image: This clause is passive. God transforms believers. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
are those whom God transforms into his likeness
God transforms us into his likeness
transformed: This word refers to changing in an essential way. God changes the believer’s way of thinking so he thinks and acts more like God (such as caring for others and being faithful). Other ways to translate this word are:
changed (RSV)
makes us more and more like him (NLT)
into His image: Here this phrase refers to thinking and acting like God. It does not refer to becoming physically like him. For example:
makes us more and more like our glorious Lord (CEV)
to be like him (NCV)
becoming like him in our hearts/character
with intensifying glory: The Greek phrase is literally “from glory to glory.” The Greek phrase refers to increasing amounts of glory. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
in brighter and brighter glory (NJB)
in an ever greater degree of glory (GNT)
brings ever greater glory (NCV)
intensifying glory: The word glory refers literally to a very bright light. The word usually implies power, majesty, and greatness. In God’s eyes, believers gain power, majesty, and greatness as they learn to live like Christ. But while on earth, people do not see this glory as God does.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to believers shining more and more brightly. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain in a footnote. For example:
While on earth, the glory of a believer would be to live like Christ, showing God’s ways in how he lived.
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
and this is the work of the Lord, who is experienced as the Holy Spirit.
The Lord God does this. He is described/identified as the Holy Spirit here.
which comes from the Lord: This phrase indicates that God gives the glory. It implies that God causes believers to transform/change. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
this is the working of the Lord (NJB)
through the power of the Lord (REB)
This clause tells the reader more about the ever-increasing glory. Some languages must translate differently to indicate the correct meaning. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:
It comes from the Lord.
who is the Spirit: This phrase probably has the same meaning as in 3:17a. Translate this phrase in a similar way to 3:17a. For example:
which in this passage is spoken of as the Spirit
who here is the Holy Spirit
who is experienced as the Holy Spirit
This clause tells the reader more about the Lord. Some languages must translate differently to indicate the correct meaning. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:
He is the Spirit.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
Here, the word Now introduces a development of the ideas from the previous section. In this case, Paul is concluding his discussion about Moses and the veil in [3:12–17](../03/12.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a final development, or you could leave Now untranslated. Alternate translation: [In the end,] or [Finally,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ, τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι
˓having_been˒_unveiled ˱in˲_face (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
Here the author speaks as if believers do not have a veil over their faces and can thus reflect God’s glory. Since the veiling language is an important part of what Paul is saying, you should preserve the figure of speech or express the idea by using a simile. Paul is indicating a contrast that could be: (1) with Moses, who had to veil the glory on his face. Unlike him, believers do not need to veil their faces. Alternate translation: [revealing the glory of the Lord like those who have unveiled faces] (2) the Israelites, who could not look directly at the glory of God. Unlike them, believers can see God’s glory directly without a veil. Alternate translation: [seeing the glory of the Lord, unlike those who could only see a veil]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
κατοπτριζόμενοι
reflecting
Here, the word translated reflecting could refer to: (1) acting as a mirror that “reflects” an image. Alternate translation: [mirroring] (2) seeing something that is “reflected” in a mirror. Alternate translation: [seeing in a mirror]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of glory, you could express the idea by using an adjective such as “great” or “glorious.” Alternate translation: [how great the Lord is]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
Κυρίου
˱of˲_˓the˒_Lord
Here, just as in [3:16–17](../03/16.md), the word Lord could refer to God generally or to Jesus specifically. Express the idea the same way you did in those verses. Alternate translation: [of God the Lord] or [of the Lord Jesus]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
μεταμορφούμεθα
˱we˲_˓are_being˒_transformed
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that God does it. Alternate translation: [are those whom God is transforming into]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
Here, the phrase the same image refers to the image that belongs to the Lord. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [into his image] or [into that image]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα & ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of image and glory, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “reflect” and an adjective such as “glorious” or “great.” Alternate translation: [people who reflect the Lord from what is glorious to what is glorious]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
Here Paul uses the words from and to with the same word, much as he did in [2:16](../02/16.md). He could be using this form because: (1) from indicates the source of the transformation, and to indicates the effects of the transformation. Alternate translation: [by someone who has glory so that we also have glory] (2) from and to together emphasize that the transformation is characterized completely by glory. Alternate translation: [with great glory]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
καθάπερ ἀπὸ
just_as (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς Δέ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τήν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τήν αὐτήν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπό Κυρίου Πνεύματος)
The phrase just as from indicates the source of the transformation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [and this is from] or [even as it is accomplished by]
Note 11 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples
Κυρίου, Πνεύματος
˱of˲_˓the˒_Lord ˱of˲_˓the˒_Lord ˓the˒_Spirit
Here, Paul could be using this phrase to: (1) identify the Lord as the Spirit, as he did in [3:17](../03/17.md). Just as in that verse, he could mean that the Lord is the Spirit, or he could mean that the Lord is experienced as the Spirit. Alternate translation: [the Lord, that is, the Spirit] or [the Lord, whom we experience as the Spirit] (2) name the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of the Lord,” as he did in [3:17](../03/17.md). Alternate translation: [the Spirit of the Lord] (3) refer to the Lord to whom the Spirit belongs or who sends the Spirit. Alternate translation: [the Lord of the Spirit]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
Πνεύματος
˓the˒_Spirit
Here, the word Spirit could refer to: (1) the Holy Spirit. Alternate translation: [God’s Spirit] (2) what is “spiritual” as opposed to what is written or fleshly. Alternate translation: [who is spiritual] or [who is a spirit]
OET (OET-LV) But we all having_been_unveiled in_face, the glory of_the_master reflecting, in_the same image we_are_being_transformed, from glory to glory, just_as from of_the_master, the_spirit.
OET (OET-RV) All of us who’ve had our faces unveiled are reflecting Yahweh’s greatness, and that same image transforms us from greatness to greatness. This comes from Yahweh who is the spirit.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.