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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 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18
OET (OET-LV) For/Because if in_the the_service was of_ the _condemnation, glory by_much more is_being_plentiful the service of_ the _righteousness in_glory.
OET (OET-RV) If the system that brought condemnation was incredible, how much greater is the system that leads to righteousness,
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
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious,
And if the ministry of the written laws that condemns people had glory/splendor,
Also, the old covenant condemned those who broke it. Yet glory/radiance accompanied the work of serving in/under it.
For: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “for” or “because.” Here it indicates that 3:9 continues explaining the differences between the two ministries. Indicate that the explanation continues. For example:
Also,
the ministry of condemnation was glorious: The Greek clause is literally “glory (is) in the ministry of condemnation.” God’s glory was associated with the old covenant (1 Kings 8:10–11). Other ways to translate this clause are:
there was glory in the ministry of condemnation (NRSV)
the ministry that brings punishment has glory (GW)
glory accompanied the ministry that caused God to condemn/punish people
the ministry of condemnation: This phrase refers to the ministry based on the law of Moses (as in 3:7). All people sin and break the law. Therefore God must condemn them according to the law. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the ministry of the old covenant, which condemns people
the ministry of the old covenant that caused people to be punished
the ministry of the law of Moses that caused God to punish those who broke it
how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
surely the new ministry that causes its people to be righteous has even more glory!
But the ministry that produces righteousness abounds in much more glory!
how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness: The Greek clause is literally “surely the ministry of righteousness abounds much more in glory.” The ministry of the new covenant has much more glory than the old ministry. Other ways to translate this clause are:
much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory (NASB)
surely the new ministry that causes its people to be righteous has even more glory
the ministry of the new covenant that causes people to become righteous is surely much more glorious
the ministry of the Spirit who makes us(incl) righteous has much more glory
the ministry of righteousness: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates literally “the ministry of righteousness” indicates that the Holy Spirit guides the new ministry and helps believers to believe and do the right things. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the ministry that produces righteousness (NET)
the ministry that causes its followers to become right in God’s eyes/consideration
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ)
Here, the word For introduces further explanation of what Paul has said about the two ministries in [3:7–8](../03/07.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different word or phrase that introduces further explanation. Alternate translation: [Further,] or [Even more,]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact
εἰ
if
Paul is speaking as if the glory of the ministry of this condemnation were only a possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Paul is saying is not certain, then you can introduce the clause with a word such as “since” or “given that.” Alternate translation: [since] or [given that]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως & ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης
˱in˲_the ˓the˒_service_‹was› ¬the ˱of˲_condemnation & the service ¬the ˱of˲_righteousness
Here, the word ministry could refer primarily to: (1) the action of ministering. In this case, the word refers to how people administered the two covenants. Alternate translation: [the service of this condemnation … the service of this righteousness] or [the act of ministering that leads to this condemnation … the act of ministering that leads to this righteousness] (2) the system of ministry. In this case, the word refers to a covenant or its principles. Alternate translation: [the system of this condemnation … the system of this righteousness] or [the law that leads to condemnation … the principle that leads to righteousness]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως
˱in˲_the ˓the˒_service_‹was› ¬the ˱of˲_condemnation
Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a ministry that leads to condemnation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the ministry that caused this condemnation] or [the ministry that ended in this condemnation]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως, δόξα
˱in˲_the ˓the˒_service_‹was› ¬the ˱of˲_condemnation glory
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of condemnation and glory, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the ministry that caused people to be condemned was great]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations
πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ
˱by˲_much more ˓is˒_abounding the service ¬the ˱of˲_righteousness ˱in˲_glory
Here, Paul uses an exclamation to emphatically compare the two ministries and to show that the ministry of this righteousness has much more glory. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in a way that naturally compares the glory of the two ministries. Alternate translation: [then certainly the ministry of this righteousness abounds in much more glory!]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης
the service ¬the ˱of˲_righteousness
Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a ministry that leads to righteousness. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the ministry that caused this righteousness] or [the ministry that ended in this righteousness]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ.
˱by˲_much more ˓is˒_abounding the service ¬the ˱of˲_righteousness ˱in˲_glory
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of righteousness and glory, you could express the ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [the ministry that makes people righteous is even more great]
3:4-18 The contrast between Paul’s ministry and the others’ ministries leads Paul to contrast the old covenant of written laws (Exod 31:18) with the new covenant written on human hearts (Jer 31:33).
OET (OET-LV) For/Because if in_the the_service was of_ the _condemnation, glory by_much more is_being_plentiful the service of_ the _righteousness in_glory.
OET (OET-RV) If the system that brought condemnation was incredible, how much greater is the system that leads to righteousness,
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.