2 Corinthians 3:8

New Living Translation

Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

King James Version (1611)
How shall not the ministration of the spirit, be rather glorious?

King James Version
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

English Standard Version
will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

New American Standard Bible
how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?

New Century Version
So surely the new way that brings the Spirit has even more glory.

Amplified Bible
how will the ministry of the Spirit [the new covenant which allows us to be Spirit-filled] fail to be even more glorious and splendid?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?

Legacy Standard Bible
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more in glory?

Berean Standard Bible
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

Contemporary English Version
So won't the agreement that the Spirit brings to us be even more wonderful?

Complete Jewish Bible
won't the working of the Spirit be accompanied by even greater glory?

Darby Translation
how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?

Easy-to-Read Version
So surely the new agreement that comes from the life-giving Spirit has even more glory.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Howe shall not the ministration of the Spirite be more glorious?

George Lamsa Translation
Why then shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious?

Good News Translation
how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit!

Lexham English Bible
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory?

Literal Translation
how much rather the ministry of the Spirit will be in glory!

American Standard Version
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?

Bible in Basic English
Will not the operation of the Spirit have a much greater glory?

Hebrew Names Version
won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

International Standard Version
will not the Spirit's ministry have even more glory?Galatians 3:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
how much more then doth not the ministry Of the Spirit excel in glory?

Murdock Translation
how then shall not the ministration of the Spirit be still more glorious?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe shall not the ministration of the spirite be much more in glorie?

English Revised Version
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?

World English Bible
won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if the ministration of condemnation was glory,

Weymouth's New Testament
will not the service of the Spirit be far more glorious?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
hou schal not the mynystracioun of the spirit be more in glorie?

Update Bible Version
how shall not rather the service of the spirit be with glory?

Webster's Bible Translation
How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?

New English Translation
how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?

New King James Version
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

New Life Bible
The new way of life through the Holy Spirit comes with much more shining-greatness.

New Revised Standard
how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How shall not, rather, the ministry of the Spirit, be with glory?

Douay-Rheims Bible
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?

Revised Standard Version
will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
why shall not the ministracion of the sprete be moche more glorious?

Young's Literal Translation
how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
how shal not ye mynistracion of ye sprete be moch more glorious?

Mace New Testament (1729)
shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If the old code shined bright with God's glory but faded, how much more will the new one shine even brighter.

Contextual Overview

⁶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. ⁷ The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. ⁸ Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? ⁹ If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! ¹⁰ In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. ¹¹ So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the ministration: 2 Corinthians 3:6, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 2 Corinthians 11:4, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 59:21, Joel 2:28, Joel 2:29, John 1:17, John 7:39, Acts 2:17, Acts 2:18, Acts 2:32, Acts 2:33, Romans 8:9-16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Galatians 3:2-5, Galatians 3:14, Galatians 5:5, Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, Ephesians 2:18, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2, Jude 1:19, Jude 1:20

Reciprocal: Exodus 31:18 - the finger Isaiah 32:15 - the spirit Jeremiah 31:33 - I will Acts 6:15 - saw 2 Corinthians 4:4 - lest Galatians 3:5 - that Ephesians 4:12 - the work 1 Timothy 1:11 - glorious Hebrews 8:10 - I will put

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"

Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.

Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"

Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:10
He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

Genesis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!"

Deuteronomy 4:33
Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived?

Deuteronomy 5:25
But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How shall not the ministration of the Spirit,.... By "the ministration of the Spirit", is meant the Gospel; so called not only because it ministers spiritual things, as peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation, spiritual joy and comfort, and even spiritual life; but because it ministers the Spirit of God himself, by whom it is not only dictated, and by him at first confirmed, and who qualities persons for the preaching of it; but by it he conveys himself into the hearts of men, and makes it powerful for illumination, consolation, edification, and an increase of every grace; and therefore must be rather glorious, or much more glorious than the law, the ministration of death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How shall not the ministration of the Spirit - This is an argument from the less to the greater. Several things in it are worthy of notice:

(1) The proper contrast to the “ministration of death” 2 Corinthians 3:7, would have been ‘ministration of life.’ But Paul chose rather to call it the ‘ministration of the spirit;’ as the source of life; or as conferring higher dignity on the gospel than to have called it simply the ministration of life.

(2) By the “Spirit” here is manifestly meant the Holy Spirit; and the whole phrase denotes the gospel, or the preaching of the gospel, by which eminently the Holy Spirit is imparted.

(3) It is the high honor of the gospel ministry, that it is the means by which the Holy Spirit is imparted to human beings. It is designed to secure the salvation of people by his agency; and it is through the ministry that the Holy Spirit is imparted, the heart renewed, and the soul saved. The work of the ministry is, therefore, the most important and honorable in which man can engage.

Be rather glorious -

(1) Because that of Moses tended to death; this to life.

(2) Because that was engraved on stone; this is engraved on the heart.

(3) Because that was the mere giving of a law; this is connected with the renovating influences of the Holy Spirit.

(4) Because that was soon to pass away. All the magnificence of the scene was soon to vanish. But this is to remain. Its influence and effect are to he everlasting. It is to stretch into eternity; and its main glory is to be witnessed in souls renewed and saved; and amidst the splendors of heaven. “The work of the Spirit of God on the heart of a rational being, is much more important than any dead characters which can be engraved on insensible stones” - Doddridge.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 3:8. The ministration of the Spirit — The Gospel dispensation, which gives the true spiritual sense of the law.

Be rather glorious? — Forasmuch as the thing signified is of infinitely more consequence than that by which it is signified. The THING bread will preserve a man alive; the WORD bread can give life to nothing.