From a letter written by the apostle Paul (Saul),
with Timothy (Timotheus),
to believers in Corinth and the surrounding area:
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter; but of the spirit: for the letter killeth; but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.-2 Corinthians 3:1-18/the complete chapter***Levi was the 3rd son born to Jacob (Israel) and his 1st wife Leah, and Judah was Jacob and Leah's 4th born son. Benjamin was the 2nd and last son born to Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel. Over 300 years after Levi, Judah and Benjamin were born, Miriam, and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were born into the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egyptian slavery, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Israelites heard the voice of the Lord God proclaim the Ten Commandments to them, and the Lord God began giving Moses judgments, statutes and laws for the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. Before the Lord God sent Moses back to the Israelites, after Moses had been upon Mount Sinai with the Lord God for 40 days and nights, the Lord God gave Moses 2 stone tablets whereupon were written, with the finger of God, the Ten Commandments. As Moses and his assistant Joshua neared the Israelites, Moses saw, as the Lord God previously revealed to him, the Israelites worshiping a golden calf. Moses threw the tablets, and the tablets broke at the foot of Mount Sinai. In response to Moses, men from the tribe of Levi killed approximately 3,000 of the idolaters. Moses spoke to the Israelites, and went to speak to the Lord God, and the Lord God spoke to Moses. After Moses spoke the words of the Lord God to the Israelites, the Israelites mourned, and obeyed the command that the Lord God gave to Moses for them. Moses placed a specific tent far away from the Israelites, and those who sought the Lord God went to the tent, the tabernacle of the congregation (tent of meeting). When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and remained at the door of the tent, and the Lord God talked with Moses face to face. The Israelites saw the pillar of cloud, and at the door of their own tents, the Israelites rose and worshiped. Moses made a request, and the Lord God answered Moses and told Moses to chisel out 2 stone tables and come to the top of Mount Sinai. The Lord God descended in the cloud, and in the presence of Moses, the Lord God proclaimed the name of the Lord God, and passed in front of Moses and made proclamations. Moses bowed and worshiped and spoke to the Lord God. The Lord God spoke to Moses of a covenant and the Lord God commanded Moses to write the words that were spoken by the Lord God, and the Lord God wrote the Ten Commandments upon the 2 stone tablets. On the 40th day, Moses returned to the Israelites without realizing that his facial skin was shining. The Israelites were afraid to go near Moses. After Moses talked with Aaron and the rulers, the rest of the Israelites came near, and Moses proclaimed the words spoken by the Lord God. Moses put a veil on his face, and each time Moses went to speak with the Lord God, Moses removed the veil until he returned to speak the commands of the Lord God to the Israelites. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron died and was buried. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' successor, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Jacob, and to Jacob's father Isaac, and to Isaac's father Abraham (Abram the Hebrew), and to their descendants. Over 1,300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by Mary's relative John the Baptist, from the tribe of Levi. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, the disciple and apostle. Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven. Paul (Saul), from the tribe of Benjamin, was a Pharisee and a Roman citizen. Paul did not believe Jesus to be the Christ. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned any Israelite who called upon the name of Jesus. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and take to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found, Paul and those with him saw a light from heaven shine around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus, and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus, Paul was baptized. From thenceforward, Paul the apostle journeyed, alone, or with Timothy (Timotheus) and others, and wrote divinely inspired letters, teaching Israelites and Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes, the good news of Jesus the Christ, life in Christ Jesus and eternal life.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, 8:1-40, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Reference Scriptures:
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;-Hebrews 10:15-20
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