05_Tack_copiaaaaa_85-112 28/04/15 12:35 Pagina 85 A Face Reflecting Glory 2 Cor 3,18 in its Literary Context (2 Cor 3,1 – 4,15) Presenting an adequate exegesis of 2 Cor 3,18 is a daunting task. The exegete has to account for many interacting variables, such as the particular understanding of transformation, the exact meaning of h`mei/j pa,ntej, and the significance of the unveiled face. Moreover, scholars are in disagreement on how to translate the participle katoptrizo,menoi. The majority of scholars seems to prefer the trans- lation “to behold as in a mirror”, while another group of exegetes favours the translation “to reflect as a mirror”. Since a clear under- standing of 2 Cor 2,14 – 4,6 requires a lucid treatment of 2 Cor 3,18, which is central to the argumentation of the larger text unit, it is im- portant to choose the right translation of katoptrizo,menoi. In this study we shall argue that katoptrizo,menoi ought to be translated as “to reflect as a mirror”. As such, we bring J. Dupont’s seminal article 1 into focus as the solid foundation on which we de- velop our own thesis. In dialogue with the Forschungsgeschichte concerning 2 Cor 3,18, we offer an exegesis of this verse in which we give particular attention to how it is interlaced with its broader literary context. Focussing on how both 2 Cor 3,1-3 and 2 Cor 4,1- 18 contain arguments in favour of the translation ‘to reflect’, we find ourselves mainly in uncharted terrain. The argumentation of the article consists of three parts. The first part spells out the major problems of an exegesis of 2 Cor 3,18. The second section understands 2 Cor 3,18 against the background of 2 Corinthians 3, while the third interprets v. 18 as a transition to the whole of 2 Corinthians 4. I. The Mirror Image in 2 Cor 3,18. To Behold as in a Mirror or to Reflect as a Mirror? According to I. Nayak, 2 Cor 3,18 consists of five constituents that clarify the central part of the sentence (h`mei/j de. pa,ntej [...] 1 J. DUPONT, “Le chrétien, miroir de la gloire divine après II Cor. 3,18”, RB 56 (1949) 392-411. BIBLICA 96.1 (2015) 85-112