κατοπτριζόμενοι Beholding and reflecting as in a mirror the glory of God

This belongs to a previous series on 2 Cor 3-4. 

2Cor. 3:18 Paul's intentional use of the ambiguous verb katoptrizomenoi appears to have gotten past most of our favorite translations!

3 related meanings of κατοπτριζόμενοι (katoptrizomenoi) are possible:
1) “beholding as in a mirror” (NASB)
2) reflecting like a mirror” (NIV)
3) beholding with no necessary reference to a mirror. (NLT)

Paul’s use of the Greek language and how he can pack a Hebrew concept (out of the context of EX 34) into one Greek word to show the progressive transformation in the Christian life is a unique skill that sets Paul apart in his ability to communicate across culture!

To catch it, you have backup to verse 7 where Paul refers to the veil needed to cover the glory of God reflecting from Moses face. When Moses beheld God's glory, his face would glow, reflecting His glory,which was so evident it had to be covered until it dissipated so others could approach him.

So when Paul used katoptrizomenoi in vs.18 in reference to transformation, was he referring to beholding the glory of the Lord, as the NASB says, or reflecting the glory of the Lord as the NIV says?

The reflection of God’s glory emanating from Moses face, sounds a lot like when Jesus emanated God’s glory at the transfiguration. An interesting fact is the word for transformation in 2 Cor 3:18 is the same word, metamorphosis, that is used to describe the transfiguration (Mt 17:2 and its parallel Mk 9:2!) "And he was a transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun," (ESV)

But I am digressing, The point Paul is making is that under the new covenant , not one man (ie Moses), but all Christians behold and reflect the glory of the Lord. (Harris).

Just about all our favorite translations miss it. The closest I found in English was the NLT, where it says we can “see and reflect the glory of the Lord” but it loses the concept of the mirror, as well as others at the end of the verse.

I think the best translation I found (outside the Greek) that captured it was the Spanish Reina Valera 95 where it says “mirando con el rostro descubierto y reflejando como en un espejo la gloria del Señor…” looking with uncovered face and reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.

But I think it would be better said, Beholding Gods glory with unveiled face and reflecting this glory as in a mirror, we are being transformed into his image from glory to glory.

The concept of glory, beholding and reflecting, shows the progression and parallels the end when Paul's says glory to glory. The process of beholding and reflecting results in transformation.

Well there is a lot to take in here, but I thought Paul's dual use of the word katoptrizomenoi was pretty impressive!