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
to think
any thing
as
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
.