1. |
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you? |
2. |
Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; |
3. |
being made manifest that ye are an 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 tables `that are' hearts of flesh. |
4. |
And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward: |
5. |
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; |
6. |
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. |
7. |
But if the ministration of death, written, `and' engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which `glory' was passing away: |
8. |
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory? |
9. |
For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. |
10. |
For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth. |
11. |
For if that which passeth away `was' with glory, much more that which remaineth `is' in glory. |
12. |
Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, |
13. |
and `are' not as Moses, `who' put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: |
14. |
but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed `to them' that it is done away in Christ. |
15. |
But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. |
16. |
But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. |
17. |
Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, `there' is liberty. |
18. |
But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. |