III. Do we again begin to commend ourselves? Or need we, as some, letters of commendation to you, or of commendation from you? 2Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3being made manifest that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart.
4And such confidence have we through Christ, toward God. 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.
7But if the ministration of death, engraven with letters in stones, was made glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; 8how shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious? 9For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness abound in glory. 10For even that which was made glorious has no glory in this respect, on account of the glory that excels. 11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which abides is glorious.
12Having therefore such hope, we use great plainness of speech; 13and not as Moses put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the end of that which was to be done away. 14But their understandings were hardened; for until this day the same vail on the reading of the old covenant remains, not being taken away; which vail is done away in Christ[14]. 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, a vail lies upon their heart. 16But whenever it turns to the Lord, the vail is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with unvailed face beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
IV. Therefore, having this ministry, as we received mercy, we faint not. 2But we renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor falsifying the word of God; but, by the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3But if our gospel is vailed, it is vailed in those who perish; 4in whom the god of this world blinded the understandings of the unbelieving, that they should not discern the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God[4]. 5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord; and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6Because it is God, who commands light to shine out of darkness; who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be God's, and not of us; 8being pressed in every way, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not despairing; 9persecuted, yet not forsaken; cast down, yet not destroyed; 10always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12So that death works in us, but life in you.
13But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore did I speak, we also believe, therefore also speak; 14knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise up us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes; that the grace, abounding through the greater number, might make the thanksgiving more abundant, to the glory of God.
16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day: 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works out for us a far more exceeding, an eternal weight of glory; 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
V. For we know that, if our earthly house of the tabernacle[1] were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven; 3seeing that we shall be found clothed, not naked[3]. 4For we who are in the tabernacle groan, being burdened; in that we do not desire to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon, that what is mortal might be swallowed up by life.