1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in of stone, but in tables of the .
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of , written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their were : for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their .
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is : and where the of the Lord is, there is .
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a the of the Lord, are changed into the same from to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
