3Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?G756G3825G4921G1438G1508G5535G5613G5100G1992G4956G4314G5209G2228G4956G1537G52162You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;G5210G2075G2257G1992G1449G1722G2257G2588G1097G2532G314G5259G3956G4443clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.G5319G3754G2075G1992G5547G1247G5259G2257G1449G3756G3188G235G4151G2198G2316G3756G1722G4109G3035G235G1722G4560G4109G2588
The Spirit, Not the Letter
4And we have such trust through Christ toward God.G1161G5108G4006G2192G1223G5547G4314G23165Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,G3756G3754G2070G2425G575G1438G3049G5100G5613G1537G1438G235G2257G2426G1537G23166who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.G3739G2532G2427G2248G2427G1249G2537G1242G3756G1121G235G4151G1063G1121G615G1161G4151G2227
Glory of the New Covenant
7But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,G1161G1487G1248G2288G1722G1121G1795G1722G3037G1096G1722G1391G5620G5207G2474G1410G3361G816G1519G4383G3475G1223G1391G846G4383G3588G26738how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?G4459G1248G3780G1248G4151G2071G3123G1722G13919For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.G1063G1487G1248G2633G1391G4183G3123G1248G1343G4052G1722G139110For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.G1063G2532G1392G3761G1392G1722G5129G3313G1752G1391G523511For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.G1063G1487G2673G1223G1391G4183G3123G3306G1722G139112Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—G3767G2192G5108G1680G5530G4183G395413unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.G2532G3756G2509G3475G5087G2571G1909G1438G4383G4314G5207G2474G816G3361G816G1519G5056G267314But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.G235G846G3540G4456G1063G891G4594G3306G846G2571G3361G343G1909G320G3820G1242G3748G2673G1722G554715But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.G235G2193G4594G2259G3475G314G2571G2749G1909G846G258816Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.G1161G2259G302G1994G4314G2962G2571G401417Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.G1161G2962G2076G4151G1161G3757G4151G2962G1563G165718But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.G1161G2249G3956G343G4383G2734G1391G2962G3339G846G1504G575G1391G1519G1391G2509G575G4151G2962