1
Do we[G5535]begin[G756]again[G3825]to[G4314]commend[G4921]ourselves?[G1438]or[G1508] need we[G5535], as[G5613]some[G5100] others, epistles[G1992] of commendation[G4956]to[G4314]you[G5209], or[G2228] letters of commendation[G4956]from[G1537]you?[G5216]
3
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared[G5319]to[G3754]be[G2075] the epistle[G1992] of Christ[G5547]ministered[G1247]by[G5259]us[G2257], written[G1449]not[G3756] with ink[G3188], but[G235] with the Spirit[G4151] of the living[G2198]God[G2316]; not[G3756]in[G1722]tables[G4109] of stone[G3035], but[G235]in[G1722]fleshy[G4560]tables[G4109] of the heart[G2588].
4And[G1161]such[G5108]trust[G4006] have we[G2192]through[G1223]Christ[G5547]to[G4314]God-ward[G2316]:
5Not[G3756]that[G3754] we are[G2070]sufficient[G2425]of[G575]ourselves[G1438] to think[G3049] any thing[G5100]as[G5613]of[G1537]ourselves[G1438]; but[G235]our[G2257]sufficiency[G2426] is of[G1537]God[G2316];
6Who[G3739]also[G2532] hath made[G2427]us[G2248]able[G2427]ministers[G1249] of the new[G2537]testament[G1242]; not[G3756] of the letter[G1121], but[G235] of the spirit[G4151]: for[G1063] the letter[G1121]killeth[G615], but[G1161] the spirit[G4151] giveth life[G2227].
7But[G1161]if[G1487] the ministration[G1248] of death[G2288], written[G1722] and engraven[G1795]in[G1722]stones[G3037], was[G1096]glorious[G1722], so[G5620] that the children[G5207] of Israel[G2474]could[G1410]not[G3361] stedfastly behold[G816] the face[G1519] of Moses[G3475]for[G1223] the glory[G1391] of his[G846]countenance[G4383]; which[G3588]glory[G1391]was[G1096] to be done away[G2673]:
8How[G4459]shall[G1248]not[G3780] the ministration[G1248] of the spirit[G4151]be[G2071]rather[G3123]glorious?[G1391]
9For[G1063]if[G1487] the ministration[G1248] of condemnation[G2633] be glory[G1391], much[G4183]more[G3123] doth the ministration[G1248] of righteousness[G1343]exceed[G4052]in[G1722]glory[G1391].
10For[G1063]even[G2532] that which was made glorious[G1392] had no[G3761]glory[G1392]in[G1722]this[G5129]respect[G3313], by reason[G1752] of the glory[G1391] that excelleth[G5235].
11For[G1063]if[G1487] that which is done away[G2673] was glorious[G1223], much[G4183]more[G3123] that which remaineth[G3306] is glorious[G1391].
12
Seeing then[G3767] that we have[G2192]such[G5108]hope[G1680], we use[G5530]great[G4183] plainness of speech[G3954]:
13And[G2532]not[G3756]as[G2509]Moses[G3475], which put[G5087] a vail[G2571]over[G1909]his[G1438]face[G4383], that[G4314] the children[G5207] of Israel[G2474]could[G816]not[G3361] stedfastly look[G816]to[G1519] the end[G5056] of that[G4314] which is abolished[G2673]:
14But[G235]their[G846]minds[G3540] were blinded[G4456]: for[G1063]until[G891] this day[G4594]remaineth[G3306] the same[G846]vail[G2571]untaken[G3361]away[G343]in[G1909] the reading[G320] of the old[G3820]testament[G1242]; which[G3748]vail[G2571] is done away[G2673]in[G1722]Christ[G5547].
15But[G235]even[G2193] unto this day[G4594], when[G2259]Moses[G3475] is read[G314], the vail[G2571] is upon[G2749]their[G846]heart[G2588].
16Nevertheless[G1161]when[G2259]it[G302] shall turn[G1994]to[G4314] the Lord[G2962], the vail[G2571] shall be taken away[G4014].
17Now[G1161] the Lord[G2962]is[G2076] that Spirit[G4151]: and[G1161]where[G3757] the Spirit[G4151] of the Lord[G2962]is[G2076], there[G1563]is[G2076]liberty[G1657].
18But[G1161]we[G2249]all[G3956], with open[G343]face[G4383] beholding as[G2509] in a glass[G2734] the glory[G1391] of the Lord[G2962], are changed[G3339] into the same[G846]image[G1504]from[G575]glory[G1391]to[G1519]glory[G1391], even as[G2509]by[G575] the Spirit[G4151] of the Lord[G2962].