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Ministers of the New Covenant

^1 (a)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^(b)as some do, ^(c)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ^2 (d)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our^[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(e)the living God, not on ^(f)tablets of stone but on ^(g)tablets of ^(h)human hearts.^[b]

^4 (i)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ^5 (j)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^(k)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ^(l)ministers of ^(m)a new covenant, not of ⁽ⁿ⁾the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^(o)the Spirit gives life.

⁷ Now if ^(p)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^(q)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in ^(r)the ministry of condemnation, ^(s)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰ Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

¹² Since we have such a hope, ^(t)we are very bold, ¹³ not like Moses, ^(u)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴ But ^(v)their minds were ^(w)hardened. For to this day, ^(x)when they read ^(y)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when ^(z)one^[c] turns to the Lord, ^(aa)the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord^[d] is the Spirit, and where ^(ab)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(ac)freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, ^(ad)beholding ^(ae)the glory of the Lord,^{[e] (af)}are being transformed into the same image ^(ag)from one degree of glory to another.^[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.