Study Desk

But I call upon God as witness against my life, that in order to spare you, I did not come again to Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.

But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not caused me sorrow, but to some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you.

I did not experience rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother, but saying farewell to them, I departed for Macedonia.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place.

For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives—but as from God—we speak before God in Christ.

revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory,

But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ.

But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart,

but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing,

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;