Study Desk

For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this?

For we are not like the many who market God's message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.

For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

but their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.

For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus.

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus' life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God's glory.

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.

And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

For we walk by faith, not by sight,

For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart.

For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you.

For Christ's love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died.