Ministers of a New Covenant

1Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or need we, as do some, commendatory letters to you, or from you? 2Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3being made manifest that ye are Christ's epistle ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

4And such confidence have we through Christ toward God: 5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

The Glory of the New Covenant

7But, if the ministration of death, engraven in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadily upon the face of Moses on account of the glory of his face, which glory was passing away; 8how shall not rather the ministration of the Spirit be with glory? 9For, if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10For even that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory; 11for, if that which is passing away comes through glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

12Having, therefore, such hope, we use great boldness of speech; 13and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the sons of Israel might not look steadily to the end of that which was passing away. 14But their minds were unimpressible; for until this day upon the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted; which in Christ is done away. 15But, until this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart. 16But, whensoever it shall return to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with unveiled face, reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.