¹⁶To some we are an aroma of death^p leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life^q leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? ¹⁷For we do not market the word^D^r of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

LIVING LETTERS

3Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^s ³You show that you are Christ’s letter,^t delivered^A by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God^u—not on tablets of stone^v but on tablets of human hearts.^B^w

PAUL’S COMPETENCE

⁴Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵It is not that we are competent in^C ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.^x ⁶He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,^y not of the letter,^z but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

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Footnotes

DOther read like the rest
A ministered to
B fleshly hearts
C from

Cross references

p Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10
q 1Jn 5:12
r Mt 12:36; Mk 4:14; Lk 6:47; 8:21; Jn 1:1; 2:22; 18:32; Ac 17:11; 2Tm 2:15; Heb 4:12
s 1Co 9:2
t Phm 13
u Dt 5:26
v Ex 24:12
w Pr 3:3; 7:3; Jr 17:1; 31:33; Ezk 11:19; 36:26; Heb 8:10
x 1Co 15:10
y Lk 22:20; Heb 7:22
z Rm 7:6