Do we begin again to acommend ourselves? or need we, as bsome others, cepistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 dYe are our epistle written in our hearts, eknown and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ fministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of gthe living God; not in htables of stone, but iin fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such jtrust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 kNot that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but lour sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able dmministers of nthe new nntestament; not of othe letter, but of the spirit: for pthe letter killeth, but qthe spirit ||giveth life. 7 But if pthe ministration of death, hwritten and engraven in stones, rwas glorious, rso that the children of Israel could not sstedfastly behold the face of Moses for tthe glory of his countenance; which glory was to be udone away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if vthe ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth wthe ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious xhad no glory yin this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is udone away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 12 Seeing then that we have such hope, zwe use great ||plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, rwhich put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not sstedfastly look to athe end of that which is uabolished: 14 But btheir cminds were dblinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away ein the reading of fthe old testament; which vail is udone away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, ewhen Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless gwhen it shall turn to the Lord, hthe vail shall be taken away. 17 Now ithe Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, jthere is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face kbeholding as in a glass lthe glory of the Lord, mare nchanged into the same image ofrom glory to glory, even as ||by the Spirit of the Lord.

4 Therefore seeing we have athis ministry, bas we have received mercy, cwe faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of †dishonesty, not walking in dcraftiness, nor ehandling the word of God deceitfully; but hby manifestation of fthe truth gcommending ourselves hto every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be ihid, it is hid kto them that are lost: 4 In whom lthe god mof this world nhath blinded the ominds of them which believe not, lest pthe light of qthe glorious gospel of Christ, rwho is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For swe preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and tourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, uwho commanded the light to shine out of darkness, †hath wshined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God xin the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in yearthen zvessels, athat the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are btroubled on every side, yet not cdistressed; we are ccperplexed, but ||not in despair; 9 dPersecuted, but not eforsaken; fcast down, but not destroyed; 10 gAlways bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, hthat the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live iare alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then kdeath worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having lthe same spirit mof faith, according as it is written, nI believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, oand therefore speak; 14 Knowing that phe which raised up the Lord Jesus qshall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall qqpresent us with you. 15 For rall things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might sthrough the thanksgiving of many redound tto the glory of God. 16 For which cause uwe faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet vthe inward man wis renewed day by day. 17 For xour light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us ya far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 zWhile we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are atemporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

5 For we know that if aour earthly house of bthis tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house cnot made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this dwe groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that ebeing clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in bthis tabernacle ddo groan, being burdened: not ffor that gwe would be unclothed, gbut hclothed upon, that mortality might be hswallowed up of life. 5 Now ihe that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath kgiven unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For lwe walk by faith, mnot by sight:) 8 nWe are confident, I say, and owilling rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

9 Wherefore we ||labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be paccepted of him. 10 For we must all appear qbefore the judgment seat of Christ; rthat every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore sthe terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but twe are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are tmade manifest in your consciences. 12 For we ucommend not ourselves vagain unto you, but give you woccasion xto glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory †in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For whether we be ybeside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we zbe sober, it is for your cause. 14 For athe love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that bif one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, cthat they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth dknow we no man eafter the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ eafter the flesh, yet now henceforth fknow we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be gin Christ, ||he is ha new creature: iold things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, kwho hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us lthe ministry of mreconciliation; 19 To wit, that nGod was in Christ, kreconciling nnthe world unto himself, not oimputing their trespasses unto them; and hath †committed unto us the word of mreconciliation. 20 Now then pwe are ambassadors for Christ, as qthough God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, kbe ye reconciled to God. 21 For rhe hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made sthe righteousness of God in him.

6 We then, as aworkers together with him, bbeseech you also cthat ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, dI have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: ebehold, now is the faccepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 gGiving no offence in any thing, hthat the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things †approving ourselves as ithe ministers of God, kin much patience, in afflictions, in lmnecessities, min distresses, 5 nIn stripes, nin imprisonments, ||in tumults, noin labours, oin watchings, oin pfastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, qby longsuffering, qby kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by rlove unfeigned, 7 By sthe word of truth, by tthe power of God, by uthe warmour of righteousness xon the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and ydishonour, by evil report and good report: as zdeceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet awell known; bas dying, and, behold, we live; cas chastened, and not killed; 10 dAs sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; eas poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet fpossessing all things.

11 O ye gCorinthians, our mouth is open unto you, hour iheart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not kstraitened in us, but lye are kstraitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto mmy children,) be ye also enlarged. 14 nBe ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for owhat fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and pwhat communion qhath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for rye are the temple of sthe living God; as God hath said, tuI will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore xcome out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 yAnd will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord zAlmighty.

7 aHaving therefore these promises, dearly beloved, blet us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of cthe flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 dReceive us; ewe have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have fdefrauded no man. 3 I speak not this to condemn you: for gI have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4 Great is my hboldness of speech toward you, great is imy glorying of you: jI am filled with comfort, kI am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 5 For, lwhen we were come into Macedonia, lour flesh had no rest, but we were mtroubled on every side; nwithout were fightings, within were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us oby the coming of lTitus; 7 And not by his coming only, but kby