2 Corinthians 2:16–3:6

¹⁶to the one group a fragrance from death^j to death, to the other a fragrance from life^k to life. Who is qualified for these things?^{* 17}For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many,^l but as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God, we are speaking in Christ before God.^*

Ministers of the New Covenant

³Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?^{* 2}You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, ³and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are human hearts.^m*

⁴Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵Not that we are qualified of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our qualification is from God,^{* 6}who has made us qualified to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^*