HKB
thing, to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it, in the room of Christ, lest Satan should prevent us. For his thoughts are not unknown unto us.
When I was come to Troada for Christ's Gospel's sake (and a great door was opened unto me of the lord) I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but took my leave of them and went away into Macedonia. Thanks be unto God which always giveth us the victory in Christ, and openeth the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God the sweet savor of Christ, both among them that are saved, and also among them which perish: to the one part are we the savor of death unto death: unto the other part are we the savor of life unto life. And who is meet unto these things? For we are not as many are which chop and change with the word of God: but as they which speak of pureness, and as they which speak off God in the sight of God, so speak we in Christ.
The .iij. Chapter.
We begin to praise ourselves again. Need we as some other of pistels of recommendation unto you? or letters of recommendation from you? Ye are our pistel written in our hearts, which is understood and read of all men, in that ye are known, how that ye are the pistel of Christ, ministered by us and written, not with ink: but with the spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. Such trust have we thorow Christ to Godward, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as it were of ourselves: but our ableness cometh of God, which hath made us able to minister the new testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
If the ministration of death thorow the letters figured in stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of countenance (which glory nevertheless is done away) why shall not the ministration of the spirit be much more glorious? For if the ministering of condemnation be glorious: much more doth the administration of righteousness exceed in glory. For no doubt that which was there glorified is not once glorified in respect of this exceeding glory. Then if that which is destroyed was glorious, much more shall that which remaineth be glorious.
Seeing then that we have such trust we use great boldness, and do not as Moses, which put a veil over his face that the children of Israell should not see for what purpose that served which is put away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day remaineth the same covering untaken away in the old testament when they read it, which in Christ is put away: But even unto this day, when Moses is read the veil hangeth before their hearts. Nevertheless when they turn to the lord, the veil shall be taken away. The lord no doubt is a spirit. And where the spirit of the lord is, there is liberty. And now the lordis glory appeareth in us all, as in a glass: and we are changed unto the same similitude, from glory to glory, even of the lord which is a spirit.
The .iiij. Chapter.
Therefore seeing that we have such an office, even as mercy is come on us, we faint not: but have cast from us the cloaks of unhonesty, and walk not in craftiness, neither corrupt we the word of God: but walk in open truth, and report ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.