Study Desk

But if you give forgiveness to anyone, I do the same: for if I have given forgiveness for anything, I have done it because of you, in the person of Christ;

So that Satan may not get the better of us: for we are not without knowledge of his designs.

Now when I came to Troas for the good news of Christ, and there was an open door for me in the Lord,

For we are a sweet perfume of Christ to God in those who are getting salvation and in those who are going to destruction;

To the one it is a perfume of death to death; to the other a perfume of life to life. And who is enough for such things?

For we are not like the great number who make use of the word of God for profit: but our words are true, as from God, being said as before God in Christ.

You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;

For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.

Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;

Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.

For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time:

For if the operation of the law, producing punishment, had its glory, how much greater will be the operation of the Spirit causing righteousness?

For the glory of the first no longer seems to be glory, because of the greater glory of that which comes after.

For if the order which was for a time had its glory, much more will the eternal order have its glory.

But their minds were made hard: for to this very day at the reading of the old agreement the same veil is still unlifted; though it is taken away in Christ.

For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:

For our preaching is not about ourselves, but about Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants through Jesus.

Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them;

For, while living, we are still being given up to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our flesh, though it is under the power of death.

Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.