CHAP. III.
1 Lest their false teachers should charge him with vaineglory, hee sheweth the faith and graces of the Corinthians, to bee a sufficient commendation of his ministerie. 6 Whereupon entring a comparison betweene the ministers of the Law & of the Gospel, 12 he proueth that his ministerie is so far the more excellent, as the Gospel of life and libertie is more glorious then the law of condemnation.
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1 Doe wee begin againe to commend our selues? or need wee, as some others, Epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
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2 Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts, knowen and read of all men.
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3 Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs, written not with inke, but with the spirit of the liuing God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
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4 And such trust haue wee through Christ to Godward:
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5 Not that wee are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues: but our sufficiencie is of God:
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6 Who also hath made vs able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit ||giueth life. [ ||Or, quickneth. ]
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7 But if the ministration of death written, and ingrauen in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly beholde the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glorie was to be done away:
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8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit, be rather glorious?
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9 For if the ministration of condemnation bee glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glorie.
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10 For euen that which was made glorious, had no glorie in this respect by reason of the glorie that excelleth.
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11 For if that which is done away, was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
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12 Seeing then that wee haue such hope, we vse great plainnesse of speech. [ ||Or, boldnes. ]
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13 And not as Moses, which put a vaile ouer his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly looke to the end of that which is abolished;
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14 But their mindes were blinded: for vntill this day remaineth the same vaile vntaken away, in the reading of the old testament: which vaile is done away in Christ.
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15 But euen vnto this day, when Moses is read, the vaile is vpon their heart.
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16 Neuerthelesse, when it shall turne to the Lord, the vaile shall be taken away.
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17 Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie.
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18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glorie to glorie, euen as || by the spirit of the Lord. [ || Or, of the Lord the spirit.]
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