1. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or commendatory from you?
2. Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read of all men,
3. being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of the heart.
4. And such confidence have we through the Christ towards God:
5. not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency is of God;
6. who has also made us competent, as ministers of the new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.