Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone,

revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak.

For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.

So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.

in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger,

by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,

as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed;

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.