Ministers of a New Covenant

1Do we begyn to prayse our selues agayne? Or neede we as some other of epistles of recomendation vnto you? or letters of recommendation from you? 2Ye are our epistle written in our heartes, whiche is vnderstande and read of all men: 3Forasmuche as ye declare that ye are the epistle of Christ ministred by vs, and written, not with ynke, but with the spirite of the lyuyng God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

4Such trust haue we through Christe to Godwarde. 5Not that we are sufficiet of our selues to thynke any thyng as of our selues: but our ablenesse is of God, 6Which hath made vs able ministers of the newe testament, not of the letter, but of the spirite: For the letter kylleth, but the spirite geueth lyfe.

The Glory of the New Covenant
(Exodus 34:10–35)

7Yf the ministration of death, through the letters figured in stones, was in glorie, so that the chyldren of Israel coulde not beholde the face of Moyses, for the glorie of his countenaunce, whiche glorie is done away: 8Howe shall not the ministration of the spirite be much more in glorie? 9For yf the ministration of condempnation be glorie: much more doth the ministration of ryghteousnes exceede in glorie. 10For euen that which was glorified, is not glorified in respect of this exceedyng glorie. 11For yf that whiche is destroyed was glorious, much more that which remayneth is glorious.

12Seyng then that we haue such truste, we vse great boldnesse: 13And not as Moyses, which put a vayle ouer his face, that the chyldren of Israel shoulde not see for what purpose that serued which is put away. 14But their myndes were blynded: For vntyll this day remayneth the same coueryng vntaken away in the reading of the olde testament, which vayle is put away in Christe. 15But euen vnto this day when Moyses is read, the vayle is layde vppon their heart. 16Neuerthelesse, when it shall turne to the Lorde, the vayle shalbe taken away. 17The Lorde is a spirite: And where the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertie. 18But we all behold as in a mirrour, the glorie of the Lorde, with his face open, and are chaunged vnto the same similitude, from glorie to glorie, euen as of the spirite of the Lorde.