10.01.2008

Scriptures

Paul had just been talking about not knowing where to go and preach...
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and amon those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, bu as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." He continues... "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of teh SPirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. Forif what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.... Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2nd Corinthians 2:14-17; 3:1-12 & 17)
The whole of 2nd Corinthians chapters 4 and 5 are wonderful too.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I cherish those first few chapters of II Cor. - thanks, mom