¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.^(A) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,^(B) so that the Gentiles might become an offering^(C) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

³ You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(A) not on tablets of stone^(B) but on tablets of human hearts.^(C)

⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(A)—not of the letter^(B) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(C)

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^(B)

¹⁸ All this is from God,^(A) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(B) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel^(A) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(B) through the working of his power.^(C)

²⁵ I have become its servant^(A) by the commission God gave me^(B) to present to you the word of God^(C) in its fullness—

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,^(A) that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.^(B)