¹⁶ to be ^(A)a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the ^(B)gospel of God, so that my ^(C)offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

³ revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, ^[a](A)delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(B)the living God, not on ^(C)tablets of stone but on ^(D)tablets of ^[b](E)human hearts.

⁶ who also made us adequate as ^(A)servants of a ^(B)new covenant, not of ^(C)the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but ^(D)the Spirit gives life.

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

4 Therefore, since we have this ^(A)ministry, as we ^(B)received mercy, we ^(C)do not lose heart,

¹⁸ Now ^(A)all these things are from God, ^(B)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(C)ministry of reconciliation,

⁴ but in everything ^(A)commending ourselves as ^[a](B)servants of God, ^(C)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties,

^7 (A)of which I was made a ^(B)minister, according to the gift of ^(C)God’s grace which was given to me ^(D)according to the working of His power.

^25 (A)I ^[a]was made a minister of this church according to the ^(B)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might ^[b]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

Paul’s Testimony

¹² I thank ^(A)Christ Jesus our Lord, who has ^(B)strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, ^(C)putting me into service,