Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who
ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves.
Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you
are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but
with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified
to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant.
This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new
covenant, the Spirit gives life.