II Corinthians - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 1201

II. CORINTHIANS.

2——5

4*-5 IO II heart, with many tears; not intending that you should be distressed, but so that you might know the very great love that I have for you. If one man has been distressed,

that has not distressed me; except partially, because I would not burden you all. The punishment is better for such a fellow, than that it should be upon you all; however, you should now rather cheer and console him, for fear that excessive reproof may drown him. I would advise you, therefore to punish him in love ; for I wrote with this object as well, in order that I might know your feelings, if you would be obedient in everything. But when you grant pardon to him, I will also; however, what pardon I grant, if I grant any pardon, it is for your sake in the presence of Christ ; so that we may not be overmastered by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices. @17lyn tllrnusrznhznt (Kling uf ily: rz 16 lhnspcl. But coming to Troas for the gospel

of Christ, and a door being opened for me by the Lord, I had no ease in my spirit, on account of failing to find my brother Titus ;‘ so leaving them, I proceeded into Macedonia. But thanks to the God Who every— where gave us triumph in Christ, and showed through us in every placethe sweetness of the knowledge of Him! Because we are a sweet perfume of Christ to God, both among the saved, and among the perishing: to these, however, an odour of deadly death ; to those an odour of living life. And who is equal to this? For we are not like the most, adulterating the mes- sage of God; on the contrary, we speak with purity,_as from God, in the presence of God, in Christ. Are we beginning again to commend

ourselves, as though we needed, like some, introductory letters to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, read and acknowledged by all men. For you are a clear letter i from Christ, transmitted by us;not written with ink, but by a living Spirit of God; not upon stony tablets, but upon fieshy tablets of hearts. And we have this great confidence through Christ before God, not because we are equal to be accounted anything by ourselves, as though from out of our- selves; but our capacity is, instead, from God, Who also qualities us as ministers of a New Settlement——not a literal, but a spiritual; for the letter destroys, but the Spirit restores to life. And if the mortal ministry, with

letters formed upon stone, began in splendour, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look upon the face of Moses, because ofthe splendour of his perishable face; how much greater must be the splendour ofthe spiritual ministry! For if the ministry of the condemnation was splendid, how much more must the ministry of righteousness exceed in splendour! For that splendid Institution was not glorious, in comparison with this surpassing splendour. For if the vanishing passed through splendour, the permanent will exist in much greater magnificence. Possessing, therefore, such a hope,

we use great freedom of speech. And not like Moses, who placed avail over his face, so that the sons of Israel might not look to the end of what was to pass away. On the con- trary, it dimmed their thoughts· for to the present day, the same vail over the perception of the Old Settle- ment remains unmoved; because it is only removed by Christ. Indeed, until to—day the vail lies over their heart when Moses is considered ; but WHEN THEY RETURN To THE Loran, THE VAIL WILL BE REM0V1;D.1 For the Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Therefore all of ns, having the re» fiected splendour from the unveiled face of the Lord, will be transformed into the same resemblance, from splendour to splendour, entirely by an inspiration from the Lord. IO

II

I2 16 18 Therefore, having this service, since 4 we have received it we have not been cowardly. But have renounced the secret dealings of shame, not wander- ing in villainy, nor cheating the inten· tion of God ; but with the openness of the truth establishing ourselves with all manly consciousness before God. And if our good news is veiled, it is veiled to the perishing; in whom the god 0f this age has darkened the thoughts with unbelief, so that they cannot perceive the light of the Gospel of rectificettion from Christ, W'ho is the representative of God. For 1 Isa. xxv. 7. 0 2 i20i