It is he who has also made me sufficient as a minister of a new covenant; not of a letter but of a spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.

And all this is from God, who through Christ reconciled me to himself, and gave me the ministry of reconciliation;

It is of this gospel I became a minister according to the gift of the power of the grace of God, bestowed on me by the energy of his power.

As

I have no command from the Lord to give you concerning unmarried women; but I give you my opinion, and it is that of a man who, through the Lord's mercy, is deserving of your confidence.

although I had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a doer of outrage. But I obtained mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.

We faint not

For this reason, as I have said, I do not lose courage, but even though my outward man is wasting away, my inward man is being renewed, day by day.

And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

So I beg you not to lose heart over my tribulations in your behalf; they are your glory.

I am strong for everything in Him who gives me strength.

But you, brothers, must not grow weary in well-doing.

You are holding fast, and have borne up for my name's sake, and have not grown weary.

General references

In weakness and fear and great trembling came I among you.

You are acting faithfully, beloved, in whatever you are doing for the brothers and the strangers.