It is He also who has made us competent to serve Him in connexion with a new Covenant, which is not a written code but a Spirit; for the written code inflicts death, but the Spirit gives Life.

And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has appointed us to serve in the ministry of reconciliation.

in which I have been appointed to serve, in virtue of the work which God, in the exercise of His power within me, has graciously entrusted to me.

As

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

though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as yet believed;

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not found mercy, but now you have.

We faint not

Therefore we are not cowards. Nay, even though our outward man is wasting away, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.

Let us not abate our courage in doing what is right; for in due time we shall reap a reward, if we do not faint.

Therefore I entreat you not to lose heart in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf, for they bring you honour.

I have strength for anything through Him who gives me power.

But you, brethren, must not grow weary in the path of duty;

And you endure patiently and have borne burdens for My sake and have never grown weary.

General references

And so far as I myself was concerned, I came to you in conscious feebleness and in fear and in deep anxiety.

My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.