not as Moses did, who used to wear a veil over his face, to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was passing away.

Besides, their minds were made dull; for to this day that same veil remains unlifted, whenever they read the Old Covenant; because it is only through union with Christ that it is removed.

Indeed, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil hangs over their hearts,

but whenever anybody turns to the Lord, the veil is removed,

As God's fellow-worker I beg you too not to accept God's favor and throw it away.

For I feel a divine jealousy for you, as I betrothed you to Christ, to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

Let me say again that no one must think that I am a fool, but if you do, please treat me like a fool and let me do a little boasting too, as other fools do.

But when I talk in this boastful confidence, I am not talking in accordance with the way the Lord talked, but just as a fool talks.

I am ashamed to say that I was, as it were, so weak in the matter. And yet in whatever respect anyone else is daring to boast -- I am talking like a fool -- I too will dare to boast.

Who is weak without my being weak too? Who is caused to fall without my being fired with indignation?

However, if I want to boast, I will not play the fool, for it will be nothing but the truth that I will tell. But I refrain from doing so, to keep anybody, on account of the superiority of the revelations, from giving me a higher rating than my actions and teachings deserve.

I have made a fool of myself, but you have forced me to do it, for I am the man who ought to have been constantly approved by you. For I am not a single bit inferior to your surpassingly superior apostles, though really I am "nobody."

But I am praying God that you may never do anything wrong, not to show that I am standing the test, but that you should continue doing right, though I should fail to stand the test.