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Are we beginning to praise ourselves again?
Paul says this to express they are not trying to make themselves seem better than they are. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
We do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you, like some people, do we?
Paul says this to express that the Corinthians already know about Paul and Timothy's good reputation. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
letter of recommendation
Paul and Timothy's love for the people of the church in Corinth is compared to a letter of recommendation that shows church Paul and Timothy can be trusted. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written..by the Spirit of the living God...on tablets of human hearts
you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written..by the Spirit of the living God...on tablets of human hearts Paul is saying the people of the church in Corinth are like a letter that tells about their example and how the message about Christ, which Paul and Timothy shared with them, had power through the Holy Spirit, to change the kind of people they are. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts
The word "stone" refers to something that does not change. The phrase "human hearts" is used because they are soft and to refer to a person's ability to change. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)
tablets
These are flat pieces of stone or clay that were used for writing.