2 Cor. 3:4-18
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Background
Background
The apostle Paul had planted the church at Corinth in Acts 18. Corinth was a city of considerable wealth and influence in the ancient world and was known for its loose morals and materialism. Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth training these new believers, including Jews and Gentiles. However, once Paul left for other areas of ministry, the Corinthians fell into disunity, immorality, and false doctrine. Because of these immense problems, Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthians to reprove and admonish them to return to the unity, purity, and absolute truth of Scripture. Though writing with pastoral care, the Apostle was not soft in his handling of the Corinthians and their problems. This caused some of the believers at Corinth to attack Paul and his ministry, although many had repented of their sins because of Paul’s frank warnings. In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his ministry and admonishes those in Corinth to continue to be receptive to the working of the Spirit and to defend themselves from those who would profit from their division.
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul defends his harsh words by showing the Corinthian believers that his ministry is not based on his own credentials or sufficiency, but on Christ’s work.
And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Big Idea: The surpassing glory of the New Covenant illumines the minds of the lost and transforms believers into the image of Christ.
The Glory of the Law
The Glory of the Law
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
How is the Law glorious? Modern believers do not tend to view the Old Testament Law as glorious. More often, they tend to view the Law as brutally archaic—a relic of the past that is never discussed. How then can Paul assume in this passage that the Law is glorious? Paul is here using Exodus 34 as a comparison between the glory of the Old Covenant and the glory of the New Covenant.
Explain the timeline up to this point: the people of Israel have left Egypt, they’ve crossed the Red Sea, and they’ve had the golden calf incident.
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Moses goes up to speak with Yahweh, and through his intimately close reaction with Yahweh, Moses’ face begins to shine. This shining was a reflection of the glory of the Old Covenant. It was glorious because it came from God. The giving of the law was so marvelous because it was God revealing himself to a people who would be his own.
Three “If” Statements
Three “If” Statements
With this explanation of the glory of the Old Covenant in mind, the Apostle Paul contrasts the glory of the Law with the glory of the New Covenant using three “if” statements in verses 7-11.
If #1
If #1
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
Why does Paul then call the Law the ministry of death? This is an incredible statement for a Jew to make! Yet Paul had seen the risen Christ and therefore could not help but call the Law a dispenser of death. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone! Anything apart from Christ does not save; it condemns. Therefore Paul calls the Law and the Old Covenant the ministry that dispenses death.
If this Covenant, which was written on the two tablets of stone and could not be fully beholded by God’s people, how much more glorious is the ministry that is written on the hearts of man, as the first part of this chapter says.
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Paul defends his ministry by telling them that the basis of his ministry is not based on letters, but the basis of the authority of his ministry is based on the Truth that is written on the hearts of the Corinthians believers themselves.
If #2
If #2
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
How does the law condemn?
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
The weakness of the Law is that it cannot save! It can only show us our desperate and complete need for a perfect Law-keeper. On the other hand, we have obtained a ministry of righteousness where our sins can be washed away by the death and resurrection of Christ. How much more glorious! We are saved, not on the basis of our works, because those condemn us, but on the basis of faith in Christ alone!
If #3
If #3
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Finally, Paul contrasts the temporary glory of the Old Covenant with the never-ending glory of the New Covenant. Paul then explains this contrast between the temporary and the eternal by referring back to the event where Moses’ face shone with the glory of God.
This passage has been the subject of much debate among theologians, neither the Exodus passage, nor ancient Jewish sources explain this aspect of Moses veiling his face. What does is mean that he veiled himself so that “the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished”? The best explanation seems to indicate that Moses veiled his face to protect the children of Israel. The children of Israel had not been in obedience to God. They had been complaining and rebelling against God since they left Egypt. They had just made a molten image and turned away from the worship of God. They were far from being in harmonious fellowship with God. They were not ready to see even this minor reflection of the glory of God. In fact, the Exodus 34:30 says that,
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
So Moses, to protect the children of Israel, veiled his face so that the children of Israel would not be exposed to the radiance of the glory of God. However, this covenant is fading away.
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Application: The Glory We Share
Application: The Glory We Share
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
So, Paul has compared three different ways that this new ministry, given to him by God through Christ is more glorious than the Old Covenant. Paul explains that, just as Moses veiled his face to protect the Israelites from the glory of the Old Covenant, a veil has been placed of the hearts and minds of those who are trying to seek God, yet are unable to because they have not come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Paul tells us that those who are reading the Law are blinded to the reality of the glory of God. Those who do not have the illumination of the Holy Spirit cannot understand what the Scriptures truly mean, and they cannot experience the magnitude of the glory of the freedom we have in Christ!
But we can! If you have believed on Christ and repented of your sins, you have experienced the glory of Christ in your life! You have had the veil removed! Those who are Christ’s have access to behold in their lives the surpassing glory of God through the Word, through prayer, and through fellowship with other believers. They can see the affects of this new ministry of life because they have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Light!
Then, how are we to act in light of these truths: that the surpassing glory of Christ is unveiled for believers?
We are to Preach Christ
We are to Preach Christ
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
First, if the only way that the veil may be taken away from men’s hearts is through Christ, what must believers do? We must preach the Gospel! Every believer must seek to preach Christ so that those around us may be able to see the glory of Christ unveiled. It is through our words and actions that Christ is shown to those around us. We must preach Christ! Christ has promised that if men and women turn in faith to him that he will take the veil away. The power of the gospel has been freely given to all. Let us preach! Our boldness is not from us and our own power but is from the glory of the ministry of life we have been given. Let us be bold! Let us preach Christ!
We are to be Transformed into His Image
We are to be Transformed into His Image
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Second, we are now free and must be transformed into the image of Christ. Because our faces are “open” or unveiled, we are able to see Christ’s character and attributes, and by beholding him day by day, we are going to be changed day by day, from glory to glory, more and more like Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Paul defends his ministry by showing to the Corinthians that his ministry is not based on his credentials or on his own sufficiency, his ministry is based on Christ. If the temporary ministry of death and condemnation had such glory that Moses needed to cover his face after its institution, how much more is the lasting ministry of life and freedom supremely glorious. Therefore, we must proclaim the magnificent power and glory of Christ for the salvation of man’s souls so that the veil may be removed from unbelievers faces. We must allow the image of Christ to be reflected in us as we are changed into his image more and more each day.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Big Idea: The surpassing glory of the New Covenant illumines the minds of the lost and transforms believers into the image of Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:4-18
