2 Corinthians 3:1-6: The New Covenant (BTNT)

Intro:

Let’s talk about the New Covenant

Introduce self and topic

My topic is actually on the New Covenant as presented in 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Just for background context,

Historical and Literary Context

Written by Paul around 55-56 AD to the Church of Corinth.

Likely the fourth letter written to the church.

Reveals the ongoing struggle and burden Paul carried as a pastoral and ministerial figure towards this church.

In this case, even though he has spent years serving and ministering to this community of believers, he is nonetheless having to defend the validity of his apostleship and message to the Corinthians.

Describe Paul’s slander

Before going into the exegetical details, let me just read our passage so that we can have some full perspective

Read passage from Bible

Notable Exegetical Observations Regarding 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Old Testament References

Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26 (v. 3)

Jeremiah 31:33 (v.6)

Contrasts

Ink/Spirit (v. 3)

Tablets of stone/tablets of human hearts (v. 3)

Letter (γράμμα)/Spirit (v. 6)

The Letter (γράμμα) kills/the Spirit gives life (v. 6)

I would even argue that when looking at v. 1-2, Paul is presenting a contrast between a letter (ἐπιστολή) of men and a letter (ἐπιστολή) of Christ

Many contrasts!

Paul’s Defense

The apostle’s defense is rooted in his divinely appointed ministerial role of the New Covenant.

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant…” (2 Cor 3:5-6a, emphasis added)

Now going into this whole assignment, I really wrestled with trying to figure out the connection between the defense Paul gives against his accusers and the New Covenant that he references as his divinely appointed ministry

As I continued to wrestle with this, it began to dawn on me that Paul had a lot of contrasts going on

Suddenly hit me as to what these contrasts are doing; they’re emphasizing the superiority of the New Covenant

Key emphases/identifiers of the New Covenant:

God-ordained rathe than man-ordained.

Paul’s authority as a minister to these Christian and ministry of the New Covenant not established or determined by man, but rather was approved (v. 2a, 3a) and ordained by God (v. 6a).

Life over death (Spirit vs. ink/ Spirit vs. letter)

This new divine agreement between God and mankind was penned, through the Holy Spirit, by God’s own blood upon tablets of fleshly hearts.

Being a recipient of this blood-ink, established in the New Covenant, believers are bound to life and not to death.

Theology of 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

I believe when we look at the distinction that Paul makes between hearts of flesh and tablets of stone or the Spirit and letters of ink, along with his reference to the New Covenant, there appears to be indication that a promise is now being fulfilled by God.

Therefore, the implications of this promise fulfilled seem to infer the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant, as Paul blatantly suggests in 2 Cor 3:7-8, where he says: Read passage

The Ministry of Death < The Ministry of the Spirit

This concludes my presentation on the New Covenant

I look forward to watching your presentations and reading your feedback!

Take care and be blessed.