seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
a. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or reflect
Wow... short chapter from long winded Paul the apostle. Enduringworld.com has a commentary that seems to be quite clear.
Was glorious: There was glory associated with the giving of the law and the old covenant. At that time, Mount Sinai was surrounded with smoke; there were earthquakes, thunder, lightning, a trumpet blast from heaven, and the voice of God Himself (Exodus 19:16-20:1). Most of all, the glory of the old covenant was shown in the face of Moses and the glory of his countenance.
The face of Moses: Exodus 34:29-35 describes how Moses put a veil over his face after speaking to the people. As glorious as the radiant face of Moses was, it was a fading glory: which glory was passing away. The glory of the old covenant shining through the face of Moses was a fading glory, but the glory of the new covenant endures without fading.
How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious: If the old covenant, which brought death had this glory, we should expect greater glory in the new covenant, which brings the ministry of the Spirit and life.
The old covenant was a ministry of condemnation, but the new covenant is the ministry of righteousness. The old covenant is passing away, but the new covenant remains. No wonder the new covenant is much more glorious!
The old covenant had glory, but the glory of the new covenant far outshines it, just as the sun always outshines the brightest moon. Compared to the new covenant, the old covenant had no glory because of the glory that excels in the new covenant.
So that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away: From reading the account in Exodus 34:29-35, one might first get the impression that Moses wore a veil after his meetings with God so that the people wouldn’t be afraid to come near him; the veil was to protect them from seeing the shining face of Moses. Here Paul explains the real purpose of the veil: not to hide the shining face of Moses, but to hide the diminishing glory of his face because the glory was fading. The passing glory of the old covenant contrasts with the enduring glory of the new covenant.
There is liberty: Paul really has in mind the liberty of access. He is building on what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:12: We use great boldness of speech. Boldness is a word that belongs with liberty. Because of the great work of the Holy Spirit in us through the new covenant, we have a bold, liberated relationship with God.
This input is from the easy English site.Paul did not have anything from outside to prove that he was an apostle. He was not one of the 12 disciples. The Christians at Jerusalem had not written a letter about him. He could only say that God had called him to be an apostle. Then it seemed as if he was recommending himself. In fact, he was not.
The false teachers had letters from other churches. These letters said how good they were. They wanted the Christians at Corinth to write similar letters to recommend them. Then the false teachers could go on to other places. Paul had no letter. But the church at Corinth was better than a letter. Many of the Christians at Corinth had lived bad lives before they became Christians. However, their lives had changed. Now they were different. Other people could see the results. A church leader did not achieve these results. Christ himself did. It was as if the Spirit of God had written the letter. People could see the truth of this because of the new lives of the believers. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) were on blocks of stone. The Spirit wrote this letter inside human people.
Paul talks about the difference between the old agreement and the new agreement. People opposed him. They talked about the old agreement by Moses. They said that it was the same as, or even better than, the agreement by Jesus. Perhaps the Christian Jews at Corinth still wanted Christians to obey the old law. They did not want them to follow the new agreement. Paul said that the old agreement was glorious. However, God only intended it to last for a short time. The new agreement of the Spirit was even more glorious. The old agreement could only bring death. It told people what to do. It could not help them to do it. As a result, God would condemn them. The new agreement would bring life. The Spirit gave people power to do what God wanted. The new agreement in Jesus was more glorious than the old one. They could not go back to the past.
Paul said that he had every right to be bold. The reason was that he had this hope of glory. Moses covered his face so that people would not see God’s glory. The people were not able to look at God’s glory, although that glory was fading. The old agreement was only for a short time. The Jews did not understand the books of Moses when they read them. It was really as if they had covers over their minds. God only removed the cover when they trusted Christ. Then they found that Jesus gave them his goodness. This was what the law ordered. What Moses wrote was true and great, but it was not complete. When Jesus came, he gave us God’s complete truth.
The old agreement is like a step to glory. The new agreement is the complete glory. ‘The Lord is the Spirit’ means this: The God of the Old Testament has shown himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When the Spirit works in a person’s life, they serve God. They do not do this because they have to. They do it because they want to. Their attitude is different. They see God’s glory clearly in Christ. They find that the glory changes them. They become more and more like Jesus as the Holy Spirit works in their lives.
Well, well, Paul.... good job.... short paragraph... so I'm not going to fall asleep in the window and fall three stories..... but almost clear as mud.
Apparently someone in Corinth was questioning Paul's credentials to teach in Corinth. I don't blame them.... perhaps the person who is questioning Paul's credentials is someone who was there when Paul held the coats of the men who murdered Stephen. Maybe it wasn't that horrible.... maybe the head of the Temple of Aphrodite wasn't happy about loosing the male and female prostitutes he employed. After all.... being a prostitute in a fake temple to a fake god is not something a Christian would submit themselves to. A pimp is never a happy camper when one of his hookers is missing.... it digs in his pocket too deeply.
But... Paul says.... "letter.... I don't need no stinking letter"...... then he went on to say.... "look around you..... these people are changed by the gospel.... it's working..... that's my recommendation.... I don't need no stinking letter".
Then Paul went on and tried to explain the difference between what those goody two shoes Messianic Jews had in the past and the way even the hookers in the temple were experiencing now.
Back in the garden..... Eve gave Adam a wink.... and an apple..... and because God told them not to wink that way.... or eat any apples..... God had to correct them. At this point.... Eve and Adam were going to die.... period.... no way to stop it.... their goose was cooked..... but.... God had a plan.... first He would give them 10 commands to live by.... then He would let Jesus take them the antidote.... [the two laws]..... ending the death sentence..... for those who chose to change.
Paul is doing a lot of talking about the veil that Moses was wearing. When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets containing the 10 Commandments..... his face was glowing..... He had been around God.... and absorbed some of God's energy..... so Moses covered his face with a veil so the people wouldn't be so put off by the glow of his face that they ignored the tablets.
As Paul pointed out, though, the 10 commandments that God inscribed on those tablets were only some laws to live by until Jesus got here with the antidote. Paul also pointed out that Jesus pared those 10 commandments down to 2 laws. Life is easier when there are less eggshells to walk on, correct?
When I first read the paragraph this morning.... and the commentary.... so much was written about the veil Moses wore.... that I thought I was going to write about wearing a mask.... and the controversy a mask is causing in the church.... but that's only worth a mention... the biggest message in this chapter is the change.....
Humans were fodder. They were born, worked, and they died. They were worm meal. They were given the rules... and they ignored them. So.... God, having warned them.... had to let them die.... become fodder.... become dirt..... . Those 10 commandments didn't do anything but keep the humans from killing each other..... and since Stephen is dead at the hands of humans..... then they weren't working......
Jesus said there are only two laws.... for Christians... all they have to do is love God with all their heart, mind, and soul..... and love one another..... wow... and on top of that.... Christians don't die.... their bodies might wear out.... but they don't die.
Paul says..... there's something different inside of us.... since Jesus brought the antidote.... that changed our DNA.... so we can live.....
I have to admit..... I've met a lot of Christians..... and yes.... there is something different about a Christian.... a glow.... a smile....
And now I'm long winded.....
