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| Chapter 3 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 for 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 on tablets of stone but in fleshy tablets of the heart. 4 And such is the trust we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 ¶ 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. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away with, 8 how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory! 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away with was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 12 ¶ Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech-- 13 and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which was being abolished. 14 But their minds were blinded; for until this day the same veil remaineth untaken away in the reading of the old testament, which veil is done away with in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their hearts. 16 Nevertheless, when they shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with uncovered 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. |
Ministries Old and New. The world is full of genuine (true) material and fake material, stories, books, paintings all come as genuine or counterfeit (copies). As fast as the message of salvation through the Grace of God was spread a counterfeit "gospel" appeared which mixed the Law with grace, it was spread by a group who were called "the Judaizers." Paul often refers to them in 2 Corinthians. Their basic teaching was that salvation was believing and faith in Christ plus the keeping of the Law. Acts 15:1ff. The believer had to keep the Law of Moses to be made perfect. Because people like to "work" for their salvation, it is human nature enjoys it, this teaching was very popular, people just could not accept that salvation was a gift from God and let the Holy Spirit to work and do the perfecting. Paul considered these people as false teachers who were "selling" the Word of God for their own benefit like a shop owner. 2 Cor 2:17. In this chapter Paul shows the wonderful glory of the Gospel through the Grace of God, He compares the Old Covenant, the Law, and the New Covenant, Grace. v1-3 It appears that the Judaizers told everyone that they had "letters of recommendation" from Jerusalem. A common practice in those times, other examples Acts 9:1-2; Acts 18:24-28. They were saying that Paul did not have such. Paul responds by saying that he did not need them in Corinth, as some do, as the Corinthians are the testimony to Paul’s work, for their complete change of life. 1 Cor 6:9-11. Anyone can read the Law, but this experience on its own does not change a person, it needs a change in the heart, an internal power to change them. The Judaizers, or now we call them "legalists," can tell you what to do and not do, but you do not have the power to obey. The ministry of grace changes the heart, the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God and puts it in the heart of a believer. A legalist can boast because he can "measure" by external standards, number in church etc. Only the Lord knows the hearts of His people, the changed lives. v4,5 The changed lives at Corinth show Paul’s confidence in his appointment by God but he does not claim any credit, it is the Grace of God. Man can either accept or reject God’s offer, a person has to realize that they are sinners, there is nothing they can do to change it. v6 Paul refers to the Law as ‘the letter’ and the ‘Spirit’ as the New Covenant of Grace. The New Covenant requires ministers enabled by God 1 Tim 1:12. The Law is impossible to fulfill, one wrong doing is enough to fail, death must follow, but the New Covenant through Christ gives the power of life. v7-11 The giving of the Law was glorious, it even affected the appearance of Moses, but that did not last. Paul does not deny the glory of the Law, it was our teacher, Gal 3:24 it points to the tabernacle and temple services, but it could only give death, but the Covenant of Grace is even more glorious, it makes us right with God, it gives life. Paul make 3 contrasts, 1) the ‘Letter’(or Law) and ‘Spirit’(or Grace), 2) condemned and justified v9: 3) passing and permanent v11. The Law of Moses is a religion with a glorious past, but the glory has gone today, the light has gone, all that remains are past shadows. Col 2:15-17 Other references on the same subject Rom 7:6-25: Rom 5:20,21; Gal 3:19; Gal 2:16; Gal 4:1-7; Gal 5:1-6; Acts 15:10,11. v12,13 Paul is full of hope, he can be very bold for his gospel, it will not pass away. Neither has he anything to hide, unlike Moses who had to put a veil over his face so that the people would not see the glory fade, the people might think that the Law that Moses was introducing would also fade. v14 Israel had rejected their Christ because there was a spiritual veil still in front of their minds. They were reading the Old Testament scriptures but could not see the truth, blind to the message from God. v15,16 Paul wrote "even unto this day,," this still holds true today. Paul was seeing many Gentiles turn to God, but still the Jews were rejecting Christ. Rom 11:7,8 Until they turn to Christ they just cannot see God’s plan in the Old Testament, the Spirit reveals it to them and the veil is lifted. v17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit;" a bold statement that the Holy Spirit is God. Where the Spirit works the person is shown liberty of life in Christ. v18 "But we all " have the ability to and privilege to commune with God through His Son Jesus, we can enter into the holy of holies Heb 10:19-20. The "mirror" is the Word of God James 1:22-25 as we look into the Word we see His Son, The Spirit of God changes us into the image of His Son, but we need to make sure that there is no ‘veil’ between us and the Word. In the original text the word translated ‘change’ is translated ‘transfiguration’ in Matt 17:2, a change which comes from the inside like an insect goes via a larva metamorphosis (change) into an adult, like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Law brings us to Christ but grace make the change. Gal 3:24. |
Easy English Translation
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| The 2nd Letter to Corinthians |
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| Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 |
| Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
| Chapter 13 | Introduction page |
