2 Coríntios 3
Adam Clarke · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 3:1-4
Clarke - I bear the most ardent love to you. I have no need to be put in remembrance of you by any epistles or other means; ye are written in my heart-I have the most affectionate remembrance of you...Ye are in our hearts, and Christ has written you there; but yourselves are the epistle of Christ; the change produced in your hearts and lives, and the salvation which you have received, are as truly the work of Christ as a letter dictated and written by a man in his work. (2 Corinthians 3 Clarke Commentary) Tablets (4109) plax refers to “anything flat or broad,” such as gold plates, land, even tombstones (Liddell-Scott). Any flat, broad surface, as a plain, the sea, a mesa, a tableland. In the NT flat stone to inscribe on, tablet; plural, of stones engraved with the law tables, tablets. In the NT, generally, a flat stone on which inscriptions could be made, a table, tablet of wood or stone for inscriptions as the two tables of the decalogue given to Moses. Liddell-Scott - "a flat surface, flat land, a plain, Aesch.; the ocean-plain, Pind.; Eur.: the flat top of a hill, table-land, Soph. 2. a flat stone, tablet" In Hebrews 9:4 it has the literal sense of stone tablets (cf. Ex 32:19; Dt 9:17), the tablets on which the finger of God wrote the Ten Commandments (Ex 31:18+). The only other use is 2Co 3:3 (used twice) figuratively describing the fleshly tables of the heart upon which the Holy Spirit writes "written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (cf. Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 36:26). Thus by the new covenant the Law is not external but internalized by the Holy Spirit in the individual. PLAX - 3x - tables(1), tablets(2). 2 Co. 3:3; Heb. 9:4 SEPTUAGINT - Ex. 31:18; Ex 32:15; Ex 32:16; Ex 32:19; Ex 34:1; Ex 34:4; Ex 34:28; Ex 34:29; Dt. 4:13; Dt. 5:22; Dt. 9:9; Dt. 9:10; Dt. 9:11; Dt. 9:15; Dt. 9:17; Dt. 10:1; Dt. 10:2; Dt. 10:3; Dt. 10:4; Dt. 10:5; 1 Ki. 8:9; 2 Chr. 5:10; Heart (2588) (kardia) does not refer to the physical organ but is always used figuratively in Scripture to refer to the seat and center of human life. The heart is the center of the personality, and it controls the intellect, emotions, and will. No outward obedience is of the slightest value unless the heart turns to God. The great Puritan writer John Flavel wrote that "THE heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles, and the fountain of actions. The eye of God is, and the eye of the Christian ought to be, principally fixed upon it. The greatest difficulty in conversion, is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion, is to keep the heart with God. Here lies the very force and stress of religion; here is that which makes the way to life a narrow way, and the gate of heaven a strait gate. (from Proverbs 4:23 Keeping The Heart which has been called "one of greatest Christian books of all time" - Recommended!)
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
Clarke explains the much more glory noting that "it is the Gospel (New Covenant) that does what the law (Old Covenant) signified (or symbolized or pointed toward); and forasmuch as the performance of a promise is greater than the promise itself, and the substance of a man is greater than the shadow projected by that substance (cp Col 2:17+); so is the Gospel of Jesus Christ greater than the law, with all its promises, types, ceremonies, and shadows. (2 Corinthians 3) Ruth Bryan "The ministry of condemnation was glorious, when it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. But the ministry of righteousness exceeds in glory--when the blessed Spirit brings near His righteousness, yes, puts it on the soul, saying, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him!" (Lk 15:22) It is also exceedingly glorious when the righteous Father welcomes the prodigal with the kiss of everlasting love, being well pleased for His righteousness' sake (Lk 15:22); and when "the Lord our righteousness sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied," (Is 53:11) saying, "You are all beautiful, my love! There is no spot in you!" (Song 4:7) Then also is the poor soul richly satisfied, saying, "In the Lord I have righteousness and strength!" (Is 45:24) "I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone." (Ps 71:16) This is, indeed, a glorious ministry of righteousness, and is part of the abundance of Your house, my King and my God. Here is food for hungry souls who have long been starving on the husks of self (self-righteousness) and here is clothing for the naked soul (Re 3:17), who has been into the "stripping-room," and had the filthy rags (Is 64:6), and all the adornments of self stripped off! O my precious friend, it is a mercy to be made and kept poor enough for Jesus to be all. (The preciousness of Christ unfathomable and ever new) Paul was as enslaved in the practice of the Old Covenant Law as any man (Php 3:4, 5, 6-note) but when he met Jesus, the Covenant Messenger (Mal 3:1), he began to experience a quality of life and liberty so much more glorious that under the Old Covenant that it led him to exclaim... But whatever things were gain to me (while he was under the Law, trying to merit righteousness, but only experiencing condemnation), those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that (righteousness) which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Php 3:7, 8+, Php 3:9+) Clarke interprets the ministry of righteousness as "The Gospel, the grand business of which was to proclaim the doctrine of justification; and to show how God could be just and yet the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus." (2 Corinthians 3) Comment: As alluded to above in the discussion of the ministry of the Spirit (note), there is positional righteousness (justification by grace through faith, a one time event, past tense salvation [Tenses of Salvation], perfect righteousness before God because of the crediting of Christ's perfect righteousness to our account independent of any obedience to the Law on our part for it exists in Christ alone - 1Co 1:30 Php 3:9-note Ro 3:20-note Je 23:6 2Co 5:21) and there is also "progressive" or experiential righteousness (progressive sanctification, growth in holiness and Christ-likeness, an ongoing process in this present life but also by grace through faith not works or self effort, often called present tense salvation). The ministry of righteousness then is that work of the Gospel mediated by the Word and the Spirit which first causes us to be born again (justified = declared positionally righteous) and then (mediated also by the Word and the Spirit - eg 2Co 3:18-note, Jn 17:17, Ro 15:16 et al) the lifelong process of growth in holiness (sanctification = daily being made experientially righteous). It should be noted that one cannot dissociate positional from progressive righteousness, as some falsely teach even in evangelical circles saying that one can be born again and thereafter exhibit no changed life. This is not what the Bible teaches and is clearly the deceptive, damning doctrine of demons! Ministry of righteousness - ("the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God" Amplified) As discussed in the preceding comment, the New Covenant is marked by and leads to a righteous lifestyle for those who enter into it by grace through faith. As a corollary - if one says they have entered the New Covenant and yet they fail to exhibit any change in lifestyle and/or no tendency toward righteousness or "right living" (as their direction not perfection! cp 1Jn 1:8), they may well be professors of Christ, rather than possessors of His holy life and His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of holiness indwelling a believer urges and impels the believer toward righteousness and holiness and godliness, not toward unrighteousness, unholiness and ungodliness (cp the instructing, "child rearing" effect of the "grace of God" in Titus 2:12-note). Paul exhorted the Corinthians... Test (peirazo in the present imperative = command to make this your continual practice) yourselves (Not others but yourselves! cp Mt 7:1-note, Mt 7:5-note) to see if you are in the faith; examine (dokimazo also present imperative) yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test (adokimos)? (2Cor 13:5-note) Comment: Be careful! Remember that God is the ultimate Judge of the authenticity of the salvation of others, not us. Believers must avoid the temptation to be critical or judgmental of another person's life, for we cannot see their heart. It is one thing to urge one we suspect to be a professor to pursue holiness (He 12:14KJV-note), but ultimately it is up to God and His Spirit to cause the new birth (Jn 3:3, 5, 6, 7, 8, cp 1Pe 1:3-note, 1Pe 1:23-note) and to place the desire and that power (Php 2:12-note, Php 2:13-note) in an individual's life. The Gospel manifests the righteousness of God to all who believe... For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Ro 1:17-note). But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, (Ro 3:21-note). Ray
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
Clarke comments that the New Covenant "As a great, universal, and permanent GOOD vastly excels a good that is small, partial, and transitory (Old Covenant) (2 Corinthians 3) A T
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
Clarke - We speak not only with all confidence, but with all imaginable plainness; keeping back nothing; disguising nothing; concealing nothing: and here we differ greatly from the Jewish doctors, and from the Gentile philosophers, who affect obscurity, and endeavour, by figures, metaphors, and allegories, to hide every thing from the vulgar. But we wish that all may hear; and we speak so that all may understand. (2 Corinthians 3) Chrysostom - We every where speak freely, concealing nothing, reserving nothing, suspecting nothing, but speaking out plainly: and we have no fear of dazzling your eyes, as Moses did those of the Jews.
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
Clarke explains their minds were hardened - By resting in the letter (the Law), shutting their eyes against the light that was granted to them (ED: For example, see the good news that was available to them through the example of God's crediting of righteousness to Abram's account when he believed God in Ge 15:6+), they contracted a hardness or stupidity of heart. And the veil that was on the face of Moses, which prevented the glory of his face from shining out, may be considered as emblematical (as a picture or symbol) of the veil of darkness and ignorance that is on their hearts, and which hinders the glory of the Gospel from shining in. (2 Corinthians 3) Bob
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
Clarke comments that "It is only by acknowledging Christ that the darkness is removed, and the end and spiritual meaning of the law discerned. Matthew
2 Coríntios 3:15-17
Clarke adds that "Wherever this Gospel is received, there the Spirit of the Lord is given; and wherever that Spirit lives and works, there is liberty, not only from Jewish bondage, but from the slavery of sin-from its power, its guilt, and its pollution. Jesus expounds on the essence of true liberty in Himself as addressed Jews who had ostensibly believed Him (but subsequent verses indicate their believe was not genuine saving faith - see Jn 8:39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 58, 59)… If you continue in (stay with, abide in, dwell in, "stay at home" with, to abide by, continue to live in) My Word, then (When?) you are truly (What implication? true vs ___) disciples of Mine and you will know the truth (Not just "knowledge" but ultimately a Person - Jn 14:6), and the truth will make you free (eleutheroo - liberate from slavery to Sin [Ro 6:18+, Ro 6:22+] and bondage to the Law, cp Gal 5:1+). They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin (continually, as their habitual practice) is (continually) the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free (eleutheroo), you will be free (eleutheros) indeed. (Jn 8:31-36). Matthew
2 Coríntios 3:18
Clarke - The Jews were not able to look on the face of Moses, the mediator of the old covenant, and therefore he was obliged to veil it; but all we Christians, with face uncovered, behold, as clearly as we can see our own natural face in a mirror, the glorious promises and privileges of the Gospel of Christ; and while we contemplate, we anticipate them by desire and hope, and apprehend them by faith, and are changed from the glory there represented to the enjoyment of the thing which is represented, even the glorious image-righteousness and true holiness-of the God of glory. (2 Corinthians 3) BEHOLDING MEANS GAZING NOT GLANCING! Beholding (katoptrizomai in present tense continually beholding) the glory of the Lord. The middle voice signifies a reflexive sense (yourself) and could be rendered "you yourself look in the mirror".) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord - Beholding (katoptrizomai) has been translated with two different meanings, one to behold God's glory and the other to reflect God's glory. Consider the immediate context where Paul describes Moses' face becoming radiant after his "up close and personal" encounters with Jehovah and then reflecting that glory to the children of Israel. This would seem to justify both translations, for as was true with Moses, how can a New Covenant believer reflect God's glory if he has not been in the presence of God's glory? The English translations reflect both renderings, either beholding or reflecting God's glory. Below are representative translations of each view… And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord… (Amplified Version, cp also ESV, NAS, KJV) Now, as for us, we all, with uncovered face, reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (Wuest's Translation, cp also NIV) The New Living Translation seeks to avoid any argument by incorporating both interpretations… So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. The reader needs to be aware of this subtle difference for it will be reflected in the commentaries (including the one you are reading) and devotionals. For example here is Oswald Chambers' devotional interpretation… The outstanding characteristic of a Christian is this unveiled frankness before God so that the life becomes a mirror for other lives. (Ed: Notice how he incorporates both meanings - to behold and to reflect!) By being filled with the Spirit we are transformed, and by beholding we become mirrors. You always know when a man has been beholding the glory of the Lord, you feel in your inner spirit that he is the mirror of the Lord's own character. Beware of anything which would sully that mirror in you; it is nearly always a good thing, the good that is not the best. The golden rule for your life and mine is this concentrated keeping of the life open towards God. Let everything else - work, clothes, food, everything on earth - go by the board, saving that one thing. The rush of other things always tends to obscure this concentration on God. We have to maintain ourselves in the place of beholding, keeping the life absolutely spiritual all through. Let other things come and go as they may, let other people criticize as they will, but never allow anything to obscure the life that is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3). Never be hurried out of the relationship of abiding in Him. It is the one thing that is apt to fluctuate but it ought not to. The severest discipline of a Christian's life is to learn how to keep "beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord." (My Utmost for His Highest) (Bolding added) John