2 Coríntios 3
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 3
MacArthur - 2Co 3:17-18 - One of the most important truths the Holy Spirit unveils for us is the glory of the New Covenant. The Old Testament contains many veiled statements, types, prophecies, and parables. The Israelites didn’t understand most of those things because the Old Testament didn’t have plainness of speech. Its glory was veiled and was even described as fading away (2 Cor. 3:13–14). In contrast to the Old Covenant, the present New Covenant age is characterized by the clarity of all the key doctrinal and practical passages in the New Testament. This progress from the veiled glory of the previous era to the unveiled glory of the present era occurred when the Holy Spirit came in the Book of Acts. All that God wants us to know and do is clearly brought into focus now because of the teaching ministry of the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit guides and enlightens New Covenant believers as they read and study God’s Word. Therefore, there is no longer any need, for example, to unscramble the pictures and prophecies regarding Christ. Thus Paul can say, “We use great plainness of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12KJV). He goes on to say in verses 17–18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” Those verses describe the essence of the Christian life: becoming like Jesus Christ. The only way to do that is to know well the unveiled glory of the New Covenant and allow the Holy Spirit to change you more and more into the Savior’s image. Ian Paisley - Glorious Liberty -2 Corinthians 3:17 The religion of the Bible is the pioneer of liberty. The Lord Jesus said: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" John 8:32. True Liberty is not freedom to do whatever you like; true liberty is freedom to do whatever you ought to do, i.e. what God commands. This is the liberty which is ours when the Spirit of God operates on our souls. I. Liberty From the Chains of Sin Not a son of Adam's race has escaped the chains of sin. We were born in chains and in slavery. Sin has dominion over us as children of a fallen race. But the Breaker of Chains (ED: SEE Christ The Breaker) has appeared giving liberty from the chains of sin. Now are we the sons of God! here the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty from the chains of sin. II. Liberty From the Curse of Sin Sin has cursed us all to hell itself. We are cursed by sin in life and in death and to all eternity if the curse be not dealt with. The Cross of Christ has swallowed up that curse (Gal 3:13+) and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty from the curse of sin. III. Liberty From the Condemnation of Sin In God's sight the justified man is no longer a sinner. Christ has become accountable in law for his guilt. In Christ he is no more a sinner but is as spotless as the Throne of God. Christ was made sin. I am made righteous. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty from the condemnation of sin. (Ro 8:1+) IV. Liberty From the Control of Sin Sin's control can only be smashed by the Saviour. He can break every fetter. Hear it today, the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty from the control of sin. (A Text A Day Keeps the Devil Away) QUESTION - Why is there liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Corinthians 3:17)? ANSWER - For many citizens, liberty is as cherished as life itself, prompting the American revolutionary Patrick Henry to declare, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” The apostle Paul said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17NKJV). He was likely drawing a connection to Jesus Christ’s words at the start of His ministry when He opened the scroll of Isaiah and read this: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18–19NKJV; cf. Isaiah 61:1–2). The Greek word translated “liberty” in 2 Corinthians 3:17 means “personal freedom from servitude, confinement, or oppression.” Jesus came to set us free spiritually. To the children of God, Christ says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). When a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Spirit of the Lord takes up residence in that individual (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Believers are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13–14) and made alive by the Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty because those who are in Christ—those born of God’s Spirit (John 3:5–6)—are freed from the law of sin and death (Galatians 4:3–7). Paul told the Romans, “And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2NLT; see also Romans 7:4–5). “We have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit” (Romans 7:6NLT). Liberty and freedom are words Paul often used to sum up the experience of salvation in Christ. He said Christians no longer live in bondage as slaves to sin: “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (Romans 6:14NLT). Paul warned believers not to fall back into slavery to the law: “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Galatians 5:1NLT). In Jesus Christ, believers are set free from the guilt, influence, and punishment of sin (Romans 8:1–6). Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6), and He told His hearers who believed in Him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32NLT). The biblical concept of liberty is quite different from the world’s idea of freedom. Christian liberty is not the worldly freedom to do whatever we want. Such freedom inevitably leads to another kind of slavery—that of serving our own passions and lusts (see 2 Peter 2:19). But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the liberty to deny the flesh and our own selfish desires for the purpose of obeying God, pleasing Him, and bringing glory to His name (Romans 6:16–18; 1 Corinthians 7:22–23). The ultimate liberty is freedom from death through the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ (John 17:2–3; 1 John 5:11–12). Believers can live free from the fear of death and the sting of death because our Lord Jesus Christ gives us victory over these foes (1 Corinthians 15:53–57). Before we received the Spirit of the Lord, our lives were characterized by servitude to sin, the law, and death. Now that we are alive in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4). We are set free to serve God in the fullest sense of liberation. One game-changing, life-transforming aspect of our spiritual freedom is knowing that this present world is not our real home (Hebrews 11:13; 13:14; Philippians 3:20; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 John 2:15–17). There is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is because, as God’s children, we live with the future expectation of glory. We have God’s promise of freedom from death and decay in our eternal heavenly home (Romans 8:21). GotQuestions.org C H Spurgeon on Spiritual Liberty… Liberty is the birthright of every man. But where do you find liberty unaccompanied by religion? This land is the home of liberty, not so much because of our institutions as because the Spirit of the Lord is here — the spirit of true and hearty religion. But the liberty of the text is an infinitely greater and better one, and one which Christian men alone enjoy. He is the free man whom the truth makes free. Without the Spirit of the Lord, in a free country, ye may still be bondsmen; and where there are no serfs in body, ye may be slaves in soul. Note — I. WHAT WE ARE FREED FROM. 1. The bondage of sin. Of all slavery there is none more horrible than this. “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me” from it? But the Christian is free. 2. The penalty of sin — eternal death. 3. The guilt of sin. 4. The dominion of sin. Profane men glory in free living and free thinking. Free living! Let the slave hold up his fetters and jingle them, and say, “This is music, and I am free.” A sinner without grace attempting to reform himself is like Sisiphus rolling the stone up hill, which always comes down with greater force. A man without grace attempting to save himself is engaged in as hopeless a task as the daughters of Danaus, when they attempted to fill a vast vessel with bottomless buckets. He has a bow without a string, a sword without a blade, a gun without powder. 5. Slavish fear of law. Many people are honest because they are afraid of the policeman. Many are sober because they are afraid of the eye of the public. If a man be destitute of the grace of God, his works are only works of slavery; he feels forced to do them. But now, Christian, “Love makes your willing feet in swift obedience move.” We are free from the law that we may obey it better. 6. The fear of death. I recollect a good old woman, who said, “Afraid to die, sir! I have dipped my foot in Jordan every morning before breakfast for the last fifty years, and do you think I am afraid to die now?” A good Welsh lady, when she lay a-dying, was visited by her minister, who said to her, “Sister, are you sinking?” But, rising a little in the bed, she said, “Sinking! Sinking! Did you ever know a sinner sink through a rock? If I had been standing on the sand I might sink; but, thank God! I am on the Rock of Ages, and there is no sinking there.” II. WHAT WE ARE FREE TO. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,” and that liberty gives us certain rights and privileges. 1. To heaven’s charter. Heaven’s Magna Carta is the Bible, and you are free to it — to all its doctrines, promises, etc. You are free to all that is in the Bible. It is the bank of heaven: you may draw from it as much as you please without let or hindrance. 2. To the throne of grace. It is the privilege of Englishmen that they can always send a petition to Parliament; and it is the privilege of a believer that he can always send a petition to the throne of God. It signifies nothing what, where, or under what circumstances I am. 3. To enter into the city. I am not a freeman of London, which is doubtless a great privilege, but I am a freeman of a better city. Now some of you have obtained the freedom of the city, but you won’t take it up. Don’t remain outside the Church any longer, for you have a right to come in. 4. To heaven. When a Christian dies he knows the password that can make the gates wide open fly; he has the white stone whereby he shall be known as a ransomed one, and that shall pass him at the barrier. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. with: 2Co 3:13 as in: 1Co 13:12 Jas 1:23 the glory: 2Co 4:4,6 Joh 1:14 12:41 1Ti 1:11 *Gr: are: 2Co 5:17 Ro 8:29 12:2 13:14 1Co 15:49 Ga 6:15 Eph 4:22-24 Col 3:10 Tit 3:5 2Pe 1:5-9 from: Ro 8:4,7 the Spirit 2Co 3:17 2 Corinthians 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Romans 8:28-30+ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed (summorphos) to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Philippians 3:20-21+ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. FOR IN DEPTH COMMENTS ON THIS VERSE CLICK 2 Corinthians 3:18 BEHOLDING MEANS GAZING NOT GLANCING! But we all, with unveiled (anakalupto) face (prosopon), beholding (katoptrizomai - present tense continually, daily beholding) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord - But (de) is not the most accurate rendering for there is really not a contrast with the previous passage. But (de) is better translated with the word "and" because it links this passage with the liberty just described in 2Cor 3:17+ (as in ESV, NIV, NLT, NET). We all is in essence an "invitation" that flings open the gates of liberty not just to a few select, privileged souls, but to all saints, all saved souls! That should evoke a "Hallelujah" dearly beloved! Unveiled face is another way of describing one who has been born again by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9+). Stated another way, every genuine follower of Jesus has an unveiled face! (Another "Hallelujah!") Unveiled is in the perfect tense which pictures a past completed action (our day of salvation = past tense salvation [see Three Tenses of Salvation] = justification [see justified] - described in 2Co 3:16 = "whenever a person turns to the Lord" and Col 1:13+ = "past tense deliverance") with lasting effect. In other words the veil was taken off the day that the Spirit of the Living God "invaded" and indwelt our spiritually dead bodies, making these wrecks His worship center, His temple, and opening the eyes of our heart to see Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Acts 26:18+ Acts 16:14+) enabling us to continually behold (and understand something of) the glory of the Lord in Word of the Lord (1Jn 2:20, 27+) And don't miss the word face (prosopon) --- now that the veil is removed in (belief in) Christ, we have unfettered freedom (entrée) to approach God as our Everlasting Father seated in His throne room (see Ro 5:2+). We can daily have a "face to face" encounter with the God of the universe! (cf the privilege of Moses - Dt 34:10+). "The mirror is the Gospel, which is called the Gospel of the glory of Christ, 2Co 4:4+." (Vincent) Beholding (katoptrizomai) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord - Beholding is present tense signifying continually beholding the glory of the Lord and in the middle voice signifies a reflexive sense (yourself) and could be rendered "you yourself look in the mirror." 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 both senses for Moses' face becomes radiant after his "up close and personal" encounters with Jehovah and then reflects 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, cf 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, cf 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 Pulpit Commentary feels the middle voice favors the interpretation of beholding as in a mirror rather than reflecting as a mirror writing "No other instance occurs in which the verb in the middle voice has the meaning of “reflecting,” and the words, “with unveiled face,” imply the image of “beholding.” (2 Corinthians 3) Charles Hodge explains that "The Greek verb means, in the active voice, “to show in a mirror” and in the middle voice (the form used here) generally “to see oneself in a mirror.” This is always the way it is used in the classics. But in Philo it is used to express the idea of seeing by means of a mirror. - see also Hodges four arguments that lead him to favor beholding rather than reflecting as the best interpretation of katoptrizomai), where he concludes "We are transformed into the Lord’s likeness by seeing it, not by reflecting it.") (2 Corinthians)
2 Coríntios 3
MacArthur wrote this note about a man transformed from glory to glory - It is said of Robert Murray McCheyne, a godly Scottish minister of the last century, that his face carried such a hallowed expression that people were known to fall on their knees and accept Jesus Christ as Savior when they looked at him. Others were so attracted by the self-giving beauty and holiness of his life that they found his Master irresistible. It was also said of the French pietist Francois Fenelon that his communion with God was such that his face shined with divine radiance. A religious skeptic who was compelled to spend the night in an inn with Fenelon, hurried away the next morning, saying, “If I spend another night with that man I’ll be a Christian in spite of myself." (4) Dr W H Houghton, pastored the Calvary Baptist Church in NYC and later served as president of Moody Bible Institute. When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghton’s life matched his preaching. As a result of Houghton's faithful life as God's "Poiema - Workmanship", that man became a Christian.
2 Coríntios 3:1-4
MacArthur - Paul’s defense of his ministry was not designed to relieve any nagging self-doubt on his part. The apostle never questioned that God had called him to the ministry. That resolute confidence gave him the courage and boldness necessary for a very difficult ministry. No obstacle, persecution, or discouragement could make Paul question his calling. (MNTC-2 Cor) Murray Harris - Paul’s confidence before God in claiming that the Corinthians were a letter written by Christ validating his apostolic credentials came through Christ (v. 4). It was not the product of a pious wish or imagination. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) R C H
2 Coríntios 3:5-6
MacArthur comments "Though Paul had a brilliant and highly trained mind (Acts 26:24+), he did not depend on it. Nor did the apostle rely on his oratorical skills (cf. Acts 14:12+) to persuade people (1 Cor. 2:4+). Paul did not rely on his natural abilities to carry out his ministry, but instead ministered “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1Co 2:4+; cf. 1Co 4:20+; 1Th 1:5+). So little trust did Paul place in his human abilities that he made the remarkable confession that he was unwilling to consider anything as coming from himself (2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press) Vance Havner was right when he said...Our weaknesses and God’s strength form an unbeatable combination! Oswald Chambers put it well...God can achieve His purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on Him made possible the unique display of His power and grace. He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources. Jim Elliot martyred at age 29 clearly understood the thrust of 2Cor 3:5 when he described himself and his co-workers as a "bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody." Paul Apple outlines this section... GOD MAKES US COMPETENT THROUGH THE SPIRIT TO REFLECT HIS GLORY IN NEW COVENANT MINISTRY Competent to Minister (2Co 3:4-5) 1. Assurance of Confidence a. Possession of Confidence = “And such confidence we have” b. Provider of Confidence = “ through Christ ” c. Orientation of Confidence = “toward God.” 2. Source of Confidence a. Negatively: Not from Relying on Self = “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves” b. Solely from Relying on God = “but our adequacy is from God” (2Corinthians) In the first epistle, Paul explained that God does not choose to work with those who are adequate in their own strength... For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many (Note: he does not say "not any", just not many) wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, 29 that no man should boast before God. (1Co 1:26, 27, 28, 29) Adequate (2425) (hikanos from the root hik- = “to reach [with the hand],” “to attain”, `reaching to', `attaining to'; hence, `adequate') refers to that which reaches a certain standard and in context refers to Paul who in his own strength and ability was not qualified to be an apostle or minister of God. Hikanos has been variously used from the time of the Greek tragic dramatists in the basic sense of adequate (sufficient for a specific requirement), sufficient (enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end), enough (in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction), qualified (fitted as by training or experience for a given purpose), competent (having the capacity to function or develop in a particular way) to do a thing or large enough. Hikanos - 39x in 39v in NAS - Matt 3:11; 8:8; 28:12; Mark 1:7; 10:46; 15:15; Luke 3:16; 7:6, 12; 8:27, 32; 20:9; 22:38; 23:8f; Acts 8:11; 9:23, 43; 11:24, 26; 12:12; 14:3, 21; 17:9; 18:18; 19:19, 26; 20:8, 11, 37; 22:6; 27:7, 9; 1 Cor 11:30; 15:9; 2 Cor 2:6, 16; 3:5; 2 Tim 2:2. Hikanos is rendered (NAS) as - able(1), adequate(2), aloud(1), considerable(4), enough(1), fit(4), good many(1), large(1), large sum(1), length*(1), long(5), long while(1), many(9), number(1), pledge(1), satisfy*(1), sizeable(1), some(1), sufficient(1), very bright(1), worthy(2). Hikanos - 27x in 27v in the Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 30:15; 33:15; Ex 4:10; 12:4; 36:7; Lev. 5:7; 12:8; 25:26, 28; Ruth 1:20, 21; 1Ki 16:31; 2Ki. 4:8; 2Chr 30:3; Job 21:15; 31:2; 40:2; Pr. 25:16; 30:15; Is 40:16; Jer. 48:30; Ezek. 34:18; Joel 2:11; Obad. 1:5; Nah. 2:12; Hab. 2:13; Zech. 7:3. For example...In Exodus we see the Israelites had to be restrained from bringing materials for the building of the Tabernacle..."For the material they had was sufficient (Hebrew word = day = sufficiency; Lxx = hikanos) and more than enough for all the work, to perform it." (Exodus 36:7) John the Baptist alluded to his inadequacy when he declared that... He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, and am not fit (hikanos - adequate, competent) to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Mt 3:11) Likewise the Roman centurion, a Gentile, understood his inadequacy declaring to Jesus... Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Mt 8:8) In ourselves (aph' heauton)...from ourselves (ex heauton) - A T
2 Coríntios 3:5-6
MacArthur writes that the letter kills because "It results in a living death. Before Paul was converted, he thought he was saved by keeping the law, but all it did was kill his peace, joy, and hope; and it results in spiritual death. His inability to truly keep the law sentenced him to an eternal death (MNTC-2 Cor) A W
2 Coríntios 3:5-6
MacArthur adds that "Diakonos has the idea of “serviceability,” or “usefulness.” Those who serve Christ are called to excellence in their usefulness to His cause. (MNTC-2 Cor) As Matthew Henry once said "Those whom God will employ are first struck with a sense of their unworthiness to be employed. (Ed: And their inadequacy to accomplish His Work without His working in and through us). A Presbyterian pastor in Melbourne, Australia introduced J. Hudson Taylor by using many superlatives, especially the word great. Taylor stepped to the pulpit and quietly said, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” Richards observes that "A survey of NT passages using the diakoneo word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) reveals how we can serve others and what "ministry" involves. It will include the following activities: caring for those in prison (Mt 25:44), serving tables (i.e., meeting physical needs) (Ac 6:2), teaching the Word of God (Ac 6:4), giving money to meet others' needs (2Co 9:1), and all the service offered by Christians to others to build them up in faith (1Co 12:5; Ep 4:12-note). Although Paul and other apostles are called ministers, and although there was the office of deacon in the early church, there is a sense in which every believer is a minister and is to use his or her gifts to serve others This call for every believer (note "each one" below) to be a minister is especially emphasized by Peter in his summation of spiritual gifts... As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving (diakoneo) one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves (diakoneo), let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1Pe 4:10,11+) A good picture of the meaning of this word group is found in the use of diakoneo to describe Peter's mother-in-law who was healed by Jesus "and she immediately got up and waited (diakoneo) on them." (Lk 4:39) Bridges rightly observes that "Service to God through service to mankind is the only motivation acceptable to God for diligence and hard work in our vocational calling. Were it not for Paul’s letter, we would never know that Onesiphorus had served Paul and the church (see 2Ti 1:16, 18-note). But the Lord knew and will reward him and He will reward you for your faithful service “on that day” for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered (diakoneo) and in still ministering (diakoneo) to the saints (Heb 6:10-note) Hiebert writes that diakonos... refers to a servant in relationship to his activity, one who renders a service to another for the benefit of the one being served. Unlike the word for slave (doulos) diakonos implies the thought of voluntary service. It is used of the “servants” at the wedding in Cana (John 2:5, 7, 9). They were individuals who had voluntarily assumed this activity out of good will for the bride and groom. Among these various Greek words this one has the. nearest approximation to the concept of a love-prompted service. Thus basically the word “deacon” denotes one who voluntarily serves others, prompted by a loving desire to benefit those served.... The non-technical usages of this word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) extend beyond the narrow limits implied in the English word “deacon,” which designates an ecclesiastical office. These Greek words provide a spiritually rich concept of service. For a true understanding of the biblical import of the term “deacon” this high concept of “deacon service” must be retained. The basic concept underlying the word “deacon” is that of a voluntary, love-prompted service for the benefit of others. It is a service that desires the true welfare of those ministered to. “Deacon service” may well involve prosaic, material “table service,” but it should go beyond such service and seek to further the highest spiritual welfare of others. The work of the deacon, related to the local church and to the whole cause of Christ, must be spiritually motivated and be Christ-centered. It finds its motivation and encouragement in the self-sacrificing example and call of Christ. “The diakonos is always one who serves on Christ’s behalf and continues Christ’s service for the outer and inner man; he is concerned with the salvation of men.” It is a demanding and consuming service, but it has Christ’s sure promise of reward: “If any one serves Me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Since service associated with the diakoneo word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) necessarily involved dependence, submission, and constraints of time and freedom, the Greeks regarded a diakonos, et al as a degrading and dishonorable occupation. Service for the public good was honored, but voluntary giving of oneself in service of one’s fellow man is alien to Greek thought. The highest goal before a man was the development of his own personality. That last sentence is strikingly contemporary, and is mindful of the fact that a culture that is largely focused on SELF (cp 2Ti 3:1,2-note) will find little value in menial, mundane servant hood. To the Greeks, diakonia service was not dignified. Thus they lauded ruling and not service as the proper goal of man. The formula of the sophist ("wise man") expressed the basic Greek attitude “How can a man be happy when he has to serve someone?” Judaism had no philosophy of ministry involving the mundane, menial sense of a diakonos, instead adopting a philosophy of service similar to the Greeks. If service was rendered, it was done as an act of social obligation or as an act to those more worthy (this too sounds very "modern"). In short, a superior would not stoop to become a servant! Such an attitude, which conforms so closely to man’s natural prejudices, causes the Lord’s Servant attitude and actions to stand out even more (cp Jn 13:3, 4, 5). Clearly, Jesus' examples teach us that the word group diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia does not describe the activity of a lesser to a greater, but in fact is to be the lifestyle one privileged to be called a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus declared "If anyone serves (diakoneo) Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant (diakonos) also be; if anyone serves (diakoneo) Me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26) The word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) differs the other Greek word group, douleuo (doulos) which also means to serve, in that the former word group connotes “service” on behalf of someone while the latter speaks of “service” as a slave under or subordinate to someone (as a bondservant or bondslave to the “lord” or “master”). As Richards says... In Greek thought, both types of service were shameful. The duty of the Greek person was to himself, to achieve his potential for excellence. To be forced to subject his will or surrender his time and efforts for the sake of others was intensely distasteful, even humiliating. But Jesus came to serve, not to be served. In giving Himself for others, Jesus set the pattern for a transformed value system. In Christ, serving is the highway to greatness. In Christ we achieve our full potential by giving, not by grasping. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency) In fact, in the first five NT uses of diakonos (Mt 20:26, Mt 23:11, 23:11, Mk 9:35, Mk 10:45, cp Jn 12:26), Jesus counters the wisdom of the world, by elevating the menial role of the diakonos, declaring such a one to be on the pathway to greatness in His kingdom. As discussed, it is not surprising that servant hood would be associated with kingdom greatness for this was the goal of incarnation of the King Himself, as stated in Mk 10:45 (verb diakoneo). It follows that for a man or woman to be a servant is to be walk in the steps of the Lord. The corollary is that for one to achieve true greatness, he must humble himself and serve others. John Calvin thus rightly noted that "The highest honour in the church is not government but service. (adding)...We shall never be fit for the service of God if we look not beyond this fleeting life. John Blanchard phrases it this way "Christian service has been dignified by Deity. J C
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
MacArthur explains that... The Law was no permanent answer. The Law was no final solution. The Law was never intended to be the last word on the plight of sinners. The Law never could save. It can't be the last word. I remember on one occasion when I was in Israel many years ago and I stayed in a hotel right adjacent to a synagogue, my room was right about as far as I could reach my arm to touch this synagogue and it was...it was on Shabbat and they were having this worship and I heard it hour after hour after hour and, of course, the realization that these people are locked in to the old covenant. They will not allow the new covenant. They will not tolerate it. And if you introduce it to them, they become violently aggressive and agitated about it in their rejection. And you want to say to them, "But...but...but the Law was never the last word on the plight of sinners, it can't save. It was never to be the full final revelation of God's redemptive purpose and the means by which righteousness could be provided. It only pointed to something greater." It was not adequate, it was not permanent. It could prescribe what men ought to do, but it couldn't enable them to do it. The old covenant could provide a basis of damnation but not of salvation, a basis of condemnation but not of justification, a basis of culpability but not purity. Something had to be added. You say, "Well did the Jews know it was coming? Were they ever told?" Sure, Jeremiah made it as clear...as crystal clear as it could be made. Jer 31:31, 32, 33, 34...They should have known that the old covenant wasn't the last. The contrast is between what is transitory and passing and what is lasting and eternal. What Moses stood for was glorious but passing away. The day was bound to come when its splendor would vanish. The new covenant, however, comes with a pledge of eternality. The new covenant doesn't fade away.... The new covenant is the last word, salvation by grace through faith. The ministry of death and condemnation had a glory, it was designed by God, it was holy, just and good. It established the standard of righteousness. And for believers, for those forgiven by God and saved, it was a path of blessing. But the New Testament has a greater glory. The new covenant has a greater glory. And without the new covenant, the old covenant would have just catapulted the whole human race into hell.... But let's take a true Jew who really believed. What would he do? He would come to God, repentant, pleading for grace and pleading for mercy. He saw the ceremonial law as symbolic of God's provision for him somewhere down the future. He knew God would provide. He knew God would be gracious and God would be merciful because that's the kind of God He was. And he cast himself on God's mercy and God's grace. And he would be redeemed based upon what Christ would do in his behalf. But for most Jews, the vast majority, apart from that true remnant, they disobeyed the Law offered, no genuine repentance, exercised no saving faith in God, depended not on God's grace but on their works keeping the external ceremonial religion and that was really a killer. And along came the prophets and constantly called them to repentance. That's always the message. It boggles my mind how that people can say today that we don't have to preach repentance. It's always been the message.... New covenant ministry will continue and never be replaced because there's no more to do, there's no more to say. It's all been done in Christ. He has accomplished once forever the redemption of His people. There is no higher truth, that's it. Oh, we'll get new understanding of the richness of the gospel as we grow but we'll never get beyond the gospel, we'll never get beyond the new covenant. There's nothing beyond it. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 4) Beet comments "In the history of the world, as in the experience of each individual God speaks first in the form of Law, "Do this or die." When we hear the good news, "He that believes shall not die," the voice of condemnation loses its dread power, and comes to nought. But the good news of life will remain sounding in our ears for ever. Paul argues, "If the temporary dispensation was accompanied by splendour, of which splendour the brightness on Moses’ face was a conspicuous example, surely the abiding voice of the Gospel is or will be surrounded by still greater splendour." [Notice the appropriate use of dia [through, with] and en [in], as in Ro 1:2, for the temporary and the permanent.] With the passing nature of the Covenant of which he was Mediator, the passing brightness of Moses’ face was in beautiful though incidental agreement. Even the little outward details of the two Covenants were in harmony with their inward essence. (A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians - Chapter 3) Comment: Bernard agrees with Beet's comments on the prepositions, explaining that dia (with) implies transience while en (in) implies permanence. Ray
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
MacArthur comments that "2Cor 3:6-18 is almost like a reduced version of the book of Hebrews. It takes the book of Hebrews, the great concept of the superiority of the New Covenant, and reduces it to this one little section of passages. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 4) The UBS Handbook notes that "In 2Cor 3:7-11 Paul uses a form of argument used by the rabbis of his day: from the lesser to the greater. If such and such could be said concerning something relatively unimportant (the lesser), then how much more could such and such be said concerning the greater, or more important matter. The comparison in these verses is between the Law of Moses (the lesser) and the new covenant (the greater). Verses 7 and 8 are one long and rather complicated sentence in Greek...Paul’s argument in these verses is based on the story in Ex 34.27–35 of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series) But if - If is a first class conditional statement (as all all the "IF's" in this section - 2Co 3:9, 3:11) assuming the following statement to be true from the author's perspective. Paul develops the contrast he alluded to in 2Co 3:3 comparing the external writing on stone (Old Covenant) versus the Spirit's writing on the hearts of the saints at Corinth (New Covenant). Here are the 3 sets of if clauses "which utilize the rabbinical exegetical middah of 'the light and the heavy'," the "light" being the Old Covenant and the "heavy" being the New Covenant. But if (2Co 3:7)...even more (2Co 3:8) For if (2Co 3:9)...much more (2Co 3:9) For if (2Co 3:11)...much more (2Co 3:11) The ministry (diakonia) of death, in letters engraved (perfect tense - enduring effect) on stones, came with glory (doxa) - Ministry of death is a description of the work accomplished by the Old Covenant. Paul had just explained that the Old Covenant of the Law "kills" (2Co 3:6) for as Romans 7:10 says "this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me." Engraved on stones describes the "tablets of stone" (2Co 3:3+) on which the "Ten Commandments" were engraved by the finger of God and then engraved by Moses after he had broke the first tablets in anger over Israel's "golden calf" sin (Read Ex 24:12+ Ex 31:18+ = "written by the finger of God," Ex 32:15,16, 19+ = "threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them." Ex 34:1,28+ = Moses "wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments"). Paul wants us to understand that even the Old Covenant had a measure of glory.
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
MacArthur explains ministry of death bluntly stating that the... Law is a killer. Are you ready for this? Law is the greatest "mass murderer" in the world's history. That's right. Law is a killer beyond all killers. It has a ministry of death. The Law of God has a ministry of death. It slays everyone who gets in front of it. Let me illustrate that by having you go to Romans 7:7-note, "What shall we say then, is the Law sin? Well the answer, may it never be,"... The Law is not sin, nothing wrong with the Law, it's holy, just and good. The Law is not sin. "But, on the contrary," look at Ro 7:7-note , this is so powerful, "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law." Now how would I know I was sinning if there was not a Law to define my sin? And he gives an illustration. "I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not say, `You shall not covet.'" I wouldn't have known that. "Now if there's no Law then there's no way to define sin." So Paul says, "The Law came to define sin, apart from the Law I wouldn't know I was a sinner." If He don't tell me coveting is a sin, I'm not going to know that it's wrong to do that. So the Law came...notice this now...the Law came to define sin...Paul says I was fine until I ran into the Law. And when I ran into the Law, I said...covet? Covet? You can't do that? I just thought that was just normal human behavior...covet, covet, covet, covet. I just...I coveted almost everything I saw....It's just the way that the Law is made that when it confronts the fallenness of man it defines his sin and it exacerbates his sin... the end of Ro 7:8-note he says, "Apart from the Law sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the Law but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died." What do you mean? Well he died a spiritual death. He realized that his condition was spiritual death. He realized he was cut off from the life of God, that he was a sinner, he was doomed. The commandment which God intended to result in life was death to me...death to me. The end of Ro 7:11-note, "It killed me." So then the Law is holy and the commandment is holy, and righteous and good. The problem is not with the Law, the problem is...what?...with me...with me. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 3)
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
MacArthur notes that "The Old Covenant is good (ED: HAS A DEGREE "GLORY") in that it commands righteousness. The New Covenant is better in that it confers righteousness. The Old Covenant made a person a hearer of the truth. The New Covenant makes a person a doer of the truth...So the old covenant was never intended to save, it was an inferior covenant to the new covenant to begin with because it was a non-saving covenant. Then, however, when an Old Testament Jew was saved by grace through faith, all of a sudden that Law, that moral law which once was a killer to him became a path of blessing and he had an attitude like the psalmist in Ps 119:97+ who said "O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day." Now, instead of the Law being a "killer", the Law was a path of life and blessing..."Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." (Ps 19:10) It wasn't that his attitude toward the Law saved him, it was that his salvation changed his attitude toward the Law. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 4) Ray
2 Coríntios 3:7-11
MacArthur addresses the question that many ask and that is "Well is God's moral law still important?" Sure it is because God's moral law is still the...is still the rock which has to break the sinner's back. And we have to preach that Law and uphold that Law. And by the way, the moral law is repeated in the New Testament, right? The civil law is set aside...Gentiles and Jews are made one. Ceremonial law is set aside -- no more Sabbaths and new moons and feasts and sacrificial system, the temple is destroyed, no more sacrifices...that's all done away with. But the moral law is repeated and recited in the New Testament and it is again reiterated and brought before the sinner to show him his sin. But if the Old Covenant was by itself, it would be absolutely useless, for even the virtuous reflection of the holiness of God is useless to save. The New Covenant comes and by grace through faith provides what the Old Covenant could not provide. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 4)(See Related Discussion - The Purpose of the Law) Dark Light Even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. —2 Corinthians 3:10 Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:5-18 In some ways the Mosaic law is to the Christian what a crutch is to an athlete. It is good when needed and used properly. But a crutch cannot be employed to win a 100-yard dash, nor can leaning on a system of legal statements ever bring us spiritual victory. Paul emphasized the diminishing splendor of the Old Testament law by comparing it to the surpassing glory of life and liberty in the Spirit. Referring to Moses’ shining face after he had been given the Ten Commandments, the apostle likened the fading brightness of his countenance to the temporary and incomplete nature of the Sinai disclosures he had received. The people of Israel would soon discover that God’s message from the mount was also the standard by which they would be condemned. Where the Holy Spirit reigns, however, there is abundant grace, and its splendor far exceeds that of the law. Imagine lighting a match in a completely dark place. The sudden burst of flame provides an impressive display of light. But if you struck a match in the presence of the noonday sun, its flickering rays would seem insignificant. The law in itself is pure and good And shows to us which way is right, But grace has a glory that excels, Flooding our path with Christ's true light. -Bosch The diminishing splendor of the law is no match for the glory of God's grace. 2 Corinthians 3:11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory (NASB: Lockman) Greek: ei gar to katargoumenon (PPPNSN) dia doxes, pollo mallon to menon (PAPNSN) en doxe. Amplified: For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor! (Lockman) ESV: For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. (ESV) KJV: For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. NET: For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory! (NET Bible) NIV: And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! (NIV - IBS) NLT: So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! (NLT - Tyndale House)
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
MacArthur says that Paul statement that we use great confidence "is saying "I am so confident of New Covenant promise by faith in Jesus Christ, I am so confident that it fills the heart with hope that the old covenant never gives, it takes away the despair and the fear and the doubt and it places joy and peace and hope. I am so confident that I am courageous and outspoken and bold and without reluctance and without hesitation no matter what kind of severe reaction I get. I can't hold back, I can't hesitate."...So Paul says the New Covenant gives hope, is permanent, provides righteousness and gives life. (The Glory of the New Covenant Part 5) Adam
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
MacArthur - Israel failed to grasp the glory of the old covenant because of stubborn, hard-hearted unbelief....Throughout their history the Jewish people (with a few exceptions such as Zacharias and Elizabeth [Luke 1:5–6], Simeon [Luke 2:25], Anna [Luke 2:36], and others of the believing remnant [cf. Ro 11:5]) “stiffened their necks so as not to heed [God’s] words” (Jer. 19:15; cf. 7:26; 17:23; Deut. 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; 2 Chron. 30:8; Neh. 9:29).
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
MacArthur comments that "Moses, you remember, came down the mountain, attempted to show them the glory of God representative in the old covenant by the glory on his face, and he was rejected instead of recognizing the glory, they were willfully dull and willfully unbelieving. And it was still so in Paul's time until this day, he says, until this very day. At the reading of the old covenant, which was done, by the way, every Sabbath in the synagogue, according to Luke 4:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, they went into the synagogue and the old covenant would be read. The same veil remains unlifted. The old covenant is still obtuse, still obscure. They still don't understand the purpose of it. They think it's supposed to save them and it's not. They think that it's less of a moral standard than it is. They underestimate its righteousness. Its attempt to reveal sin is ineffective. Instead of revealing their sin, it is used as a means to demonstrate their righteousness. Its ceremonial purpose was to symbolize the redemptive plan in Christ. And, of course, they rejected Christ so they rejected not only the moral part of the Law by lowering the moral standard, they rejected the ceremonial part by missing the purpose and the point of it. They were so ignorant that the Apostles had to preach all around Jerusalem that Jesus Christ must needs have suffered and died to fulfill Messianic prophecy. They had no clue. Their ignorance and their unbelief in the meaning of the old covenant, made them therefore ignorant of the new covenant. Because they didn't properly understand that the old covenant was to drive them to sin in its moral area and to drive them to see their need of a Savior in the ceremonial area, because they missed all of that they couldn't comprehend the new covenant... They don't comprehend the new covenant. Do you know why? Because they don't comprehend the old covenant. They think they do, they don't. They don't know that it was designed to drive them to despair about their sin and to portray through the symbols and the pictures the redemptive plan of God that points directly to none other than Jesus Christ, but since they don't understand the old covenant, they can't understand the new covenant. The veil of ignorance obscures the meaning of the old covenant to the hardened heart. It was meant to lead them to Christ, they just didn't see it (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 5) Adam
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
MacArthur comments: Although God predestined such judgment, it was not apart from human responsibility and culpability (see Jn 8:24). In Romans Paul in addressing the spiritual fate of the sons of Israel asks "What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen (the remnant, see "partial hardening" of Israel below in Ro 11:25) obtained it, and the rest were hardened (passive voice as in 2Co 3:14 indicating the hardening is the effect of an "outside agent", specifically God Who is perfectly justified in so doing in light of their repeated rejection and incessant wanton spiritual harlotry) (Ro 11:7+) Comment This verse describes a judicial act of God for refusal to heed the Word of God (cp God's hardening in Ex 4:21 7:3 9:12 10:20, 27 11:10 14:4, 8, 17; [Ryrie explains "Seven times Pharaoh hardened his own heart before God first hardened it, though the prediction that God would do it preceded all."] Dt 2:30 Jn 12:40), in response to their hardened hearts (Ex 8:15, 32 9:34 10:1 2Chr 36:13 Ps 95:8 Pr 28:14 Mt 19:8 Mk 3:5 Ep 4:18 Heb 3:8, 15 4:7). Thus divine hardening is not the cause of their rejection of the Gospel, but a punishment for it. This hardening (even as here in 2Co 3:14) was (is) the result of Israel's persistence in resistance to the Word of Truth, just as Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because he resisted the truth. We would expect a pagan idol worshipping despot to harden himself against the Lord, but we would not expect God’s chosen people to do so. Nevertheless, most of the sons of Israel were hardened because they deserved it and it was a just recompense for their sin of rejecting the light they had received. Remember that all of the ceremonies (festivals, temple services and sacrifices, etc - see 3rd column entitled "Shadows of Messiah in Tabernacle") were like "giant pictures" pointing to the coming Messiah and Redeemer. (eg, compare Ex 12:11 with 1Co 5:7). For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening (porosis) has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in (Ro 11:25+) Comment: Notice that The current hardening of Israel in rejecting Messiah has two components. First, it is a partial hardening so that some Jews, represented by the believing remnant (the "Israel of God" Gal 6:16) will be enabled to see the glory of the New Covenant. Second, the hardening of Israel has a limit so that when the fullness of Gentiles has come in the blindness of Israel will be removed "in Christ" (cp Zech 12:9, 10 descriptive of the time of the Second Coming of Christ - notice how it will be made possible for their blind eyes to be opened to recognize their Messiah). It is interesting to read a parallel description of Jesus' Jewish disciples where heart is substituted for mind... Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. (Mk 6:51-52+, see a similar use of poroo in Mk 8:17+) John MacArthur: The disciples’ minds were impenetrable, so that they could not perceive what Christ was saying (cf. Mk 4:11, 12). This phrase conveys or alludes to rebellion, not just ignorance
2 Coríntios 3:12-14
MacArthur- The old covenant remained obscured, its purpose misunderstood. People wrongly thought that they could be saved by keeping it. Gromacki "When Moses spoke to the people, the veil was upon his face, but when the law of Moses was later read, the veil was upon the hearts of the individual Jews and of national Israel. In both cases, the people could not see the glory of God, namely the glory of Jesus Christ. Jesus challenged His generation: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). He later concluded: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:46–47). In Paul’s day, the situation had not changed (“until this day”), and it is still true in this era. When a person stops trusting in his effort to keep the law and starts to believe in God’s provision, then “the veil is done away in Christ.” Just as Moses removed the veil when he was in the presence of the Lord, so the veil will be lifted from the hearts of Jews when they see the fulfillment of the law’s demands in the person and redemptive work of Christ (Rom. 10:1–13). They need to have their spiritual understanding opened by Christ to see him in the Old Testament (Luke 24:25–27; 44–45). " (2 Corinthians - Stand Firm in the Faith) Warren
2 Coríntios 3:15-17
MacArthur reminds us that even though the glory of the Old Covenant was fading there was "Nothing wrong with the covenant. The problem is with their heart. The (sons of Israel continually manifest an) unwillingness to be broken, the unwillingness to confess sin and repent… (this) is the whole point of the hardness of the hearts of the people of Israel that they would not be broken. And where there is a broken and a contrite heart (Ps 51:17), there is therefore a proper apprehension of the meaning of the Old Covenant and a casting of oneself on the mercy and grace of a forgiving God Whom even the Old Testament believers knew was forgiving. The prophet asked "Who is a God like Thee, Who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?" (Micah 7:18 - see how complete is God's forgiveness - Mic 7:19, cp Is 38:17, Is 44:22, Ps 103:12, cp Lv 16:20, 21 the New Covenant = Je 31:34)" Veil (2571) (kalumma from kalupto = cause something to be covered over and hence not visible) is literally a covering or veil but is used figuratively here to refer to something that functions as an impediment, hindrance, obstruction or obstacle. 2Co 3:13 is literal veil, but 2Co 3:14-16 are figurative uses referring to an impediment. Classical Greek - several different symbolic meanings are conveyed with the use of kalumma. For instance, the “covering” of the head is an expression of sorrow (Sophocles Ajax 245 [Fifth Century B.C.]). Also, the “veil” or “covering” was a commonly practiced magico-religious custom in which the head of a corpse was “covered” in order to protect the deceased against demon forces. The “veil” was also sometimes associated with a type of mask, emphasizing both prescience and unreality (see Oepke, “kalumma,” Kittel, 3:558–560). Kalumma can also denote other “coverings” such as the skull (the covering of the brain), an eyelid, portions of a roof, or a fishnet (Liddell-Scott). Kalumma in NT only in 2 Co. 3:13; 2 Co. 3:14; 2 Co. 3:15; 2 Co. 3:16. Septuagint - Especially of Moses' veil - Ex 27:16; Ex 34:33; Ex 34:34; Ex 34:35; Ex 35:11; Ex 39:34; Ex 40:5; Nu 3:25; Nu 4:8; Nu 4:10; Nu 4:11; Nu 4:12; Nu 4:14; Nu 4:25; In the Book of Numbers the use of kalumma, along with katakalumma, is used to instruct the Levites to place a “covering” over the holy objects (e.g., the ark of the covenant, the altar, altar vessels, etc, to keep from being touched or seen for to look at them or touch them could mean death (Nu 4:15, 20+). Heart (2588) (kardia) does is never used in the New Testament with the literal meaning of the physical organ that pumps blood. Instead kardia is always used figuratively to refer to our "inner person" from which thoughts, emotions and affections flow and which functions in a sense as a person's "control center". The heart is often equated with the mind as Paul is doing in this chapter (cp 2Co 3:14) Vine writes that kardia…came to denote man’s entire mental and moral activities, and to stand figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. (Collected writings of W. E. Vine) Kardia in the Corinthian letters - 1 Co. 2:9; 1 Co. 4:5; 1 Co. 7:37; 1 Co. 14:25; 2 Co. 1:22; 2 Co. 2:4; 2 Co. 3:2; 2 Co. 3:3; 2 Co. 3:15; 2 Co. 4:6; 2 Co. 5:12; 2 Co. 6:11; 2 Co. 7:3; 2 Co. 8:16; 2 Co. 9:7 The KJV Bible Commentary notes that "Unfortunately, as far as the Jews are concerned, Christ is still a stumbling block they cannot see (cf. 1Co 1:23). For the apostle this is no light matter but a concern which caused him great anxiety (cf. Ro 9:1-5+). But now the veil is not so much upon the revelation of the glory but upon their own hearts (cf Lk 24:25+ = "O foolish men slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!"; Acts 13:27-29+). (KJV Bible Commentary) A T
2 Coríntios 3:15-17
MacArthur explains that Paul is saying…Like Moses, when a man goes into the presence of the Lord, i.e., when he turns to Christ, God takes away the veil and he sees the direct glory (of Christ). When sinners turn to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the veil is removed… When we come (in belief) to the Lord Jesus, the veil is off, the glory is clear, the knowledge of the glory of God shines in our hearts in the face of Jesus Christ. (Read 2Co 4:6)… So Paul says whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away at once by God. True understanding floods the soul. The Gospel becomes clear, the veil is removed. So Paul in this most intricate argument once again makes reference to the illustration from Exodus (Ed: by using the phrase "the veil is taken away" just as it was in the OT story of Moses when he went into the presence of the LORD [Ex 34:34]).. (The Glory of the New Covenant, Part 5) Phillip Hughes relates the surpassing glory of the New Covenant to the transfiguration glory of Christ in the presence of Moses who himself was not glorified (Read Mt 17:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, compare Peter's testimony when they saw His glory [Lk 9:32] in 2Pe 1:16, 17-note. John refers to the same experience - Jn 1:14, 18). God had removed the veil from the hearts of Peter, James and John to be able to see the glory of the Messiah (so don't give up hoping, praying and sharing with your unbelieving, unregenerate Jewish friends!). On that mountain height, Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ but it was Christ alone Who was transfigured with heavenly radiance before the eyes of Peter, James and John. It was His face that shone as the sun and His garments that became white and dazzling. It was of Him alone that the voice from the cloud said, `This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him.' And thereafter the disciples saw no one, save Jesus only. It is He Who abides. The glory in which Moses and Elijah appeared was not their own but Christ's glory––the glory which He had with the Father before the world was (Jn 17:5). Just as in the wilderness the glory, which shone from Moses’ face, was the reflected glory of Yahweh, so too on the mount of transfiguration the glory with which he was surrounded was the glory of the same Yahweh. Christ alone is the full, the abiding, the evangelical glory. To turn to Him is to turn to the Light of the world. To follow Him is not to walk in darkness, but to have the light of life (Jn. 8:12). (Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians) Guzik feels that in this context the liberty which Paul is emphasizing is "the liberty of access. He is building on his words from 2Co 3:12 (note): 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. (2 Corinthians 3) Whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away - Notice the mysterious juxtaposition of human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Man turns to God. God takes away. Turns is epistrepho in aorist tense which indicates that the "turning" is performed at a moment in time (when a person believes in Christ) and it is done once and for all (completed action). The active voice indicates it is a choice of the individual's will. Is this not mysterious, amazing grace? Indeed! Jamieson comments on whenever a person turns to the Lord explaining that "Whenever the Israelites turn to the Lord, Who is the Spirit of the law, the (figurative) veil is taken off their hearts in the presence of the Lord just as the literal veil was taken off by Moses in going before God. No longer resting on the dead letter (of the Old Covenant of Law),… they by the Spirit commune with God (Ed: i.e., The Holy Spirit gives the believer unfettered freedom of access into the very presence of the Holy One of Israel even as Moses had access to His Glorious Presence.). Turns (1994)(epistrepho from epí = motion toward + strepho = twist, turn quite around or reverse) means to revert, to turn about, to turn around, to turn toward, to return and figuratively to convert. The idea is a definite turn to God in conduct as well as in one's mind. The meaning of the verb epistrepho gives us an excellent picture of true repentance (see metanoia) = An unsaved person lives solely for self but when he or she turns to the Lord, the Spirit of Christ (see note below) turns their life around so that they now begin to live for their Savior (not perfection but direction - instead of one's face fixed like flint "hell-ward", they have (been) turned around (by the Spirit) and are marching "heaven-ward"! If not, they need to heed 2Co 13:5+. One of the best illustrations of turning to the Lord (and the meaning of repentance) is found in Paul's use of epistrepho in first Thessalonians "they themselves (see 1Th 1:8) report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to (epistrepho) God from idols (a beautiful description of repentance) to serve a living and true God (a beautiful description of the fruit of repentance) (1Th 1:9+) Luke uses epistrepho in his description of John the Baptist whose ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord writing that… he (John the Baptist) will turn back (epistrepho) many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK (epistrepho) TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Lk 1:16+, see Mt 3:2, 5-8+ - notice his proclamation included repentance. See his message in Acts 19:4+) Peter speaking to the sons of Israel on Pentecost called them to turn to the Lord… Repent (aorist imperative = Command to do this now. It is urgent!) therefore and return (epistrepho also in the aorist imperative) that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you (Acts 3:19, 20+) Peter used epistrepho again in his first epistle… He Himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross, that we might die to Sin (Sin as a slavemaster - no longer in bondage but liberated) and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (refers to spiritual not physical healing as context clearly teaches). For you were continually straying like sheep (cp Is 53:6+), but now you have returned (epistrepho - been turned toward or converted) to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. (1Pe 2:25+) The Septuagint (LXX) uses epistrepho occasionally to describe conversion. For example, David alludes to the converting power of the Word of God in the Old Testament that… The law of the LORD is perfect, converting (Lxx = epistrepho) the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; (Psalm 19:7NKJV+) David again speaks of conversion in Psalm 51… Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted (Lxx = epistrepho) to You. (Psalm 51:13+) Lord (2962) (kurios from kuros = might or power) refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who has sovereign power and supreme authority. Beloved, this is the Glorious One to Whom we turn for there is salvation in no other Name but Jesus (Acts 4:12+, Mt 1:21+). I am reminded of Charles Haddon Spurgeon's turning to the Lord and the veil being removed when he heard a simple laymen preaching the most profound of messages based on one verse, Isaiah 45:22 (See Spurgeon's Personal Testimony) in which the LORD (see Is 45:21) declared (Red = commands)… Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22KJV Spurgeon responded to the Lord's command to Turn and Look and God immediately removed the veil of unbelief from his heart. Have you turned to look at the Lord? MacArthur refers to Ro 10:4 which says" Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Christ is the purpose of the Law for righteousness to the one who believes. The New Covenant is a superior covenant. It's a better covenant… a far-better covenant. It's an incomparable covenant. For all of the reasons that Paul has given us -- (1) It gives life… the other was a killer. (2) It provides righteousness, the other one simply exacerbated our sinfulness. (3) It is permanent, the other one was fading. (4) It brings hope, the other one was hopeless. (5) It is clear, the other one was shaded and veiled in pictures and types. (6) And the New Covenant is Christ-centered. The veil in 2Co 3:14 is removed in Christ… and in 2Co 3:16, "Whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (The Glory of the New Covenant) Alan Redpath gives wonderful personal testimony to the glory a person sees when he turns to the Lord and the veil is taken away - "I have a clear view of Jesus. I have seen Him, felt Him, and I have known Him in a far deeper way than simply by the outward physical appearance; I have felt the reality of His life begin to burn in my heart. I have seen in Christ the glory of a life that is totally submitted to the sovereignty of God. That glory has begun to take hold of me, and I have begun to see that this is the one life that God expects of any man He made in His own image. I have seen the marks of the cross upon Him, and by His grace the marks of the cross have been put upon me and I am no longer my own; I am bought with a price, redeemed by His precious blood. Yes, I have seen Him--not in the outward physical sense only, but in the inward sense of a deep spiritual reality. I have had a clear view of Jesus and my life will never be the same again. (Blessings Out of Buffetings by Alan Redpath Page 44) Spurgeon offers a similar testimony writing that… Simply by looking to Jesus, I had been delivered from despair, and I was brought into such a joyous state of mind that, when they saw me at home, they said to me, ''Something wonderful has happened to you;'' (Ed: The veil had been taken away in Christ!) and I was eager to tell them all about it….I have always considered, with Luther and Calvin, that the sum and substance of the gospel lies in that word Substitution, --Christ standing in the stead of man. If I understand the gospel, it is this: I deserve to be lost for ever; the only reason why I should not be damned is, that Christ was punished in my stead, and there is no need to execute a sentence twice for sin. On the other hand, I know I cannot enter Heaven unless I have a perfect righteousness; I am absolutely certain I shall never have one of my own, for I find I sin every day; but then Christ had a perfect righteousness, and He said, ''There, poor sinner, take My garment, and put it on; you shall stand before God as if you were Christ, and I will stand before God as if I had been the sinner; I will suffer in the sinner's stead, and you shall be rewarded for works which you did not do, but which I did for you.'' I find it very convenient every day to come to Christ as a sinner, as I came as the first. ''You are no saint,'' says the devil. Well, if I am not, I am a sinner, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Sink or swim, I go to Him; other hope I have none. By looking to Him, I received all the faith which inspired me with confidence in His grace; and the word that first drew my soul--''Look unto Me,''--still rings its clarion note in my ears. There I once found conversion, and there I shall ever find refreshing and renewal. (HALLELUJAH! AMEN!) (Spurgeon's Personal Testimony) THOUGHT - Have you simply looked at Jesus? The veil is taken away - Taken away is the work of God and thus is in the divine passive. Metaphorically as used in this verse periaireo means to take away completely that with which one is, as it were, enveloped. In other words Paul describes the taking away of the veil from surrounding the hearts of those (Jews and Gentiles) who believe. Taken away (4014) (periaireo from perí = around, suggests completeness + haireo = in sense of take, seize, grasp) means to take away from around something (picture it binding and constricting movement) and so to remove that which envelops. In secular Greek it was a nautical term meaning to cast lose by taking up the anchors from both sides of the ship in preparation for departing. To take away altogether or entirely. In a secular Greek writing it was used of taking off from oneself, as taking off one's helmet and of taking off the cover of a letter (and thus opening it). Metaphorically as used in this verse periaireo means to take away completely that with which one is, as it were, enveloped. In other words Paul describes the taking away of the veil from surrounding the hearts of those (Jews and Gentiles) who believe. Warren
2 Coríntios 3:15-17
MacArthur: the gist of what He expounded would have undoubtedly included an explanation of the OT sacrificial system, which was full of types and symbols that spoke of His sufferings and death. Comment: From the context these two men were among the believing Jewish remnant who had "their eyes… opened " (Lk 24:31 where "opened" = same verb describing Lydia's conversion Acts 16:14; compare "the veil is taken away" 2Co 3:16), so that they able to recognize Jesus (which indicates that they were believers for Jesus' post-resurrection appearances were only to believers).
2 Coríntios 3:18
MacArthur reminds of the deception of legalism and ritualism writing that "Ceremonial, sacramental religion offers nothing to new covenant believers. It does not provide justification, has no power to sanctify, and will not lead to glorification. The Christian life does not consist in rituals but in a relationship to Jesus Christ; not in ceremonies but in “the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3+). As believers single-mindedly focus on the Scriptures, they will see God’s glory reflected in the face of Jesus and be transformed into His image by the powerful internal work of the Lord, the Spirit (cf. Eph. 3:16+) (MacArthur, J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press) David
2 Coríntios 3:18
MacArthur wrote this note about a man transformed from glory to glory - It is said of Robert Murray McCheyne, a godly Scottish minister of the last century, that his face carried such a hallowed expression that people were known to fall on their knees and accept Jesus Christ as Savior when they looked at him. Others were so attracted by the self-giving beauty and holiness of his life that they found his Master irresistible. It was also said of the French pietist Francois Fenelon that his communion with God was such that his face shined with divine radiance. A religious skeptic who was compelled to spend the night in an inn with Fenelon, hurried away the next morning, saying, “If I spend another night with that man I’ll be a Christian in spite of myself." (4) Dr W H Houghton, pastored the Calvary Baptist Church in NYC and later served as president of Moody Bible Institute. When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghton’s life matched his preaching. As a result of Houghton's faithful life as God's "Poiema - Workmanship", that man became a Christian. Making a Face - In her book about the history of plastic surgery, Holly Brubach writes: “I myself subscribe to the notion that by the time you’re 50, you have the face you deserve… After 5 decades of repetitive scowling or laughter or worry, one’s attitude toward life is etched on one’s face.” That’s a vivid reminder that every day we are making a face that tells the world a great deal about us. Although the Bible doesn’t mention cosmetic surgery, it does present the startling concept that if we know Christ and spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word, it can affect our appearance. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after meeting with God, his face shone so brightly that the children of Israel could not look steadily at him (Exodus 34:29-30; 2 Corinthians 3:7). Paul compared that glory with the even greater glory that is experienced by those who have a personal relationship with Christ. He said that we are being transformed by the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, and we are becoming more like our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wonderful passion and purity; Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. —Orsborn No cosmetic for the face can compare with God's transforming grace. Mirror Image - Years ago, an elderly businessman asked me, “What is your biggest problem?” I pondered this for a while before replying: “When I look in the mirror every morning, I see my biggest problem staring at me.” Today’s Scripture reading teaches me that Christians are to be like mirrors. Paul said that our faces are not to be veiled. This is logical. No one installs a mirror and then places a curtain over it. A covered mirror will not fulfill the purpose of reflecting the objects before it. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are described as “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” When we behold His glory, we will be “transformed into the same image”—that is, the likeness of Christ. We may wonder why we are still so far from being like Christ in our thinking and behavior. Perhaps this question will help: “Whose life do we mirror?” God’s people must reflect God’s glory. To do that we must make it our habit to behold His glory. We must read and meditate on His Word. We must pray and trust God’s Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. Only then can we obey His commands and depend on His promises. Lord, may our walk and service be An image bright of things above, As we reflect the unity Of Father, Son, and Spirit's love. —Anon The face is a mirror of the heart— do people see Jesus in yours? A Vision That Transforms -- In one version of the mythical tale of King Arthur, the young king is hiding in a tree, nervously awaiting his betrothed. After falling, he felt he had to explain himself to the princess. So he recounted how he mysteriously was able to pull a sword out of a stone, entitling him to be king. “That’s how I became king,” Arthur told her. “I never wanted to be. And since I am, I have been ill at ease in my crown—until I dropped from the tree and my eye beheld you. Then suddenly, for the first time, I felt I was king. I was glad to be king. And most astonishing of all, I wanted to be the wisest, most heroic, most splendid king who ever sat on any throne.” Simply gazing at his beloved brought about a change in character and purpose. As we reflect on our beloved, the Lord Jesus, we too experience a transformation. Paul wrote, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Co 3:18). Every day more like my Savior, Every day my will resign, Till at last Christ reigns supremely In this grateful heart of mine. —Brandt Only Jesus can transform your life. Restoring God's Image -- As a young boy, theologian Alister McGrath enjoyed experimenting with chemicals in his school’s laboratory. He liked to drop a tarnished coin into a beaker of diluted nitric acid. He often used an old British penny bearing the image of Queen Victoria. Because of the accumulated grime, Her Majesty’s image couldn’t be seen clearly. But the acid cleansed away the grime and the Queen’s image reappeared in shining glory. We know, to be sure, that we were created in the image of God (Ge 1:26), but that image has been defaced by our sin. We are still His image-bearers, however. Once we invite Jesus to enter our lives as Savior, He goes to work to restore the original image. He transforms us to make us like Himself (2Corinthians 3:18). This process is described as putting off some behaviors and putting on others. For example, we are to “put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language” (Col 3:8) and to “put on love” (Col 3:14). Restore in me Your image, Lord, So tarnished by my sin and shame; And cleanse whatever may conceal The shining glory of Your name. —D. De Haan Growing close to Christ produces a growing Christlikeness. Getting in Shape - A woman went to a diet center to lose weight. The director took her to a full-length mirror. On it he outlined a figure and told her, “This is what I want you to look like at the end of the program.” Days of intense dieting and exercise followed, and every week the woman would stand in front of the mirror, discouraged because her bulging outline didn’t fit the director’s ideal. But she kept at it, and finally one day she conformed to the image she longed for. Putting ourselves next to Christ’s perfect character reveals how “out of shape” we are. To be transformed into His image does not mean we attain sinless perfection; it means that we become complete and mature. God often works through suffering to bring this about (James 1:2-4). Sometimes He uses the painful results of our sins. At other times, our difficulties may not be caused by a specific sin, yet we undergo the painful process of learning to obey our Father’s will. Are you hurting? Perhaps a shaping-up process is in progress. Jesus was perfect, yet He had to learn obedience through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). God has a purpose in our heartache, The Savior always knows what's best; We learn so many precious lessons In each sorrow, trial, and test. -Jarvis The difficulties of life are to make us better-not bitter. The Heart of the Gospel - When E. Stanley Jones, well-known missionary to India, had the opportunity to meet with Mahatma Gandhi, he asked a searching question of India’s revered leader: “How can Christianity make a stronger impact on your country?” Gandhi very thoughtfully replied that three things would be required. First, Christians must begin to live more like Jesus. Second, the Christian faith should be presented without any adulteration. Third, Christians should emphasize love, which is at the heart of the gospel. These insightful suggestions are the key to effective evangelism around the world. As messengers of God’s love, we are to be human mirrors who reflect without distortion a growing likeness to our Lord; we are not to walk in “craftiness” (2Co 4:2). If our lives reflect an image that is spiritually blurred, the truth of saving grace may not be clearly communicated (2Co 4:3, 4, 5). We are also to share the biblical essentials of our faith clearly. We must not handle the Word of God “deceitfully” (2Co 4:2). And our lives are to be marked by love for God and others (1Jn 5:1, 2). Called to be salt and light in this world, Called to preserve and to shine, Called to reflect the glory of God— Oh, what a calling is mine! —Fitzhugh The primary reason for living in this world is to reflect the likeness of Christ. Rosebud Potential - My wife and I adore miniature roses. Recently, we planted several bushes, but one did not survive. We returned it to the nursery and asked for an exchange. It was midsummer and the mini roses section was limited. I looked at one that had a picture showing its potential when in full bloom. But the rose plant itself looked rather plain. My wife offered some good advice. “Don’t look at the full blossoms. Look at how many healthy new rosebuds are starting to form.” Following her advice, we selected, brought home, planted, and tended the plant with the most rosebuds. In only a week, it had blossomed beautifully! When our Lord chose His apostles, He selected imperfect men (Mark 3:13-19). One had a history of shady business practices, others had violent tempers. Yet Jesus looked not at their imperfections but at their potential. God, help us see in those we meet The likeness of Christ’s image there, And may those traits that are like His Grow stronger from our love and care. —D. De Haan The Spirit develops in us the clear image of Christ. Champion Marksman - Matt Emmons, Olympic gold medalist in rifle shooting in 2004, was set to win another event at Athens. He had a commanding lead and hoped to make a direct bull’s-eye on his last shot. But something went wrong—he hit the target, but he was aiming at the wrong one! That wrong focus dropped him to eighth place and cost him a medal. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he expressed the importance of focusing on the right target in our Christian life. “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” he said (Php 3:14-note). Paul used the term “goal” in an illustration of an athlete running a race. Interestingly, the same word was also used of a target for shooting arrows. In both cases, the prospect of winning depends on being focused. For the believer that focus should be a lifetime pursuit of becoming more like our Savior Jesus Christ (Ro 8:28, 29; Gal. 5:22-note, Gal 5:23-note). I have one deep supreme desire, That I may be like Jesus. To this I fervently aspire, That I may be like Jesus. —Chisholm To make the most of your life, make God’s goals your goals. Is That Jesus? - As I walked into church one Sunday morning, a little boy looked at me and said to his mother, “Mom, is that Jesus?” Needless to say, I was curious to hear her response. “No,” she said, “that’s our pastor.” I knew she would say no, of course, but I still wished she could have added something like, “No, that’s our pastor, but he reminds us a lot of Jesus.” Being like Jesus is the purpose of life for those of us who are called to follow Him. In fact, as John Stott notes, it is the all-consuming goal of our past, our present, and our future. Romans 8:29 tells us that in the past we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” In the present, we “are being transformed into the same image” (the likeness of Christ), as we grow from “glory to glory” (2Co 3:18). And, in the future, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1Jn 3:2). Being like Jesus is not about keeping the rules, going to church, and tithing. It’s about knowing His forgiveness, and committing acts of grace and mercy on a consistent basis. It’s about living a life that values all people. And it’s about having a heart of full surrender to the will of our Father. Be like Jesus—this my song— In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day long! I would be like Jesus. —Rowe Live in such a way that others see Jesus in you. F B