We have good evidence that the false teachers in Corinth were teaching a hybrid form of “old covenant Christianity.” Paul compares the power and privileges of the new covenant against the old covenant in this section.
(3:5) “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”
Paul answers the question that he raised earlier: “Who is adequate for these things” (2 Cor. 2:17). Since Jesus Christ himself wrote this “letter,” he could take no credit for it. Knowing that God is with us and watching us brings confidence, but it doesn’t bring competence. This must’ve been especially hard for Paul to learn as a Pharisee (Phil. 3:5-6). Paul learned not to put “any trust in his own heritage, devotion, or natural powers and now knows that the only resource from which he can draw is the infinite reservoir of grace provided by God’s empowering Spirit.”[]
“Adequate in ourselves to consider.” Paul didn’t even think he was adequate enough to think about his adequacy coming from himself![]
This text refers to God’s part in ministry and spiritual growth (cf. Ps. 127:1; Phil. 3:3; 1 Cor. 3:7; Mk. 4:26-27). It would be an absolute nightmare to lead a ministry without God’s provision and power behind it. After all, we would be striving to do the impossible. We have only “five loves” and “two fish” to offer, but in the hands of God, he can use our limited offering to impact countless people (Jn. 6:9). But how exactly does he do this? Here is a non-exhaustive list of the ways in which God plays his part:
(1) Direction. Much of our service for Christ comes down to following God’s leading. God provides concrete direction through Scripture itself, and the Holy Spirit gives direction through subjective decisions as well. Our role is to seek God’s will in various situations (e.g. “Is this person being recognized for leadership?” “What application should I offer in my teaching tonight?” “What sort of an approach should I take in this complicated conflict?”).
(2) Empowerment. Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5), but with the power of Christ, Paul could write, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). This is true for sharing our faith (Jn. 6:65; 12:32; 16:10), teaching (Acts 18:9-10; 1 Cor. 4:20; 1 Pet. 4:11; Heb. 4:12), spiritual growth (Phil. 2:13), leading a meeting of believers (Mt. 18:20), and battling Satan (Eph. 6:19).
Consequently, these core biblical truths can have a profound effect on believers as they serve:
We become more observant to see who is spiritually hungry (i.e. where God is already moving), rather than trying to make something happen through our strength of will.
We become less prideful when we see success, because we realize that we couldn’t have done this without God’s direction and power.
We become less afraid of failure, and bounce back from failure faster. After all, when we fail, we realize just how much we need to depend on God for his power. Moreover, failure from our perspective may actually be something God will use in the future.
We develop more endurance, constantly energized by God’s power. We don’t run into burnout when following Christ. Burnout implies that we were using self-effort, rather than God’s power.
Many believers would nod approval for all of these biblical truths, and yet, they must not really believe them.
(3:6) “[God] made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Paul blends the “letters of recommendation” with the “letters on stone,” which is the Law (i.e. the Ten Commandments). A law-focused approach to serving God “kills” our service. The way of the “new covenant” is empowered by the Holy Spirit, whose movement and operation is the premier distinction of the new covenant.
Some argue that Paul is referring to the misuse of the Law in trying to regain our justification before God through good works.[] Not true. First, the two other uses of the term “letter” refer to the law itself (Rom. 2:29; 7:6), not the use of the law. Second, the context refers to sanctification—not justification. Paul refers to how the Law “kills” in the context of being a “servants of a new covenant.”
Others argue that the Corinthians had their lives changed, and they were evidence of the fact that the prophecies of the OT were coming to fruition in giving them “hearts of flesh,” rather than “of stone.” Consequently, Paul recognized that the old covenant had passed away.[] There is some truth in this statement, but it doesn’t go far enough. The Corinthians were particularly lawless people (as is evidenced in 1 Corinthians). So, to point to them as the evidence of transformed lives would be to place Paul in an awkward position. The focus isn’t on the Corinthians, but on the apostolic band.
This passage really speaks against the “third use of the law.” The Law brings “death” and “condemnation,” not spiritual growth.
(3:7-8) “But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?”
“If the ministry of death.” Paul’s ministry brought life—not death. The false teachers must have been teaching the necessity of the Law. As Paul argued to the Galatians, the Law cannot give:
Justification (Gal. 2:16).
Righteousness (Gal. 2:21).
The Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2).
Inheritance (Gal. 3:18).
Spiritual life (Gal. 3:21).
Freedom (Gal. 4:8-10).
An X-ray can reveal that I have a broken bone, but it cannot heal a broken bone. Similarly, the Law shows us that we fall short, but it does nothing to help us grow into the likeness of Christ. Wiersbe comments, “Law can bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24), but only grace can make us like Christ.”[]
“Letters engraved on stones, came with glory.” Paul wasn’t an antinomian. Later, he affirms that the Law still “has glory” (cf. v.9). Paul affirmed the “glory” of the old covenant Law (i.e. the Ten Commandments). His argument is based on the greater revelation in the new covenant.
“So that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face.” The event that Paul refers to here is found in the book of Exodus:
(Ex. 34:29-35 NLT) When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD. 30 So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. 32 Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. 34 But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him, 35 and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the LORD.
The fact that the people needed Moses to put on a veil showed their inadequacy in meeting with God personally. Indeed, initially, Moses “hid his face” from God at the burning bush (Ex. 3:6). After all, they not only refused to come into God’s presence, but they couldn’t even handle coming into Moses’ presence after seeing God. The Jewish people trembled at Mount Sinai and urged Moses to speak to God, rather than connecting with Him themselves.
We often take for granted how special it is to come into God’s presence. But consider if you could go back in time 3,000 years to talk to the people who dedicated the Temple:
(2 Chron. 7:1-3) When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’S house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting!”
Even the priests in Israel were scared of the raw power and presence of God. The people “hit the deck” when they saw even God’s limited presence through the veil of the Temple. Now, just imagine telling these people that God’s Spirit live inside the believer, and we can come into his presence whenever we want! They would be absolutely shocked at this incredible privilege.
“Fading as it was.” The glory of God on Moses’ face would fade away. By contrast, the new covenant lasts “forever” (v.11).
(3:8-9) “How will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.”
The biggest change between the old covenant and new covenant is the work and operation of the “Spirit” (see “Who is the Holy Spirit?”). This is an a fortiori argument: “If this, how much more that?” If the Law produced a massive glory to the people, then how much more will the new covenant of grace?
The people couldn’t stand to look at the glory of Moses’ face, because they couldn’t come into the presence of a holy God. Similarly, the law prevents us from coming into God’s presence, because it reveals our inadequacy. The “glory” of the law led people to shrink back in horror, but the “glory” of grace leads us to draw near in wonder.
(3:10-11) “For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.”
This is another a fortiori argument: If the Law had glory and faded, how much more glorious will the work of the Holy Spirit in the new covenant be, which does not fade? We might compare this to the moon being lit up at night: Once the sun comes, the moon fades into the background by comparison.
(3:12) “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech.”
We don’t get confidence from ourselves, but from our “hope” in God. This boldness “in our speech” could refer to “not mincing words.”[] This would refute the accusation that Paul was being duplicitous in his writings—namely, that he wrote one thing but meant another (2 Cor. 1:15-24).
(3:13) “[We] are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.”
When the Israelites would see Moses’ face, they “were afraid to come near him” (Ex. 34:30). Similar to the fence around the base of Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:12), the veil allowed God’s glory to be simultaneously with the people but also guarded from the people.[] It kept them safe, while also showing that they were distant from God.
(3:14-15) “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart.”
Paul expounds on the concept of the “veil” by relating it to the unbelieving Jewish people of his day. They were still behind the “veil” that was keeping them from God, and they were unable to see God’s glory through Jesus.
At one point in his life, Paul himself had listened to the Hebrew Scriptures being read in the synagogues—being blind to the truth of Christ. Moreover, he had shared about Christ to many Jewish people in the synagogues, but they remained hardened to Christ. Paul must’ve marveled at this phenomenon: God’s own people read the Scriptures, but reject the message of Christ (see Romans 11 for more on this subject).
(3:16) “But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
When Moses would enter into God’s presence, “[Moses] would take off the veil until he came out” (Ex. 34:34). This is descriptive of coming to Christ, because we come directly into God’s presence. But this is not just for Moses. Paul now relates this Jewish phenomenon to all people (“Whenever anyone turns to the Lord…” NIV, cf. 1 Thess. 1:9).
(3:17) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
“Now the Lord is the Spirit.” The plain sense reading associates the Holy Spirit with Yahweh. However, the difficulty with this view is that being converted to the Holy Spirit is “alien to the thought of the NT.”[] Hence, Barnett holds that Jesus is the Lord of the new covenant, which includes the giving of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). However, the plain sense of the text implies that the Holy Spirit is the Lord being described here. We should not let our systematic theology to overturn the exegesis of a specific passage such as this. We agree with Garland[] that Paul is associating the Holy Spirit with Yahweh. Furthermore, in the original context, Moses was coming into the presence of Yahweh God.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” The Holy Spirit comes to bring “liberty” or “freedom.” That is, freedom from the law. God can change your life, but he chooses to do this through grace—not law. Because of these implications for spiritual growth, commentators often hold that this refers to justification—not sanctification.[]
(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.”
Does this refer to “beholding” (NASB) or “reflecting” (NLT, NET, NIV)? While this could go either way, the context points to “beholding,” rather than “reflecting.” In the story of Exodus 34, Moses not only beholds God’s glory with an unveiled face, but he also reflects this to others through a veiled face. However, the context is “turning to the Lord” and the “veil is taken away” (v.16). Furthermore, compare this passage with what we read in 2 Corinthians 4:
2 Corinthians 3:18 | 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6 |
“But we all, with unveiled face.” | “Our gospel is veiled to those who are perishing.” |
“Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” | “So that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” |
“The same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” | “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” “To give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (v.6). |
At the same time, the imagery from Moses in Exodus 34 describes us “reflecting” God’s glory to others. So, it seems like it would be a foreign concept that we would receive from God without reflecting it out to others. As we “behold” Christ, we are transformed to “reflect” Christ. Like Moses, we aren’t making ourselves glow, or even know that we’re glowing. But we can trust that God is changing us to become more like himself.
This is an interesting picture of spending time with God: namely, we start to “glow” when we’re in his presence and bring that glory out to others. This occurs when:
We look at Jesus (Heb. 12:2), and reflect his glory to others.
We come into God’s presence through the “veil” of Jesus’ finished work (Heb. 10:19-20).
We renew our minds by “being transformed” through biblical teaching (Rom. 12:1-2).
We act on what we’re learning (Jas. 1:23).
Rather than superficial or short-lived change, this transformation (metamorphoō) change is from inside out.
Read verses 5-18. What do we learn about the benefits of the new covenant in this section?
What could we see in a person’s life if their confidence in ministry was rooted in their own competence, rather than God’s power?
David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, vol. 29, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 162.
Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 173.
Colin G. Kruse, 2 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 93.
Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 177.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 640.
David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, vol. 29, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 181.
David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, vol. 29, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 189.
Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 200.
David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, vol. 29, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 196.
Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 202-203.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
