2 Corinthians 3

Study notes:

Here there is a reference to the story about Moses we find in Exodus 34:33 where the children of Israel could not look upon God nor the face of Moses because "the skin of Moses’ face shone" after he visited with God. This was because of their uncircumcised hearts which they vailed by their denial.

Questions

2Co 3:13 "...could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:" What was abolished...?

The word in the Greek is not normally translated abolished. In other translations it appears as "passing away."

There was a vail on the hearts of the people that kept them from hearing and seeing the LORD directly. We may find the meaning in "the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ." Christ means anointing and we all need anointing of the Holy Spirit which does not come from simply reading the old testament or even just reading the new. They could not hear the LORD because there was a "vail... upon their heart." We shall not be free except that we are "anointed" in His Spirit and in truth "turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away" because "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty".

1 ¶ Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6 ¶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 ¶ Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Corinthians Index

Corinthians: Introduction | 1 Corinthians 1 | 1 Corinthians 2 | 1 Corinthians 3 | 1 Corinthians 4 | 1 Corinthians 5 | 1 Corinthians 6 | 1 Corinthians 7 | 1 Corinthians 8 | 1 Corinthians 9 | 1 Corinthians 10 | 1 Corinthians 11 | 1 Corinthians 12 | 1 Corinthians 13 | 1 Corinthians 14 | 1 Corinthians 15 | 1 Corinthians 16

2 Corinthians 1 | 2 Corinthians 2 | 2 Corinthians 3 | 2 Corinthians 4 | 2 Corinthians 5 | 2 Corinthians 6 | 2 Corinthians 7 | 2 Corinthians 8 | 2 Corinthians 9 | 2 Corinthians 10 | 2 Corinthians 11 | 2 Corinthians 12 | 2 Corinthians 13 | Bible