II Corinthians 3:12-18: "The New Covenant, Part 2"
Paul continues his discussion on the new covenant and its superiority over the old covenant. He writes, "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech". The wonderful hope that the new covenant brings empowers the believer to boldness in speech. When believers are transformed by the gospel of Christ, they no longer have to rely on their own strength, but they can lean on the power of Christ for the salvation of those who believe in the new covenant. MacArthur writes, "Though Old Testament believers rightly had hope in God's mercy . . . that hope was not based on the old covenant. The old covenant, with its endless sacrifices, provided no hope of forgiveness for sin (cf. Heb. 10:4). In contrast, hope came in the new covenant, which provides forgiveness of sin and complete redemption, because Jesus 'through His own blood . . . obtained eternal redemption' (Heb. 9:12)". Because of their faith in God and His promises the believer has much to hope for. God is unchanging and can never lie, and therefore we can remain confident that He will do as He as promised to do throughout all eternity. Again, Paul shows that he can be confident (not arrogant as some of the false teachers were), not because of his own power and wisdom, but from the power and wisdom that come from God above.
Paul continues to praise and exalt the new covenant to the Corinthians, "and 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". Contrasting the old covenant with the new, Paul had Ex. 34:33-35 in mind, "When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD". With the old covenant Moses had to hide his face after he had been in God's presence. Because he radiated the glory of God, he had to put a veil over his face to hide himself from the frightened Israelites. MacArthur writes, "Moses' veiling of his face was so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at what Paul calls the end of what was fading away. That expression symbolizes the shadowy, veiled, diminishing nature of the glorious Mosaic covenant. It was replete with types, pictures, symbols, and mystery. It could never be fully understood without the new covenant, connected to the person and work of the coming Messiah". Paul's point was to get the Corinthian's to understand that the false brethren that were coming in their presence preaching to them this old covenant was robbing them of the clarity and eternal nature of the gospel which Paul had given them. He was showing them how foolish it would be to follow the Judaizer's and their belief that the rites, rituals, and laws could save them.
To further explain to them the error of looking to the Law for salvation, Paul tells them why they were unable to clearly understand (veil remains), "But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted". MacArthur explains, "Hardened is a form of the verb poroo, which could also be translated 'stubborn'. Israel failed to grasp the glory of the old covenant because of stubborn, hard-hearted unbelief". Paul was not saying the old covenant was useless, what he was saying that because these men were hard-hearted and could not comprehend clearly the purpose for the old covenant, they would remain in their veiled state. For even at that very time of Paul writing this when the word of the old covenant was read in the synagogues, many of the hard-hearted Judaizers could not comprehend the true gospel. Rather than seeing the Law as a mirror to show them that they were morally corrupt and unable to ever reach God's standard, and recognize their need for a Savior (fulfilled in Christ which is the new covenant), they looked to it as the means for salvation and remained in their veiled state. MacArthur writes, "By lowering its moral requirements they achieved an external, superficial righteousness. But by doing so they rendered the Law's purpose of revealing their sin and helplessness ineffective. Since they did not realize they were lost, they saw no need for a Savior. The veil of ignorance obscures the true purpose of the old covenant to the hardened heart".
Continuing to show the superiority of the new covenant, Paul gets to the heart of the new covenant, "because it is removed in Christ". Christ is the missing piece in the old covenant. What was not previously revealed, has now been shown as the glory of God. The beauty of the new covenant is that it has lifted the veil of obscurity, and at the death and resurrection of Christ the veil was lifted and the path to salvation made clear. MacArthur writes, "But Christ has come and ratified the new covenant by His death. Therefore, for those who come to faith in Him, spiritual perception is no longer impaired and everything becomes clear". Unfortunately for the Jews of that day many were still unclear about who Christ was and the true gospel of salvation, "but to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart". Paul was saddened by those who could not see that Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and that they still looked to themselves and the law for salvation. Paul was also scared for their Corinthians and their foolishness in listening and entertaining these thoughts from the false teachers. MacArthur points out, "The veil of a hardened heart made them think they could save themselves, causing them, therefore, to miss the meaning of both covenants. In their arrogant pride, they sought to establish their own righteousness by good works, keeping the Law (at least externally; cf. Luke 18:21), and performing the appropriate ceremonies". Paul wanted his readers to understand that "whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away". The beautiful truth of the gospel is that when a person truly sees the Law as only to death and their need for a Savior, and they recognize Christ as the fulfillment as the Savior, the veil is lifted and they are truly able to see the clarity and richness of the gospel. They now have a clear vision of who God is in His providence and mercy over those that are His. They now see His perfect plan of salvation for those who would believe. He wanted the Corinthians who had not known Christ to have the veil lifted and to put their faith in Christ. Paul wanted to point out that, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord". By "all" Paul is writing to the new covenant believers who can now clearly see the glory of the Lord. Whereas Moses was the only one who could see God with an unveiled face, all followers of Christ can see the glory of God.
Paul now moves his readers to the understanding of the source of their new power they have when they accept Christ. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". A clear testimony for the deity of the Holy Spirit, Paul shows the Corinthians that they are given the power and ability to fight sin and obey Christ through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the sign and seal of a truly changed heart. The Spirit brought spiritual liberty in the releasing of the believer to the bondage of sin. MacArthur explains, "The almighty Yahweh of the Old Testament is the same God who grants liberty in the new covenant form the futile attempts to earn salvation by keeping the Law. It is the Spirit of the Lord who brings the liberty of salvation to repentant sinners of any age- liberty from bondage to the Law". Not only does the Spirit release believers from the power of sin, but it also transforms them into the image of their Savior, "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit". When believers accept Christ they are no longer veiled and they are empowered for obedience and transformed into the image of Christ. The Spirit's work in the life of the believer is to ultimately bring Christ more glory by transforming them into His image. MacArthur points out, "The process of being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ will culminate in believers' glorification, when Christ 'will transform the body of [their] 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".
Paul continues to praise and exalt the new covenant to the Corinthians, "and 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". Contrasting the old covenant with the new, Paul had Ex. 34:33-35 in mind, "When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD". With the old covenant Moses had to hide his face after he had been in God's presence. Because he radiated the glory of God, he had to put a veil over his face to hide himself from the frightened Israelites. MacArthur writes, "Moses' veiling of his face was so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at what Paul calls the end of what was fading away. That expression symbolizes the shadowy, veiled, diminishing nature of the glorious Mosaic covenant. It was replete with types, pictures, symbols, and mystery. It could never be fully understood without the new covenant, connected to the person and work of the coming Messiah". Paul's point was to get the Corinthian's to understand that the false brethren that were coming in their presence preaching to them this old covenant was robbing them of the clarity and eternal nature of the gospel which Paul had given them. He was showing them how foolish it would be to follow the Judaizer's and their belief that the rites, rituals, and laws could save them.
To further explain to them the error of looking to the Law for salvation, Paul tells them why they were unable to clearly understand (veil remains), "But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted". MacArthur explains, "Hardened is a form of the verb poroo, which could also be translated 'stubborn'. Israel failed to grasp the glory of the old covenant because of stubborn, hard-hearted unbelief". Paul was not saying the old covenant was useless, what he was saying that because these men were hard-hearted and could not comprehend clearly the purpose for the old covenant, they would remain in their veiled state. For even at that very time of Paul writing this when the word of the old covenant was read in the synagogues, many of the hard-hearted Judaizers could not comprehend the true gospel. Rather than seeing the Law as a mirror to show them that they were morally corrupt and unable to ever reach God's standard, and recognize their need for a Savior (fulfilled in Christ which is the new covenant), they looked to it as the means for salvation and remained in their veiled state. MacArthur writes, "By lowering its moral requirements they achieved an external, superficial righteousness. But by doing so they rendered the Law's purpose of revealing their sin and helplessness ineffective. Since they did not realize they were lost, they saw no need for a Savior. The veil of ignorance obscures the true purpose of the old covenant to the hardened heart".
Continuing to show the superiority of the new covenant, Paul gets to the heart of the new covenant, "because it is removed in Christ". Christ is the missing piece in the old covenant. What was not previously revealed, has now been shown as the glory of God. The beauty of the new covenant is that it has lifted the veil of obscurity, and at the death and resurrection of Christ the veil was lifted and the path to salvation made clear. MacArthur writes, "But Christ has come and ratified the new covenant by His death. Therefore, for those who come to faith in Him, spiritual perception is no longer impaired and everything becomes clear". Unfortunately for the Jews of that day many were still unclear about who Christ was and the true gospel of salvation, "but to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart". Paul was saddened by those who could not see that Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and that they still looked to themselves and the law for salvation. Paul was also scared for their Corinthians and their foolishness in listening and entertaining these thoughts from the false teachers. MacArthur points out, "The veil of a hardened heart made them think they could save themselves, causing them, therefore, to miss the meaning of both covenants. In their arrogant pride, they sought to establish their own righteousness by good works, keeping the Law (at least externally; cf. Luke 18:21), and performing the appropriate ceremonies". Paul wanted his readers to understand that "whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away". The beautiful truth of the gospel is that when a person truly sees the Law as only to death and their need for a Savior, and they recognize Christ as the fulfillment as the Savior, the veil is lifted and they are truly able to see the clarity and richness of the gospel. They now have a clear vision of who God is in His providence and mercy over those that are His. They now see His perfect plan of salvation for those who would believe. He wanted the Corinthians who had not known Christ to have the veil lifted and to put their faith in Christ. Paul wanted to point out that, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord". By "all" Paul is writing to the new covenant believers who can now clearly see the glory of the Lord. Whereas Moses was the only one who could see God with an unveiled face, all followers of Christ can see the glory of God.
Paul now moves his readers to the understanding of the source of their new power they have when they accept Christ. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". A clear testimony for the deity of the Holy Spirit, Paul shows the Corinthians that they are given the power and ability to fight sin and obey Christ through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the sign and seal of a truly changed heart. The Spirit brought spiritual liberty in the releasing of the believer to the bondage of sin. MacArthur explains, "The almighty Yahweh of the Old Testament is the same God who grants liberty in the new covenant form the futile attempts to earn salvation by keeping the Law. It is the Spirit of the Lord who brings the liberty of salvation to repentant sinners of any age- liberty from bondage to the Law". Not only does the Spirit release believers from the power of sin, but it also transforms them into the image of their Savior, "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit". When believers accept Christ they are no longer veiled and they are empowered for obedience and transformed into the image of Christ. The Spirit's work in the life of the believer is to ultimately bring Christ more glory by transforming them into His image. MacArthur points out, "The process of being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ will culminate in believers' glorification, when Christ 'will transform the body of [their] 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".
posted by amesfam | 12:07 PM
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