Epistles
Known And Read Of All Men
– Second
Corinthians Three –
The theme of Paul's sincerity
continues to be contrasted with the conduct of some that corrupted the word of
God. God had blessed Paul's labors because of his faithful service to the
Master. Paul was not just bragging on himself to gain
the favor of men. Possibly the false teachers had been introduced with letters
from elsewhere. Paul had no need of letters of recommendation to them because they were his epistles know and read of all men.
The Corinthians themselves were the best evidence of Paul zeal
and faithfulness to the word of truth. Paul's successful work had nothing to do
with his own strength or skill. His work was blessed because of what God had
done through him. (2 Corinthians 3:6) Paul used this occasion to show how the
New Testament Gospel excelled the laws and institutions of Moses. The Law of
Moses was a ministration of death that was done away. The gospel is a glorious
ministration of righteousness that remains.
Sadly the Jews did not profit as they should
have from the Law of Moses. They were blinded by it. Just as Moses put a veil
over his face the Jews had a veil
over their heart when the Law was read. They did not
understand what God was saying to them through Scripture. Through
the New Testament Christians have been permitted to behold the glory of the
Lord and to be changed into that same image.
Epistles
written in our hearts – 2 Corinthians 3:1-5: At the close of 2 Corinthians two
Paul said some good things about himself. "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that
perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto
death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt
the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak
we in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17) These things were not said with a
boastful spirit. His work was so well known in
Paul said the Corinthians
were his letter. They were in his heart for everyone to read and understand.
The life of these brethren was an open letter for others to observe. It was not
a letter written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. They were Paul's
letter written in his heart by the Spirit of the living God. "In contrast with the law of Moses that was written on
tables of stone, this epistle was written on the human heart or mind of Paul
and of the Corinthians."
Christ gave Paul the assurance that these
things that he had spoken were correct. Paul gave God the honor and glory for
any good that he had done. He said that he did not have the right to claim that
he had done anything on his own. He said, "Our sufficiency is of God"
or "God gives us what it takes to do all that we do."
Ministers of the New Testament – 2 Corinthians 3:6-11: Paul was made an able
minister of the New Testament. The term "Testament" refers to a
covenant or an agreement. "New" has reference to being made superior
to what it succeeds. In this text the New Testament is contrasted with the
Mosaic covenant. The contrast was made with the words "letter" and
"spirit." Both the Old Testament and the New Testament were expressed
in languages that used letter. Of the Old it was said, "The Letter killeth." This
was the case because it was a "law of sin and death." The Law
identified sin but provided no eternal forgiveness. The Law of Moses brought only the
promise of death. It was given in a glorious way in
that it was carved on stone. The shinning of Moses' face was a
fading
glory just as the
glory of the Law was to be
done away or to fade away.
The Old Covenant played as important role in
God's arrangement of things. However, we must
recognize the superiority of the New Covenant as contrasted with the Old. The
covenant written on stone was to be done away. It was a useful covenant
but the New Covenant is even more wonderful. The New Covenant makes us
acceptable to God. It is in the New Covenant that "the righteousness of
God is revealed from faith to faith." (Romans 1:17) When compared to the
New Covenant the Old Covenant has no glory at all. The glory of the First is
nothing when compared with the glory of the Second. We do well to remember that
the Laws that faded away were those Laws that were written on stone!
The veil is done away in Christ – 2 Corinthians 3:12-15: The hope of the
perpetual nature of the New Testament gave Paul the courage to speak freely or
with boldness. Just as the veil covered Moses' face to hide the glory so the
fact that the Old Covenant was to be done away was hidden to the minds of many
Jews. Sometimes the people were so stubborn that they did not see the truth
even when the Law was read.
The Jews were guilty of
unbelief concerning the temporary nature of the Old Law under Moses and the
permanent nature of the New Covenant under Christ. Only Christ could take away the
covering that kept them from seeing this truth.
We
must understand that the glory of the Old Law was to be ended under Christ.
Paul said, "When the Law of Moses is read, they have their minds covered
over." (2 Corinthians 3:15) Observe that Paul
used the idea of their mind being veiled and then in the next verse the veil is
said to be upon their heart.
Changed into the same image – 2 Corinthians
3:16-18: The
veil that Paul spoke of was taken away from the hearts of those that turned to
Christ. During the early days of Christianity many of
the Jews finally gave up their rejection of Christ and accepted Him as the
Messiah promised in the Old Testament. The New Covenant was given
through the Spirit of God by inspired apostles. Whoever is obedient under that
covenant is set free or had liberty from the Old Law.
Our faces
are not covered. We behold "as in a glass the glory of the Lord."
Through surrender to the New Covenant the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more
like our glorious Lord. When we look into the New Covenant we see the Lord's
glory reflected. The more we look into the perfect law of liberty with an
honest and obedient heart the more our character will
become like the Lord Jesus. Why not gaze into the New Testament and
become like its main character?
Will
you appreciate Jesus enough that you will receive Him as your Lord and Savior
NOW? To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans