2 Corinthians 3 – The Law, The Veil, And The New Covenant

Since certain verses in 2 Corinthians 3 are often cited and given applications out of context, we are presenting below a few comments on this whole chapter as related to Israel’s law covenant and the new covenant. While we have endeavored present conclusions in harmony with the context and the rest of the Bible, we do not claim that what we present is dogma, or that it is absolutely free of errors; we have endeavored to note what we believe to be the intent of what Paul was saying.

2 Corinthians 3:1 – Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

Paul is evidently referring to himself as "we," "our," etc. Some refer to this usage as an "editorial 'we.'"

At the time that Paul wrote the above, there were evidently those who were making the false charge that Paul had appointed himself as an apostle, and was thus commending himself as such. — 2 Corinthians 5:12; 10:8.

Paul was saying his commendation as an apostle came through Christ, and that he did not need a letter of commendation from the church in Corinth, nor did he need a letter of commendation from anyone else so as to speak to the Christians in Corinth, or elsewhere, as an apostle. — 2 Corinthians 12:11; Galatians 1:17-19.

2 Corinthians 3:2 — You are our letter, written in your hearts, known and read by all men.

Many manuscripts read "our hearts," rather than "your hearts." We believe that it most likely Paul wrote "your hearts." Paul writes that the Corinthian Christians are themselves a testimony that he was an apostle, since he had brought so many of them to Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:3 — being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

The Corinthian Christians serve as a testimony of Paul’s ministry, not by anything written on tablets of stone, but rather what had become written in the tablets of their heart. By this he also begins to bring into focus the Law covenant, which was written on stones, and he contrasts what is written with the spirit of Jehovah with that written by means of the human hand through Moses. It appears that “the Spirit of the living God” parallels “spirit of Jehovah” in 2 Corinthians 3:17, denoting the anointing, influence, power, of God’s holy spirit. -- See also Isaiah 11:1; 61:1; Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14.18; Acts 1:8; 10:38; Romans 15:13,19; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 2:20.

2 Corinthians 3:4 – Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.

The testimony of Paul’s work with the Corinthian brothers adds to Paul’s confidence that he is not a false apostle, and that his repentance towards Jehovah through Jesus had been accepted, and that he was indeed appointed by God and Jesus as an apostle. The turning, the repentance, is towards Jehovah, through faith in Christ. The turning is not towards Christ, but towards the God and Father of Jesus through Jesus. -- Acts 20:21.

2 Corinthians 3:5 – Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from Jehovah.

Paul did not claim his salvation from sin and death was by obedience to the Law, which would mean that his sufficiency would have been of himself, but rather he claimed that which had been provided by Jehovah (through Christ), as shown in the next verse.

2 Corinthians 3:6 — Who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul contrasts the new covenant with that of the Old Law Covenant through Moses, and shows that the Law Covenant kills, it condemns, since sinful flesh cannot totally obey that Law. -- Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:2.

2 Corinthians 3:7 – But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away.

The service of the Law Covenant is called “the service of death,” since it was weak because of the sinful flesh (Romans 8:3), and thus, rather than bringing anyone to life, it condemned the one seeking life through that Law to death. (Romans 7:10; Galatians 3:10,11) And yet, the Law Covenant itself “came with glory;” it was the light by which one could have life if one could obey that light. (Romans 10:5) But due to the subjection of mankind to vanity and the bondage of corruption (Ecclesiastes 1:2,14,15; Romans 8:20-22) that is upon mankind by means of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12-19, that which would have been to life, became death. Only Jesus actively and fully brought to light life and incorruption by full obedience to the Law and all that his God and Father commanded. -- Philippians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:10.

2 Corinthians 3:8 – Won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

The spirit is evidently referring to servicing the spirit of the Law, not the letter of the Law. (Romans 2:29; 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6) This, however, is done through Jesus and the blood of the new covenant. (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Romans 3:25; 5:9; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:15,24: 10:29; 12:24; 13:20) We believe that since the new covenant actually belongs to the age to come, in this age, one, through faith in the blood of Christ, obtains the spirit, the power, or reckoning by tasting of the power of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), when the spirit will be fully poured out upon all peoples. (Jeremiah 30,31) The new creature in Christ has become sanctified (consecrated) through the blood of the new covenant. (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 10:29) The new creature itself does not fall short of the glory of Jehovah due to sin (1 John 3:9), and is thus with much more glory than any trying to attain righteousness through the Law Covenant, for no one was ever justified, made straight, by that covenant so that he could say that he did not fall short of the glory of Jehovah. — Romans 3:23.

2 Corinthians 3:9 – For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

The law condemns, and yet the Law is the light of Jehovah (Proverbs 6:23), by which, if one should obey that Law, he would live. (Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11; Romans 10:5) The Law itself was not at fault, but it failed to bring eternal life to anyone, due to the sinful nature of the flesh condemned in Adam. (Romans 5:12-19; 8:3) Jesus, however, obeyed that Law and became the light of Jehovah among men. (John 1:4,5) The law, having its own glory, while it provided a typical glory toward those under the Law, did not provide the glory of a new creation (Ecclesiastes 1:9,10; 2 Corinthians 5:17), which new creation does not fall short of the glory of Jehovah.

The service of righteousness is first of all, the service of Jesus to us; Jesus became our righteousness, and secondarily, the service of righteousness is the service of all who are justified through his righteous blood, and who, as new creatures, are thus servants of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 3:10 – For most assuredly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

That which has been made glorious through faith in Jesus surpasses the glory of the Law Covenant, since the Law Covenant proved ineffectual to restoring those under the Law to the glory of God due to the sinful flesh. — Romans 8:3.

2 Corinthians 3:11 – For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

That which is passing away is the Law Covenant. It does not pass away as long as there is still one Jew who is under that Law. Each Jew who turns toward Jehovah in repentance, through Christ, becomes dead to the Law, and for that one, the Law has passed away. Once all the Jews born under the Law have either died to the Law through Christ, or have physically died, then the Law Covenant will have fully passed away.

2 Corinthians 3:12 – Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech.

By what has been given to him through Christ, Paul claims the right to speak boldly by means of the spirit that had been given to him, not just as new creature, but also as an apostle of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

The reference is to when Moses came down from the mountain after he had seen the glory of Jehovah. His face shone with the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, so that, he covered his face that the glory would not shine upon the children of Israel, and thus, the people could not gaze upon that reflected glory of Jehovah. Paul is using that veil as a figure of how the Jew could not bring himself into the glory of Jehovah by means of keeping the Law.

2 Corinthians 3:14 – But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because [by means of] Christ it passes away.

2 Corinthians 3:15 – But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

The obstructive veil is still upon the Jew to this day, who reads the Law, for his heart is hardened without Christ, being of sinful nature, and unable to bring himself into the righteousness that is not short of the glory of God. The law condemns, because of man’s sinful condition, it does not justify, and thus it cannot bring anyone into the righteousness that does not fall short of the glory of God. — Romans 3:20; 8:3; Galatians 2:16; 3:11.

The "veil" is a reference to the veil that Moses put over his face after receiving the ten commandments. Moses face was aglow from having seen the glory of Jehovah, and thus Moses veiled his face. (Exodus 34:29-35) That veil is being used as type to demonstrate how the Jew who is still alive to the Law continues to fall short of the glory of Jehovah. — Romans 3:23.

A veil causes blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4), but here it is used more as a obstruction to the glory of Jehovah; those under the veil of the Law Covenant have not been made free from the law of sin and death. — Isaiah 60:1; Romans 8:2.

2 Corinthians 3:16 – But whenever one turns to [Jehovah], the veil is taken away.

The Greek as it reads in our extant manuscripts does read "the Lord", but rather simply as "Lord." The indefinite usage of the Greek word for Lord probably indicates that the Holy Name was originally used, but that later copyists changed it to the Greek for for "lord."

One turns to Jehovah [not to Jesus] by repentance, through faith in the blood of Jesus, not by works of the Law. — Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12; Luke 1:16; Acts 3:13,19,20; 20:21; 26:20; Hebrews 6:1.

If "lord" here refers to Jesus, it would have to mean to turn to Jesus whose sacrifice brings us back in harmony with Jehovah. -- John 14:6; Romans 5:6,11-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 5:2; Colossians 1:20; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9; 9:14; 10:10-12; 1 John 2:23; 2 John 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18.

By faith, the light of that is in the Law, which is veiled to those who seek righteousness by works of the Law, is made to shine through the righteousness of Christ, who was fully obedient to the Law. Through repentance and faith in Jesus, the light of the Law becomes, by faith, unveiled for the new creature in Christ. Through Christ, the one may be justified, counted as being righteousness, not by the works of the Law, but through faith in the blood of Him who was fully obedient to that Law. 

2 Corinthians 3:17 – Now [Jehovah] is the spirit and where the spirit of [Jehovah] is, there is liberty.

Again, we do not find in the extant Greek manuscripts a phrase corresponding to "the Lord" (with the definite article), but we find in the Greek the word for "lord" without the definite article. Again, this could indicate the possibility that the Holy Name was changed to the Greek word for "Lord."

Many read this as say that now Jesus is the spirit and where the spirit of Jesus is, there is liberty. This could also be. It is through Jesus that Jews are liberated from the Law Covenant (Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:14; Ephesians 2:14-16; Hebrews 7:18), and it is through Jesus that all mankind are liberated from the condemnation in Adam. -- Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 4:14.

However, the word “spirit” in in the first instance is not referring to the bodily substance of God or Jesus, as some have claimed, but rather of spirit, the power or force behind the New Covenant, which brings freedom, not just from the condemnation of the Law, but also from the condemnation of sin and death through Adam, through the blood of Jesus. Jehovah, through his holy spirit, can be said the spirit of the New Covenant, not only as the force behind that covenant, but also since the holy spirit belongs to Jehovah. It would not be proper, however, to turn that around so as to say, “The [holy] spirit is Jehovah,” as some would like it to say.

Nevertheless, as the “spirit” is used in 2 Corinthians 3:3 as belonging to the living God, likewise, we believe that it is the same in 2 Corinthians 3:17, where we believe the spirit should be understood as the spirit of Jehovah.

2 Corinthians 3:18 – But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of [Jehovah], are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from [Jehovah], the spirit.

“We all” here evidently means all the Jews who have become dead to the Law through Christ, although every Christian, whether he was ever a Jew under the Law or not, having become a new creation, he is with unveiled face as as to behold the glory of Jehovah as revealed through Jesus. The latter part of the verse, however, can only apply to the Jew, who having been a servant of the Law, passes from the glory of that servitude into the glory of service to the New Covenant, so that he, as a new creation, does not fall short of the glory of the image of God. The Jew still reads that Law, and is thus still condemned by that Law, and world is corrupted and under the bondage of corruption, and thus we know that Law has not yet “passed away”, nor have the present heavens and earth passed away, giving way the age to come where there will no longer be the bondage of corruption (the crooked condition), but rather there will righteousness, straightness. (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13; Matthew 5:18; 2 Peter 3:10,13) At the present time, it is only to those who taste of the blessing of that age to come through faith in Christ who are a new creation, and for whom the old has passed away, so that the new creature in this age is counted — through faith — as though belonging to that day yet to come. — 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 21:1-5.

OBJECTION

Some have claimed that we are in error about the Law Covenant since Hebrews 8:13 shows that it has not vanished away.

Hebrews 8:13 - In that he says, "A new covenant," he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away. 

At the time of the writing of letter to the Hebrews, we find the Law Covenant had still not passed away, but that it was "near to vanishing away." Indeed, the Law is still active and still condemns any Jew who has not become dead to the Law. (Luke 16:14-31; Romans 7:1-6; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 3:14.) When finally the present heavens and earth have passed away, only then does the law itself pass away, for then all Jews under the Law Covenant of this age will have become dead to the Law. -- Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17.

At the same time, we should note that it is the typical Law Covenant that passes away (Colossians 2:16,17; Hebrews 7:11-28; 8:4,5,13; 10:1), not the reality of God’s eternal Law of love which is expressed within the Law Covenant. — Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8.