2 Corinthians

3:7-18

4. The character of Paul's ministry, 2:18-6:13

ii] The glory of the new covenant

In this passage Paul sets out to explain the difference between the administration / ministry of the covenant that leads to death and the administration that leads to life. Paul does this in defense of his apostolic authority which was being called into question by some in the church at Corinth.

The passage may be divided into two major sections, v7-11 and v12-18. The first section responds to v6b, "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life". The passage is structured around three conditional sentences, ei de .... "yet if .... then ....", v7-8, ei gar .... "for if .... then ....", v9, ei gar "for if .... then ....", v11. Paul uses a typical rabbinical method of argumentation, "if X is true, then Y is certainly true." In the second section Paul develops his argument that "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" by drawing on Exodus 34:33-35. Following an opening statement, v12, Paul references Exodus 34:33b, 35, v13, comments on the text, v14-15, references Exodus 34:34a, v16, and comments on the text, v17-18, cf. Harris.

It is often argued that Paul is setting up a dichotomy between the old and new covenants, but it seems more likely that the dichotomy is between two ministries, or administrations, one of the Law and the other of the Spirit. In reality there is only one covenant, a covenant of grace which rests on the faithfulness of God and is appropriated through faith. Of course, throughout the expanse of Biblical history the covenant is reinstituted on numerous occasions and finds its culmination in Christ. The dichotomy lies with its administration. The Sinai covenant, although glorious, is fading, v7-11, and veiled, v12-18, and this unlike the full realization of the covenant in Christ, administered through the Spirit, which is both eternal and unambiguous.

de "now" - but, and. Probably contrastive, "yet".

ei + ind. "if" - Forming a conditional sentence, 1st class, where the condition is assumed to be true. The sentence covers verses 7 and 8, with the apodosis in the form of a question in v8; "if, as is the case, the ministry of death ...... came with glory ..... then will not the ministry of the Spirit ....?"

diakonia tou qanatou "the ministry that brought death" - the ministry of death. The genitive "of death" is adjectival, limiting "ministry", a ministry which may be identified by its death-bringing quality. "Ministry" denotes the totality of the administration of the law as exercised by the priestly class. As such, the word "administration" may well convey the sense better - "the administration of the law" as compared with "the administration of the Spirit." Paul commences his exposition by describing Moses' ministry as one which brought death. These are strong words, particularly as the Jews saw Moses' ministry as life-giving. It was a ministry of death in that the Law carried with it a curse for disobedience, and due to sin, disobedience was inevitable. This doesn't mean that the Law is evil, since it is a divine gift and therefore good. The law's intention is to expose sin and drive the child of God to seek forgiveness through God's mercy, that ultimately, through Christ, we "might live to God", Gal.2:19. These "letters on stone" which bring "death" came with "glory", although, as Paul puts it, a "fading" glory. The glory of the ministry of the Law would inevitably recede in the face of the glory of the ministry of the Spirit established through the person of Christ.

en grammasin (a atoV) "in letters" - in/on letters [having been engraved in/on stone]. The preposition giving the sense "contained in letters" = "in writing", Weymouth.

entetupwmenh (entupow) perf. pas. part. "which was engraved" - having been engraved. The participle is adjectival, limiting "writing", "writing which was engraved on stone", ie. The Sinai covenant / the ten commandments.

en doxh/ "[came] with glory" - [came] in/on glory. The preposition here expresses association, as NIV, although "came" is probably better "inaugurated", REB. The divine glory, the shekinah glory is being referred to.

w{ste + inf. "so that [... could not]" - that [.... not able]. This construction forms a consecutive clause expressing result, as NIV.

atenisai (atenizw) aor. inf. "look steadily" - gaze. The infinitive is complementary completing the sense of the verbal infinitive "[not] able".

dia + acc. "because of" - because of, on account of. Introducing a causal clause. The people were afraid because of the divine glory.

thn katargoumenhn (katargew) perf. pas. part. "fading though it was" - the fading. We are tempted to tread the participle as adverbial, probably concessive, "radiating glory, though fading", but the article indicates that it is adjectival, "a glory which is fading"

twV ouci "will not" - This construction in a question prompts a definite positive answer. If the law (administration of the law), which brings death, came with great glory, will not the Spirit (the administration of the Spirit = gospel ministry), which brings life, come with greater glory? It certainly will!

tou pneumatoV (a atoV) "[ministry] of the Spirit" - The genitive is probably again adjectival, of quality, a "ministry" which is identified by its life-bringing qualities. There are, of course, other options: Subjective = "the ministry instituted by the Spirit"; Objective = "ministry rendered to the Spirit". Zerwick actually proposes multiple senses: Subjective, Objective and Epexegetic.

mallon "much more" - more, rather. The Spirit-empowered gospel of Christ, faithfully proclaimed, heard and accepted, gains for the believer right-standing before God; it gains for us life. As such, it is "a much more glorious thing", Phillips.

estai en doxh/ "be even more glorious" - will be in glory. The preposition en is best treated as expressing association "will be with glory" = "will be accompanied by/with glory", Harris, although possibly the whole clause expresses a state of being, BAGD 225b; "how much greater must be the splendor of the dispensation (administration) of the Spirit", Barclay.

ei "if" - Introducing a conditional sentence, 1st class, "if, as the case may be, ..... then ...."

thV katakrisewV (iV ewV) gen. "that condemns" - [ministry] of condemnation. The genitive is adjectival, probably descriptive, or possibly epexegetic, as NIV. The ministry/administration of the law, carrying as it did the curse for disobedience, enacted condemnation, but the ministry of the gospel ......... "If the dispensation which ends in man's condemnation by God had its splendor, how much more ......", Barclay.

pollw/ mallon "how much more" - See above for Paul's lesser to greater form of argumentation.

thV dikaiosunhV (h) "righteousness" - righteousness, justice. The ministry of the gospel brings right-standing in the presence of God, ie. "righteousness" here is used in the sense of "justification", "a verdict of acquittal in the divine judgement", Thrall / Barrett.

kai gar "for" - Explanatory, supporting v9; "for indeed"

to dedoxasmenon (doxazw) perf. pas. part. "what was glorious" - the thing having been glorified. The participle functions as a substantive, "the thing" being the administrative functions and functionaries of the Mosaic law rather than Moses face; "what was endowed with glory", NAB.

ou dedoxastai (doxazw) perf. pas. "has no glory" - has not been glorified. An oxymoron; "what has had splendor has not had splendor", Furnish, giving the sense "what was at one time clothed in splendor is now divested of its splendor because of the new and surpassing splendor which has emerged", Barclay.

en toutw/ tw/ merei - in this part. This phrase possibly modifies the substantive participle giving the sense "that which has been partially glorified", Hering, although Harris argues that it stands with ou dedoxastai and means "in this matter / connection", referring back to that which abounds the more, v9; "indeed, in this respect, what was once glorious has lost its claim to glory."

ei{neken + gen. "in comparison" - because of, on account of. Expressing cause/reason; "on account of the splendor that wholly outshines it", Cassirer.

to katargoumenon (katargew) perf. pas. part. "what was fading away" - the thing fading away, being made of no effect. The participle functions as a substantive. As above, that which fades away can be the shine on Moses' face (so Harris), or the administration of the law / covenant (so Thrall), or both. The administration of the law / the paraphernalia of the Sinai covenant, seems best. "What faded", Moffatt.

dia + gen. "[came] with [glory]" - through / by means of. Possibly simply instrumental, although the phrase dia doxhV is clearly elliptical with "came" assumed; "if what was fading came by means of glory" - is that divine glory, or Moses' glory? Plummer suggest that the two prepositional phrases here, dia doxhV and en doxh/ simply express "the difference between what passes and what abides." "If that which comes and soon passes away has somewhat glory, how much more must that which for ever abides be arrayed in glory", Plummer.

oun "therefore" - Drawing a logical conclusion. Given that the ministry/administration of the Spirit empowering gospel ministry for the realization of the covenant promises in Christ is to menon "the thing remaining", v11, is permanent, Paul therefore is able to play his part in the ministry of the Spirit with "confidence, in plain speech and with open behavior", Thrall. Note this claim as opposed to the criticisms against Paul that he is less than open, obscure, weak, and driven by questionable motives.

econteV (ecw) pres. part. "since we have" - having. The participle is adverbial, probably causal, "because we have".

toiauthn pro. "such" - [a hope] of such a kind. The hope expressed in 3:11.

pollh/ parrhsia/ "very bold" - [we act/behave] with much boldness, courage, freedom. The dative is instrumental. "With open behavior", Belleville, Reflections of Glory.

kai ou "we are not [like Moses]" - and not. Elliptical; "we have not been like Moses", Barclay.

etiqei (tiqhmi) imperf. "who would put" - he used to place. The imperfect is durative/iterative, so "his habit was to place", Harris.

kalumma (a) "a veil" - a covering. Paul's point is that the covering hides the glory, and continues to do so. The reality of the covenant, with its focus on divine grace, is veiled from those who stand under the Sinai covenant, under the law. For the Jewish/Christian nomists the law has become an instrument for maintaining the covenant, maintaining grace, rather than an instrument to promote faith.

proV to mh atenisai "to keep [the Israelites] from gazing" - to not to look at. This preposition with a [negated] articular infinitive usually forms a purpose clause "in order that" / hypothetical result, "so that". The purpose, or intended result, is unclear. See Harris for his 5 favorites! It is likely that the problem is simply one of expression, such that Paul is not making an obtuse point. Moses covered his face so that Israel could not see its radiant glory and he did this because they were afraid and unable to look at him. Paul maintains this thought, simply adding that it was a fading glory, a glory which does not compare with the glory now evident in the ministry of the Spirit; "to [in order to] keep the children of Israel from gazing at the last rays of a fading glory", Moffatt.

eiV to teloV "while" - to the end. "up to the end", Zerwick. Probably in a temporal sense, although not the parousia, just the simple reality of the historical event. The veil remained until the glow left Moses' face; "until it finally disappeared", Barclay.

tou katargoumenou (katargew) pres. pas. part. "the radiance was fading away" - of the thing fading away. Participle as a substantive; "the fading splendor."

alla "but" - but. Adversative.

epwrwqh (pwrow) aor. pas. "were made dull" - were hardened, made stubborn, dimmed. Paul now applies the image. Another veil covers the divine glory and this is placed over the Law and has confused and blinded the people. Synagogue practice of veiling the Torah and wearing a cover over the head continues the image of the veiling (hiding) of truth to the present day. In the preaching of the Law in the synagogue, a veil of unbelief remains. Only through the preaching and hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ is it possible for the veil of unbelief to be removed.

acri + gen. "to [this day]" - until [the present day].

thV palaiaV diaqhhV "old covenant" - [in the reading] of the old covenant. The genitive is adjectival, limiting "the reading". "The old covenant" being the Sinai covenant, the Law.

mh anakaluptomenon (anakaluptw) pres. pas. part. "It has not been removed" - not being uncovered, unveiled. Although the function of this participle is somewhat unclear, it is probably an attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "remain", although here a negated restatement; "the veil remains and is not taken away", "it remains, unlifted, ...."

oJti "because" - that. The function of this conjunction is unclear. It may introduce a noun clause, epexegetic, "it is not revealed that it is abolished in Christ", although a causal clause, "because", is more likely, as NIV.

en Cristw/ "in Christ" - Obviously "in union with Christ"; "it is only when a person unites themselves with Christ", Cassirer, "becomes a Christian", Barclay.

katargeitai (katargew) pres. pas. "is it taken away" - it is being abolished. The word is used of the "fading away" of the divine glory in Moses face and in the dispensation of death, cf. 7, 11, 13, but it seems likely that its subject here is the "veil". Thrall suggests that Paul has in mind the temporary removal of the veil over the time Moses' face was glowing. For a believer this temporary state is ended, "is done away with", Cassirer.

alla "even" - but even. As a restatement of v14 the conjunction is best read as "indeed", NRSV.

e{wV "to" - until.

hJnika a]n + subj. "when [Moses is read]" - Forming a indefinite temporal clause.

keitai (keimai) pres. "[a veil] covers [their hearts]" - [a veil] lies [on the heart of them]. "There is still a veil over their minds", Phillips.

de "but" - but, and. Here probably adversative, as NIV.

hJnika .. ean + subj. "whenever" - Forming an indefinite temporal conditional clause; "whenever, as the case may be, ...., then ......"

epistreyh/ (epistrefw) aor. subj. "anyone turns" - turns back, returns. Impersonal = heart, Israel, any person ... Still using the Moses imagery, Paul reminds his readers that when Moses went before the Lord, the veil was taken away and he beheld the glory of the Lord and communed with him. So too may a person today come before the Lord and have the veil taken from them and thus know the living God. "Whenever anyone turns to the Lord" (for Moses, the Lord is the God of Israel, for Paul he is Jesus Christ) the veil of unbelief is removed and their eyes opened to gospel truth.

to pneuma "the Spirit". The Holy Spirit empowers the gospel so that it is no longer just mere words. He accompanies the preaching and lifts the veil of unbelief for those who turn to Christ in the hearing of the preached word. Another good reason why Paul is "very bold".

eleuqeria (a) "there is freedom" - freedom. "Where the Spirit is there is freedom." The Spirit frees us from law, sin and death. Given the context, Paul is obviously thinking of the Law. Believers are freed from the old covenantal law and its curse, in that they possess right-standing in the sight of God by means of a new covenantal law - "the righteousness that is by faith". The Spirit actively empowers the gospel to free the believer from the curse of the law, incorporating them in Christ and renewing them in the image of Christ (writes the law of God in our heart). Thus, we are freed from submission to the letter, from the legal keeping of regulations, and are released to serve the Lord through the indwelling power of the Spirit of Christ.

hJmeiV de panteV "and we ..... all" - and/now we all.

anakekalummenw/ (anakaluptw) dat. perf. pas. part. "who with unveiled [faces]" - having been unveiled, uncovered. The participle is adjectival limiting "face", "a face which is uncovered."

katoptrizomenoi (katoprizw) pres. mid. part. "reflect" - seeing reflected in a mirror. With this word Paul is probably qualifying the idea of a face-to-face vision of God, and if this is the case, the NIV translation is somewhat misleading. The reflection is as in a distorted mirror, the type of mirror available in the first century. For us it is best understood as viewing through a cloudy, distorted piece of glass. Believers do not see "the immediate, beatific vision of the glory of the Lord, which is only enjoyed in heaven, but that manifestation of his glory which is made in his word and by his Spirit, whose office it is to glorify Christ by revealing him to us", Hodge. Looking through the looking-glass of the gospel, the believer doesn't actually see God, they see Jesus, the one in whom God becomes visible. In that vision the believer is transformed into the image of Jesus, albeit imperfectly. "They shall be changed..... from beauty into loveliness, and from light into the splendor of glory", 2 Baruch 101:3,7,10. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, looking at the glory of the Lord as in a mirror", Harris.

metamorfoumeqa (metamorfow) pres. pas. "are being transformed" - are being changed to something else. Probably with the sense "transfigured".

thn authn eikona "into his likeness" - the same image. "Into" is assumed.

2 Corinthians Introduction

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