2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 1-3

Known By Your Works!

[3-19-17]

Review: “Life Unto Life!”  

2 Corinthians 2:12-17) [KJV] 15) For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16) 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?

NOTE: The Gospel message we preach produces a spiritual fragrance:

• To all of us who have received Christ it is a fragrance of “life unto life.”
• To all who reject its message it is a fragrance of “death unto death.”

NOTE: A thousand times “Yes!”

John 10:10) [KJV] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

NOTE: Jesus gives us “Life!” The Greek word means “to have a surplus” [Robertson].

QUESTION: What do those who reject the Gospel message receive?

NOTE: All unbelievers are already dead, just as we were before we received life in Christ. They are dead in their trespasses and sins [Ephesians 2:1]. That death leads to a greater death. Jesus offers an alternative; LIFE! Anyone can receive that LIFE! That LIFE  leads to a greater LIFE! God doesn’t kill those who reject them; they are already dead! He offers them LIFE!

17) 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.

NOTE: The Gospel we preach is not politically correct! A politically correct gospel would be one that proclaims that everyone will go to Heaven when they die. Unfortunately, we don’t get to write the Gospel. God already did. And His Gospel tells us that we’re already dead because of our sin; but we don’t have to stay dead. God offers life to all who want to receive it. It’s as simple as that. It’s a free gift. But God won’t force it on anyone. It must be received.

NOTE: Paul refused to “corrupt” that Gospel.

This Week’s Lesson: “Known By Your Works!”

2 Corinthians 3:1-3) [KJV] Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

(GW) Do we have to show you our qualifications again? Do we, like some people, need letters that recommend us to you or letters from you that recommend us to others?

“The last verse of the last chapter might be seized upon by St. Paul’s opponents to renew their charge—that he was always praising himself. He anticipates the malignant and meaning smiles with which they would hear such words. The word “again” implies that this charge had already been brought against him, perhaps in consequence of such passages as 1Co_2:16; 1Co_3:10; 1Co_4:11-14; 1Co_9:15-23; 1Co_14:18, etc.” [Pulpit].

NOTE: Paul is asking them, “Do we now need someone to recommend us to you; or have you recommend us to others?” Let’s see his answer to those questions in the next 2 verses:

2) Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

“It is, that the conversion of the Corinthians, under the faithful labors of the apostle, was a better testimonial of his character and fidelity than any letters could be. To see the force of this, it must be remembered:

• That Corinth was an exceedingly dissolute and abandoned place (see the introduction to the First Epistle);

“dissolute” – “indifferent to moral restraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; licentious; dissipated” [dictionary.com].

• That a large number of them had been converted, and a church organized;
• That their conversion, and the organization of a church in such a city were events that would be known abroad; and,
• That it had been accomplished entirely under the labor of Paul and his companions” [Barnes].

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.

(GW) It’s clear that you are Christ’s letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

QUESTION: What is Paul telling his readers in Corinth?

• You are our letter of commendation! The fact that you were converted, and became a church, as a result of our ministry is our letter of commendation.
• No man wrote this letter with ink; but God wrote it “with the Spirit of the living God”!
• This letter wasn’t written down on some writing surface {stone then, tablet now}; it was written on the surface of your hearts!

QUESTION: What is the point here?

ANSWER: Servants of God aren’t known by letters of commendation they hold in their hand; they are known by their works, by the fruit of their labor!

Romans 3:27-28) [KJV] Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Romans 4:3-5) [KJV] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Ephesians 2:8-10) [KJV] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

2 Corinthians 5:17) [KJV] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

QUESTION: What do we learn in the above passages?

• For the Christian boasting is excluded! Why? Because we are justified/saved “without the deeds of the law,” in other words, the keeping of religious rules [Rom. 3].
• Our faith in God’s redemptive work saved us, not works [Rom. 4].
• If our salvation came as a result of what we did then God owed it to us; He was in debt to us [Rom. 4].
• We are saved by God’s grace through our believing in Him, not as a result of anything we did [Eph. 2].
• When we falsely believe God saved us because we did things that pleased Him we become proud [Eph. 2].
• We are not saved by works; but now that we are saved we are new creatures in Christ [2 Cor. 5] and have been “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” [Eph. 2].

QUESTION: I said above that we servants of God are known by our works; now I’m saying we owe our entire salvation to God. How can we reconcile those 2 statements?

James 2:20-24) [KJV] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

ANSWER: Paul tells us that we are saved by faith without works; James tells us that we are saved by faith with works. They are both right!

• Paul is talking about the works of keeping the Law of Moses; James is talking about the works of walking out your faith. They are 2 distinct things.
• The works of the Law don’t justify you because they are the works of trying harder to be good enough.
• The works of your faith are simply the walking out of what you believe. If I believe a bridge is safe I will drive over that bridge; if I believe it’s unsafe I won’t.

 

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 4-6

The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 1)

[3-26-17]

Review: “Known By Your Works!”

2 Corinthians 3:1-3) [KJV] 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:

“It is, that the conversion of the Corinthians, under the faithful labors of the apostle, was a better testimonial of his character and fidelity than any letters could be” [Barnes].

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.

NOTE: Servants of God aren’t known by letters of commendation they hold in their hand; they are known by their works, by the fruit of their labor!

NOTE: Paul tells us that we are saved by faith without works; James tells us that we are saved by faith with works. They are both right!

• Paul is talking about the works of keeping the Law of Moses; James is talking about the works of walking out your faith. They are 2 distinct things.
• The works of the Law don’t justify you because they are the works of trying harder to be good enough.
• The works of your faith are simply the walking out of what you believe. If I believe a bridge is safe I will drive over that bridge; if I believe it’s unsafe I won’t.

This Week’s Lesson: “The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 1)”

2 Corinthians 3:4-6) [KJV] And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

A Biblical Greek scholar says it’s “Through Christ who engenders the confidence, toward God, with reference to God who gives us success, and to whom we must account for our work” [Vincent].

NOTE: Paul is telling his readers that Christ is the One Who gives him the confidence and authority to do this work that he has been called by God to do. After all, in the end it is to God that he is accountable.

5) Not that we are sufficient {2425} <hikanos> of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency {2426} <hikanotes> is of God;

(NLT) It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.

QUESTION: What is Paul doing in this verse?

ANSWER: He is telling them that though they are confident that it is God that has called them to this ministry they do not trust is their own abilities!

“sufficiency” {2426} – “sufficient, ability or competency to do a thing” [Thayer].

QUESTION: But, then, whose abilities do they trust?

ANSWER: Paul and his fellow workers didn’t trust in their own abilities; they trusted in God’s ability! God’s calling me is God’s enabling me through His sufficiency! In other words, God equips us to do what He calls us to do!  

6) Who also hath made us able {2427} <hikanoo> ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

(NLT) He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.

NOTE: You can see that “sufficient,” “sufficiency,” and “hath made us able” all come from the same Greek root word. Think of the 3 phrases this way: We are not “able” of ourselves; our “ability” comes from God; for He has “enabled” us.

QUESTION: What had God done for Paul and his companions?

ANSWER: God had “enabled” them, given them the ability they needed, to preach and teach the New Testament doctrines.

QUESTION: Does the New Testament teach us that now that we have received the Holy Spirit we are able to keep the Old Testament laws?

ANSWER: NO! The New Testament doesn’t want its words to be simply words. It wants us to understand the “spirit” of what is being said.

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 4-6

The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 2)

[4-2-17]

Review: “The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 1)”

2 Corinthians 3:4-6) [KJV] And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5) Not that we are sufficient {2425} <hikanos> of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency {2426} <hikanotes> is of God;

(NLT) It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.

QUESTION: What is Paul doing in this verse?

ANSWER: He is telling them that though they are confident that it is God that has called them to this ministry they do not trust is their own abilities!

“sufficiency” {2426} – “sufficient, ability or competency to do a thing” [Thayer].

QUESTION: But, then, whose abilities do they trust?

ANSWER: Paul and his fellow workers didn’t trust in their own abilities; they trusted in God’s ability! God’s calling me is God’s enabling me through His sufficiency! In other words, God equips us to do what He calls us to do!  

6) Who also hath made us able {2427} <hikanoo> ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

(NLT) He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.

NOTE: You can see that “sufficient,” “sufficiency,” and “hath made us able” all come from the same Greek root word. Think of the 3 phrases this way: We are not “able” of ourselves; our “ability” comes from God; for He has “enabled” us.

NOTE: God had “enabled” Paul and his companions by giving them the ability they needed, to preach and teach the New Testament doctrines.

QUESTION: Does the New Testament teach us that now that we have received the Holy Spirit we are able to keep the Old Testament laws?

This Week’s Lesson: “The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 2)”

ANSWER: NO! The New Testament teaches us that its words are more than simply words. In other words, it doesn’t want us using its teachings the way the “words” of the Law were used; where individuals looked to see what they could get away with. It wants us to understand the “spirit” of what is being said.

Examples:

**Matthew 5:21-22a) [KJV] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22a) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:

THOUGHT PROCESS: I’m doing what God wants me to do because I would never kill anyone!

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: God doesn’t even want us to be angry “without a cause” towards someone.  

**Matthew 5:27-28) [KJV] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 

28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

THOUGHT PROCESS: I’m doing what God wants me to do because I haven’t had an affair with someone!

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: God doesn’t even want us to look at someone with impure thoughts!

**Matthew 5:31-32) [KJV] It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32) But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

THOUGHT PROCESS: If my husband/wife displeases me I’ll leave him/her in a moment! God said I could!

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: You don’t break your vows to your mate except for some monumental reason.

**Matthew 5:33-35, 37) [KJV] Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 

34) But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

35) Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

37)  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

THOUGHT PROCESS: As long as I keep my vows to God and man God is happy with me!

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: God wants you to demonstrate through your actions that you don’t have to make a vow or make a promise; rather, your very words are your guarantee.   

**Matthew 5:43-44) [KJV] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 

44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

THOUGHT PROCESS: I will be good to those who are good to me; but I will hate those who aren’t!

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: God wants me to flat out love everyone, even those who are my literal enemies.   

QUESTION: What do the above quotes from Matthew show us regarding the “letter” of the Law?

ANSWER: Jesus was showing us that even the Old Testament, which was full of “the letter” that “killeth” should have been read with a desire to see past just the “letter,” i.e., the words that were written, but see the “spirit” of what was being said.

QUESTION: I see Jesus as the Transitional Man. What do I mean by that?

ANSWER: Jesus came to, in absolutely every way, perform the “letter” of the Old Testament so that He could transition us into the “spirit” of the New Testament. We must not turn the New Testament into the New “Old” Testament.

QUESTION: What do I mean by that?

Luke 10:25, 29-37) [KJV And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

“lawyer” – 1) pertaining to the law, one learned in the law; 2) in the NT an interpreter and teacher of the Mosaic law [Thayer]. 

29) But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31) And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34) And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 

36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

NOTE: It isn’t just about saying, “I love my neighbor!” It’s about living out the “spirit” of what that means.

A CLOSING QUESTION: Why did the lawyer like the law?

ANSWER: It defines the limits. It lets us know what we can get away with!

THOUGHT PROCESS IF WE TREAT THE NEW TESTAMENT AS SIMPLY A LIST OF RULES: As long as I don’t harbor ill towards anyone God will be happy with me.

THE “SPIRIT” OF THOSE WORDS: God wants me to actually treat people, in my actions, like I genuinely love them.   

“Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will” [gotquestions.org]. 

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 7-8

From Glory To Greater Glory!

[4-9-17]

Review: “The Letter Kills! The Spirit Gives Life! (Part 2)”

2 Corinthians 3:4-6) [KJV] And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5) Not that we are sufficient {2425} <hikanos> of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency {2426} <hikanotes> is of God;

(NLT) It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.

QUESTION: What is Paul doing in this verse?

ANSWER: He is telling them that though they are confident that it is God that has called them to this ministry they do not trust is their own abilities!

“sufficiency” {2426} – “sufficient, ability or competency to do a thing” [Thayer].

QUESTION: But, then, whose abilities do they trust?

ANSWER: Paul and his fellow workers didn’t trust in their own abilities; they trusted in God’s ability! God’s calling me is God’s enabling me through His sufficiency! In other words, God equips us to do what He calls us to do!  

6) Who also hath made us able {2427} <hikanoo> ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

(NLT) He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.

This Week’s Lesson: “From Glory To Greater Glory”

2 Corinthians 3:7-8) [KJV] 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: 

Exodus 32:19-20) [KJV] And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20) And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

Exodus 34:29) [KJV] And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

NOTE: Moses went up the Mountain 2 times to receive the 10 Commandments:

• The first time he received the 2 tablets containing the 10 Commandments he came down from the Mount and broke them in anger because Israel was worshipping a golden calf made by his brother Aaron.
• The second time Moses went up the Mountain to receive the 10 Commandments he came down with his face shining so brightly that the children of Israel could not look at him until he put a veil over his face.

QUESTION: What else do we learn here?

ANSWER: Moses was such a big sinner that he broke all 10 Commandments at the same time. Kidding!

QUESTION: How long did the face of Moses shine with the glory of God after he came down from the Mount?

ANSWER: No one knows for certain, but many believe it was until he died.

(GNB) The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God’s glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses’ face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory,

QUESTION: How did Paul express how the first covenant was “glorious”?

ANSWER: The “glorious” nature of that covenant expressed itself by God’s glory radiating from Moses’ face.

NOTE: The “glory” of that first covenant, the “ministration of death,” was a “glory” that was temporary.

“which glory was to be done away” – “a glory which was only for a time” [BBE]; “it was a fading glory” [CEV];  “a glory that was ending” [ERV]; “which vanished away” [Murdock].

8) How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

(ERV) So surely the new agreement that comes from the life-giving Spirit has even more glory.

(NLT) Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life?

(AMP) Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?

“ministration” – “service, ministering, especially of those who execute the commands of others” [Thayer].

QUESTION: Why is vs. 8 true?

**ANSWER: The Old Covenant relied on my trying really hard to keep the rules by my own inner strength; the New Covenant relies on my trusting the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help me live a good life.

QUESTION: What’s the problem with my trusting my own inner strength; after all, I have great resolve?

Galatians 5:19-21) [KJV] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

**ANSWER: The problem is that your flesh can’t produce any kind of righteousness that is acceptable to God; the righteousness your flesh produces is like “filthy rags” before God [see verse below].

Isaiah 64:6) [KJV] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

QUESTION: What is never acceptable to a Holy God as “righteousness”?

ANSWER: My “works”! The abstinence and dedication that I endeavor to practice by gritting my teeth and trying harder will never be received by a Holy God as true righteousness.

Galatians 5:22-23) [KJV] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

QUESTION: Then what is acceptable to a Holy God as “righteousness”?

ANSWER: The “works” in my life that are a by-product of my bearing the fruit of the Spirit are acceptable to God as “righteousness.”

John 15:5) [KJV] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

**NOTE: If, in my life, I allow Jesus to be the vine, His Father to be the “gardener” [vs. 1 of John 15], and the Holy Spirit to be the sap running through the branches then I will bear the fruit of the Spirit. His fruit [love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith] ripening in my life will produce “works” acceptable to a Holy God!

EXAMPLE: If I love people I will “act” a certain way. If I have joy I will “act” a certain way. If I have peace I will “act” a certain way. Etc. Etc. Those “acts” could be seen as “works,” “works” that are acceptable to a Holy God as true “acts” of righteousness.

REALIZE THIS: If I don’t love people I won’t act that way [above example]. If I don’t have joy I won’t act that way. If I don’t have peace I won’t act that way. If I’m not longsuffering then I won’t act that way.   If I’m not gentle then I won’t act that way. If I am not good I won’t act that way. If I am not meek I won’t act that way. If I don’t exercise self control then I won’t act that way.

QUESTION: What is the “that way” that I won’t act?

ANSWER: See the above note. I won’t be acting in a way that is consistent with the fruit of the Spirit that I am bearing if I am not bearing that fruit. That means that the resultant “acts” produced by the fruit of the Spirit which will produce “works” acceptable to a Holy God as true “acts” of righteousness.

Ephesians 2:10) [KJV] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

***HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK: When I put my faith in Jesus {believe on Him} [John 3:16], I am baptized into Jesus {placed into the body of Christ} [1 Cor. 12:13]. I then become a branch of the Vine that is Jesus [John 15:5]. Then the blessed Holy Spirit Who moved into my life when I was saved [Romans 8:9] begins producing His fruit in my life [Gal. 5:22-23]. The fruit of the Holy Spirit begins causing me to change the way I live, causes me to act out “love, joy, peace,” etc. The acting out of that fruit produces in me “works” acceptable to a Holy God!

A CLOSING NOTE: Produced “works” of the Holy Spirit in my life is so much more glorious than my trying to produce those works through my own efforts.

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 9

That Greater Glory!

[4-23-17]

Review: “From Glory To Greater Glory!

2 Corinthians 3:7-8) [KJV] 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?

**NOTE: The Old Covenant relied on my trying really hard to keep the rules by my own inner strength; the New Covenant relies on my trusting the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help me live a good life.

Galatians 5:19-21) [KJV] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

**NOTE: The problem is that your flesh can’t produce any kind of righteousness that is acceptable to God; the righteousness your flesh produces is like “filthy rags” before God [see verse below].

Isaiah 64:6) [KJV] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

NOTE: My “works”! The abstinence and dedication that I endeavor to practice by gritting my teeth and trying harder will never be received by a Holy God as true righteousness.

Galatians 5:22-23) [KJV] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

***HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK: When I put my faith in Jesus {believe on Him} [John 3:16], I am baptized into Jesus {placed into the body of Christ} [1 Cor. 12:13]. I then become a branch of the Vine that is Jesus [John 15:5]. Then the blessed Holy Spirit Who moved into my life when I was saved [Romans 8:9] begins producing His fruit in my life [Gal. 5:22-23]. The fruit of the Holy Spirit begins causing me to change the way I live, causes me to act out “love, joy, peace,” etc. The acting out of that fruit produces in me “works” acceptable to a Holy God!

A CLOSING NOTE: Produced “works” of the Holy Spirit in my life is so much more glorious than my trying to produce those works through my own efforts.

This Week’s Lesson: “That Greater Glory”

2 Corinthians 3:9) [KJV] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

(CEV) If something that brings the death sentence is glorious, won’t something that makes us acceptable to God be even more glorious?

(ERV) This is what I mean: That old agreement judged people guilty of sin, but it had glory. So surely the new agreement that makes people right with God has much greater glory.

**QUESTION: Why did Paul, a former Pharisee, refer to the Old Covenant as “the ministration of death”?

Romans 7:7-11) [KJV] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

8) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9) [KJV] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

“I was alive without the law once” – “Referring to the time of childlike innocence previous to the stimulus imparted to the inactive principle of sin by the coming of the law; when the moral self-determination with respect to the law had not taken place, and the sin-principle was therefore practically dead” [Vincent].

Apparently, ‘the lost paradise in the infancy of men’ (Denney), before the conscience awoke and moral responsibility came” [Robertson]. 

10) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

“concupiscense” – “1) desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust” [Thayer].

“occasion” – “1) a place from which a movement or attack is made, a base of operations” [Thayer].

**ANSWER: Paul refers to the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses, as “the ministration of death” because everyone who breaks it rules dies spiritually instantly.

NOTE: When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he also died instantly; that is, he died spiritually. Also, his body began to age, meaning physical death had set in.

QUESTION: What does the above passage from Romans 7 teach us?

• As a child I was morally alive until I reached the age of accountability; then, one day I understood the difference between right and wrong (the commandment/law came) [vs. 8-9].
• Then I sinned (broke the commandment) [vs. 9].
• When I broke the commandment the very law that intended to make me live right instead killed me [vs. 10].
• Sin (the breaking of the commandment) tricked me into thinking that the breaking of that commandment would result in an experience that I would enjoy; and in doing so, I sinned and I was spiritually slain by that sin [vs. 11]!

Romans 5:20-21) [KJV] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

(ERV) The law was brought in so that more people would sin the way Adam did. But where sin increased, there was even more of God’s grace.

21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

QUESTION: Why did God, through Moses, give the Israelites a Law He knew they could never keep?

Romans 7:12-13) [KJV] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

ANSWER: God wanted mankind, through the giving of the Law to the Israelites, to understand how terrible sin really is. He also defined sin so that we now know exactly what God deems to be sinful.

NOTE: God wants us to know what sin is and how terrible it is so that we come to the understanding that we need an abundant act of grace from God to save us; i.e., we need a Savior! We cannot get to Heaven in our current condition of living in sin; we needed a Savior Who would die for our sin and give us the credit for His obedience so that a Holy God will receive us as “righteous.” We need Jesus!

QUESTION: In what way was “the ministration of death” “glorious”?

ANSWER: We know there was something “glorious” about it in that the receiving of it made Moses’ face shine with a brightness that made it impossible for the Israelites to look at his face.

QUESTION: O.K., but what was so “glorious” about it?

ANSWER: We now have a record of what one Individual views to be morally right and morally wrong; and that Individual happens to be God Almighty!

NOTE:  In today’s world of political correctness it is assumed that someone else’s opinion of right and wrong is just as valid as mine. And that’s true! However, it is not just as valid as God Almighty’s opinion! God holds all the keys to eternity in His hand; what He says is right is right; what He says is wrong is wrong! His is the only opinion that matters!

**ANOTHER NOTE: If you don’t believe in the God of the Bible then none of this matters to you. If you’re an atheist, an agnostic, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Moslem, or you follow some other “god,” then what I, as a believer in the God of the Bible, say will not impact you at all.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you call yourself a Christian, like many politically correct individuals do, and then you set out to redefine what God calls right and wrong, YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN IN NAME ONLY!!! You are not following the God of the Bible.

A CLOSING VERSE:

Isaiah 5:20) [KJV] Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 10-12

What Is So Great About This Glory?

[4-30-17]

 

Review: “That Greater Glory!

2 Corinthians 3:9) [KJV] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

(CEV) If something that brings the death sentence is glorious, won’t something that makes us acceptable to God be even more glorious?

**QUESTION: Why did Paul, a former Pharisee, refer to the Old Covenant as “the ministration of death”?

Romans 7:8-9,11) [KJV] But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9) [KJV] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

**ANSWER: Paul refers to the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses, as “the ministration of death” because everyone who breaks it rules dies spiritually instantly.

NOTE: When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he also died instantly; that is, he died spiritually. Also, his body began to age, meaning physical death had set in.

Romans 5:20-21) [KJV] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTE: God wanted mankind, through the giving of the Law to the Israelites, to understand how terrible sin really is. He also defined sin so that we now know exactly what God deems to be sinful.

NOTE: By giving His Law to Moses we now have a record of what one Individual views to be morally right and morally wrong; and that Individual happens to be God Almighty!

 

This Week’s Lesson: “What Is So Great About This Glory?”

2 Corinthians 3:10-12) [KJV] For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

(ERV) That old agreement had glory. But it really loses its glory when it is compared to the much greater glory of the new agreement.

11) For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

(ERV) If the agreement that was brought to an end came with glory, then the agreement that never ends has much greater glory.

QUESTION: How glorious was the “glory” of the “old agreement,” that is, “the ministration of death”?

ANSWER: It was glorious when it was given because there was no greater glory at that time. However, now there is a “glory” vastly superior that renders the other “glory” into the category of having “no glory” when compared to the new “glory”!

**NOTE: When I say, “there was not greater glory at that time,” I am referring to the fact that there was no other system of conduct, of how to live one’s life, at that time that had any real “glory,” let alone a greater “glory” than that of the “old agreement.” Obviously the eternal God was there at that time and was, and is, and will always be “glory” personified! But Paul is simply comparing the “glory” of the covenant God gave Israel through the agency of Moses to the “greater glory” of the covenant God gives to whosoever will through the agency of the Lord Jesus Christ.

QUESTION: What argument does Paul give in vs. 10-11 to demonstrate the “much more glorious” nature of the “new agreement”?

ANSWER: The “glory” of the “old agreement” was fleeting; it was never intended to be permanent. The “glory” of the new agreement is “much more glorious” because it will never end.

NOTE: The “glory” of this “new agreement” will last forever. It won’t even end with the dawning of the eternal.

**QUESTION: What is the “old” that passes away; what is the “new” that “never ends”?

Hebrews 7:11-12) [KJV] If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12) For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

NOTE: The “law” had to change in order for Jesus to be made our High Priest.

John 13:34-35) [KJV] A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

NOTE: On the night He was betrayed, which was the night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave us His “new commandment,” that is, the changing “of the law.” This “law” ended the “old agreement” and introduced the “new agreement.” Under this “new law” Jesus was legally able to become our High Priest.

Galatians 5:13-14) [KJV] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

NOTE: Under the “old agreement” the Law was the restraint. People restrained from doing wrong because of fear of the penalty. Under the “new agreement” Love is the restraint! We now restrain from sinning because we love people.

**QUESTION: Again, what is the “old” that passes away; what is the “new” that “never ends”?

**ANSWER: The “old” that passed away was a system of laws and penalties that restrained people through fear. The “new” that “never ends” is a system of people loving people the way that Jesus loves them. Love now restrains us from doing wrong.

NOTE: The “old agreement” of laws and penalties passed away at the giving of the “new commandment/law.” The “new agreement” of people loving people will last throughout eternity.

12) Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

(ERV) We are so sure of this hope that we can speak very openly.

(GNB) Because we have this hope, we are very bold.

“Great plainness of speech – Margin, boldness. We use the word “plainness” as applied to speech chiefly in two senses:

(1) To denote boldness, faithfulness, candor; in opposition to trimming, timidity, and unfaithfulness; and,

(2) To denote clearness, intelligibleness, and simplicity, in opposition to obscurity, mist, and highly-worked and labored forms of expression.

(Author’s Conclusion) The connection here shows that the latter is the sense in which the phrase here is to be understood [Barnes]. 

QUESTION: What is Paul saying in vs. 12?

ANSWER: As you can see from the above note from Barnes, we basically have 2 choices:

• Paul could be saying that the “hope” of the Gospel gives us boldness to preach the Gospel whatever might happen to us [#1 in Barnes’ notes above].
• Paul is telling his readers that we should be bold to teach the Gospel with simplicity; in other words, we should make the Gospel as easy to understand as we possibly can [#2 in Barnes’ notes above].

NOTE: Both points are accurate; however, I agree with Barnes that the context of what Paul is teaching leans stronger to his second point. To put it simply, we are to put it simply! We don’t want to impress people with how we can make our preaching sound so “deep;” but rather, we want to teach amazing truths in a way that they are easily understood.

QUESTION: The title of this week’s message asks a question; “What is so great about this glory”?

• It’s great because it’s eternal in its scope [vs. 11].
• It’s great because it’s meant to be understood. [vs. 12].
• It’s great because it’s about Jesus loving us the way we are, and you and I loving others the way they are [Jn. 15:9; 13:34-35].
• It’s great because it will take us all the way to Heaven; and it will go with us. [vs. 12].
• It’s great because its goal, that it will accomplish, is to ultimately get us to live a life of perfection in this new way of living [vs. 18; Rom. 8:29-30; 1 John 3:2].

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3, Verses 13-16

Moses Veil!

[5-7-17]

Review: “What Is So Great About This Glory?”

2 Corinthians 3:10-12) [KJV] 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.

NOTE: The “glory” of the “old agreement” was fleeting; it was never intended to be permanent. The “glory” of the new agreement is “much more glorious” because it will never end.

Hebrews 7:11-12) [KJV] If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12) For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

NOTE: The “law” had to change in order for Jesus to be made our High Priest.

John 13:34-35) [KJV] A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Galatians 5:13) [KJV] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

NOTE: Under the “old agreement” the Law was the restraint. People restrained from doing wrong because of fear of the penalty. Now, Love is the restraint! We now restrain from sinning because we love people.

12) Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

QUESTION: The title of this week’s message asks a question; “What is so great about this glory”?

• It’s great because it’s eternal in its scope [vs. 11].
• It’s great because it’s meant to be understood. [vs. 12].
• It’s great because it’s about Jesus loving us the way we are, and you and I loving others the way they are [Jn. 15:9; 13:34-35].
• It’s great because it will take us all the way to Heaven; and it will go with us. [vs. 12].
• It’s great because its goal, that it will accomplish, is to ultimately get us to live a life of perfection in this new way of living [vs. 18; Rom. 8:29-30; 1 John 3:2].

This Week’s Lesson: “Moses’ Veil!”

2 Corinthians 3:13-16) [KJV] 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:

(GNB) We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear.

“The true sense of the Hebrew is given by the Sept.: “When he ceased speaking he put a veil on his face;” not because the Israelites could not endure the radiance, but that they should not see it fade away. Whenever Moses went into the presence of God he removed the veil, and his face was again illumined, and shone while he delivered God’s message to the people. Then, after the delivery of the message, and during his ordinary association with the people, he kept his face covered” [Vincent].

QUESTION: What do the above GNB rendering and Vincent note seem to be telling us?

**ANSWER: When Moses went up the mountain the second time to receive the 10 Commandments his face radiated with the glory of Almighty God. He put a veil on his face so that the Israelites could more easily look at him when he shared with them what God had told him. Soon, the radiance would fade away; but when Moses went back up the mountain to talk to God again, without wearing the veil, his face would begin to radiate God’s glory again. Before he began sharing God’s message with the folk he would put the veil back on his face.

QUESTION: Is there more?

ANSWER: Yes! It seems that the radiating of God’s glory each time he came down the mountain would only last a short time, so Moses, evidently directed by God, would wear the veil so that the children of Israel would not see the brightness fade away.

NOTE: Perhaps the eternal God did this because He already knew that He would have Paul use this as an allegory. God always has, and always will see how every piece fits together.

QUESTION: In vs. 12, where we ended last week’s teaching, as well as last week’s review in this week’s lesson, what was the reason Paul gave for him wanting to speak plainly?

ANSWER: The “new testament” [vs. 6], that is, “the ministration of the spirit” [vs. 8], that is, “the ministration of righteousness” [vs. 9], that is, “the glory that excelleth” [vs. 10], that is, “that which remaineth” [vs. 11], is a message of amazing hope. That amazing hope should cause the “able ministers of the new testament” [vs. 6] the boldness to declare this message with great clarity. We want God’s people to understand this amazing message that the New Testament gives us.

QUESTION: How did Paul see this approach to the teaching of the New Testament as different from that of the Old Testament?

ANSWER: The Old Testament was not taught with the same clarity that we are to teach the New Testament. The students of the Old Testament teaching, as well as their teachers, didn’t understand the transient state of the Old Testament. It was only to train us that it would end, and then be replaced by the enduring New Testament:

Galatians 3:23-25) [KJV] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 4:1-7) [KJV] Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2) But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

**4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

QUESTION: What do the above 2 Galatian passages show us regarding the Law of Moses?

ANSWER: The “law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” The Law shows us that we are all sinners and need a Savior. That Savior is Jesus. Now that Jesus is here the Law has fulfilled its function!

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.

(GNB) Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ.

QUESTION: What is Paul’s message here?

ANSWER: The Israelites could here Paul speak but couldn’t see his face {God’s glory on his face} because he wore a veil when talking to them. Paul tells his readers that even now, when the Law of Moses is read the Jews don’t see God’s glory, which now abides in and on the Person of Jesus Christ.

**NOTE: There is a sense in which the veil over Moses’ face was a veil over the minds of those who heard him speak. In that sense the veil was still over the minds of all those who attended the Jewish synagogues and heard the Law of Moses read, and then taught to them. In this sense even as the Israelites of Moses day couldn’t see the glory of God reflecting on the face of Moses because their minds were blinded by the veil over Moses’ face; even so, the Jews in Paul’s day couldn’t see the glory of God residing in His Son, Jesus.

QUESTION: Do we really want to be a slave to Christ?

ANSWER: A thousand times

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.

QUESTION: What could a Jew do in Paul’s day do, or can a Jew in our day do, to have the veil covering his mind removed, so that he could plainly see the glory of God at work in His Son Jesus?

ANSWER: He would have to turn to Jesus as his Savior in order to clearly see God’s glory; which glory could only be seen in the Person of Jesus Christ.

 

 

2 CORINTHIANS, Chapter 3, Verses 17-18

Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty!

[5-14-17]

Review: ““Moses’ Veil!”

2 Corinthians 3:13-16) [KJV] 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:

NOTE: The Old Testament was not taught with the same clarity that we are to teach the New Testament. The students of the Old Testament teaching, as well as their teachers, didn’t understand the transient state of the Old Testament. It was only to train us that it would end, and then be replaced by the enduring New Testament:

Galatians 3:23-25) [KJV] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

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.

NOTE: A Jew would have to turn to Jesus as his Savior in order to clearly see God’s glory; which glory could only be seen in the Person of Jesus Christ.

 

This Week’s Lesson: “Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty!”

More Teaching On Verses 15-16 From Last Week’s Lesson:

2 Corinthians 3:15-16) [KJV] 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.

(ERV) But when someone changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away.

(GNB) But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: “His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord.”

QUESTION: What is the “it” of vs. 16 that “shall turn to the Lord” in order for the veil to “be taken away”?

ANSWER: According to vs. 15 the veil is covering the “heart”; therefore, the “it” of vs. 16 is the “heart.” The above 2 verses are telling us that if the “heart” of the individual Jew who is sitting under the teaching of the Law of Moses “shall turn to the Lord” then the veil “shall be taken away” from that individual Jew’s heart.

QUESTION: What would be the result of that veil being “taken away”?

ANSWER: If the veil has been “taken away” then that means that the individual Jew to which that has happened has turned “to the Lord.” Because he/she has turned “to the Lord” he/she is now a Christian. Therefore, that individual Jew can now see, in an ongoing process of spiritual growth, the “glory” of God that is found in the New Testament as it teaches us about Jesus, the Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18) [KJV] Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

(AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).

“‘The Lord’, to whom the heart is turned, when the veil is removed, is Jesus Christ; and he is ‘that Spirit’, or ‘the Spirit’: he, as God, is of a spiritual nature and essence; he is a spirit, as God is said to be, John 4:24 he is the giver of the Spirit of God, and the very life and spirit of the law, without whom as the end of it, it is a mere dead letter: or rather as by Moses in 2Cor. 3:15 is meant, the law of Moses, so by the ‘Lord’ here may be meant the Gospel of Christ: and this is that Spirit, of which the apostles were made ministers, and is said to give life, 2Cor. 3:6” [Gill] (emphasis mine).

John 4:24) [KJV] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

2 Corinthians 3:15) [KJV] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

2 Corinthians 3:6) [KJV] 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.

QUESTION: According to the Amplified version of vs. 17 what does “liberty” mean?

• It means “liberty.”
• It means “emancipation from bondage.”
• It means “freedom.”

QUESTION: Where do we find liberty/emancipation from bondage/freedom?

ANSWER: We find it where “the Spirit of the Lord” is.

QUESTION: God is omnipresent, and therefore He is everywhere; but, according to this lesson, where do we find the “Spirit of the Lord”?

ANSWER: We find it where the Old Testament ends and the New Testament begins; we find it in the victory of the cross; we find it in the changing of the law that was necessary in order for Jesus to become our High Priest. In other words we find it in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

QUESTION: What important truth do we learn here?

ANSWER: When we gave our lives/hearts to Jesus we gained “liberty”; we enjoyed “emancipation from bondage”; we experienced “freedom.” These things are true even if we don’t feel like we’re experiencing them.

QUESTION: How do we learn to walk in these things in a fuller measure in the here and now?

ANSWER: Let’s get to vs. 18:

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.

NOTE: Translators and commentators differ on how “beholding in a glass” should be rendered.

• Of the translations available to me in my various Bible computer programs 17 of them believe it to be “beholding as in a glass”; 10 of them believe it to be “reflecting.”
• Of the commentaries available to me on those same Bible programs 15 of them believe it to be “beholding as in a glass”; 6 of them believe it to be “reflecting.”
• Some commentators simply tell us that there are 2 dissenting opinions.

“beholding as in a glass” – “In the middle voice, to took at or behold one’s self in a mirror. Rev., reflecting seems to be preferred on internal grounds, as better suiting the comparison with the divine glory as mirrored in the unveiled face of Moses. But this is unwarranted by usage. Stanley, who adopts this rendering, admits that there is no actual instance of the sense of reflecting” [Vincent].

“beholding as in a glass” – “God’s actual glory can be seen by no created eye; it must be reflected—it can only be seen as mirrored. We cannot look on the sun; we can see its image in a pool” [Pulpit].

NOTE: The Pulpit Commentary’s idea is that we see God’s glory as we behold it reflected in the “pool” of God’s Word; that being the revelation of the New Covenant.

QUESTION: What happens when we behold “the glory of the Lord” in the mirror of His Word?

ANSWER: We “are changed into the same image” that we behold. We become what we see!

QUESTION: Then what’s the problem? Why aren’t we more like Jesus in the here and now?

1 Corinthians 3:12) [KJV] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

ANSWER: The problem is that “we see through a glass darkly” in the here and now.

QUESTION: What must happen for this transformation to become complete?

1 John 3:2) [KJV] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

ANSWER: We become like Him when we see Him as He is! When Jesus comes to escort us into Heaven, at the Rapture or when we die, we will behold Him in the totality of His glory, we will not see Him “through a glass darkly, we will see Him “as he is,” “face to face,” and we will be like Him!

QUESTION: What do we do in the mean time?

ANSWER: We keep staring at His reflection in the mirror of His Word, praying for clearer vision/clearer understanding, so that we can be “changed into the same image,” which is now a clearer image, that we see, in “ever increasing glory” [NIV].

John 14:14a) [KJV] Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me:

QUESTION: Why does Jesus long for us to be where He is “that” we “may behold” His “glory”?

ANSWER: It’s only when we see Him “face to face” [1 Cor. 3:12], when we see Him “as he is” [1 John 3:2],  that we will be “changed into the same image” [2 Cor. 3:18], in fullness of glory; we will be like Him!