Second Corinthians 3 Part 5 The Glory Of The New Covenant of Better Hope

The glory of the old covenant pales in comparison to the glory of the new.

2 Corinthians 3:6-8  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. 7)  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? 

God's law and it's ceremonies were glorious in that it highlights the unchangeable beauty of His holiness and the unyielding perfection of His righteousness.

God's law is holy and righteous. It's main function is to condemn us for our sins. The Old Testament sacrifices were God's provision to cover people's sins because He always made a way for people to approach Him.

However, the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin and can only provide a temporary covering. 

Animal sacrifices remained in effect until the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came as the Lamb of God who did take away the sins of the world.

Paul explained these things and Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law in the book of Hebrews.

The glorious gospel of Christ and the grace of God stands in contrast to the glory of the law.

Salvation is offered to all who will repent and turn to Christ in faith for salvation. Salvation is not by works but by grace.

The old covenant gives way to the new covenant and is more glorious.

2 Corinthians 3:9-11  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10)  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. 

The old covenant gave way to the new covenant established by the vicarious suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. 

The new covenant is sealed with the precious blood of Jesus, as of a Lamb without defect or flaw (See 1 Peter 1:18-23).

The beauty of God's holiness and His unchanging righteousness remain perfectly fulfilled by the work of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the once for all Passover Lamb, the perfect Lamb of God slain for all humanity. 

He bore all the sins of all humanity for all generations from Adam until now. He paid for all sins with the blood of God that He shed on the cross (See Acts 20:28).

No more animal sacrifices. No more condemnation from the law for those who are "in Christ." 

God's heart toward sinners is one of gracious invitation through gospel preaching. 

God's will is for all people everywhere to repent of sin and to trust Christ.

2 Peter 3:9-10  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10)  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

God is longsuffering and is not willing that anyone die in their sins, but desiring all people everywhere to repent and be born again. 

The will of God is that all humanity would be saved by coming to the knowledge of the truth as the gospel of Christ is preached (See 1 Timothy 2:1-6). 

This is why Christians must pray for all people to hear and heed the gospel.

A glorious gospel of grace, faith and new life in Christ. 

Ephesians 2:4-10  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5)  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7)  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8)  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. 

The gospel of Christ is more glorious because salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not through sacrificing another animal to atone for sin. 

The benefits conferred upon each Christian through the power of the gospel beginning with spiritual life whereas we previously were dead in trespass and sin. 

Salvation is by faith because the just (those who are declared righteous by God) shall live by faith.

It includes walking in newness of life as old things pass away (See 2 Corinthians 5:17).

The new covenant is "better" in all respects when contrasted with the old covenant. 

Jesus is Creator of all things and is made better than the angels.

Hebrews 1:1-4  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4)  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The new covenant is better because God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. He holds it all together with His Word and power.

He is God manifest in the flesh and He alone purged our sins by His suffering and death on the cross in our place.

The Father has exalted His Son higher that all the angels in heaven, and has given Christ a name that is superior and higher than any other name (See Philippians 2:5-11).

The gospel of Christ brings a better hope to all mankind. 

Hebrews 7:19-25  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20)  And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21)  (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek:) 22)  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23)  And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24)  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25)  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

The law cannot make anyone perfect or just before God because all have sinned and fall short of His glory and righteousness.

God's eternal plan was to sacrifice His Son in our place to bring us a better hope. Not only did Jesus die as our substitute sin offering, He also vicariously fulfilled and perfectly satisfied God's law for us!

Let this truth sink in. Christ has fulfilled the holy law of God for us which means we are no longer under its condemnation (See Romans 8:1-39).

God sends His Spirit to live in us in order to begin an ongoing sanctification in us. His Spirit will work to conform us to Christ and to produce fruit in us.

Jesus brings a better hope and a better testament to the world. He is an eternal high priest who can save us to the uttermost.

Jesus Christ is mediator of a better covenant bringing a new heart and spirit for all who believe. 

Hebrews 8:6-12  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7)  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8) For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

As our eternal High Priest and Good Shepherd, Jesus has a more excellent ministry as Mediator of a better covenant. 

He is the only Mediator between man and God because He is God manifest in the flesh. 

The first covenant or Old Testament was a temporary one that would move aside when Christ brought in the second covenant.

The new and better covenant is established by the grace of God and the expiation and atonement of Jesus Christ on our behalf. 

This is the better covenant where the Spirit of God gives spiritual life to repentant sinners. 

He gives us a new heart and writes the law of God on our heart such that we seek to live by God's holy commands.

Our Father will remove all our sins from us and never remember them because He is merciful. 

The sacrifice of Christ for us is better than all old covenant sacrifices.

Hebrews 9:22-26  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23)  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24)  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25)  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26)  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

There is no remission, no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood but the blood of bulls and goats provided only a temporary covering.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for us is a better, perfect once for all sacrifice. 

As High Priest, Christ did not enter into the earthly temple at Jerusalem. Rather, His blood was applied in the true temple of God in heaven. 

He permanently put away all sin by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross for us. 

Christians seek a better country, a city made by God in our heavenly home. 

Hebrews 11:14-16  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15)  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16)  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

Because the new covenant is better in all respects when compared to the old covenant, we no longer seek to live for this world. 

We seek to honor God in all that we do while our heart desires to be in that better country (heaven) where God is the maker of that heavenly city that is being prepared for us (See John 14:1-3).

Let us share the gospel with plain, understandable words.

2 Corinthians 3:10-12  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. 12)  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  

This is why Paul tells us that the glory of the gospel far exceed the glory of the old covenant. 

Thus, Paul did not employ sophisticated arguments or philosophical eloquence that was so admired by the Corinthians.

Rather, he preached the gospel with great plainness of speech. He cheerfully and confidently preached the gospel of Christ to all who would listen. 

Paul preached the gospel with simple and understandable words so that the least educated man or woman could grasp the good news.

May this be our approach to witnessing for our Lord. Let us say what God says in His Word with plain words that a common person can understand. 

Bob