Second Corinthians 3 Part 6 The Glorious Standing We Have In Christ

Moses wore a veil pictured people who don't hear the gospel or see Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:12-15 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13  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: 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. 

Paul turned to the Old Testament to illustrate the truth of his message to the Corinthians and to all churches.

He used simple, clear and understandable words as opposed to the eloquent, sophisticated speeches of false teachers. 

This reminds us to be clear and concise when we share the gospel of Christ with people who do not know Him. 

Paul trusted God's Word and the ministry of the Spirit of God to do the necessary work in people's hearts to bring them to saving faith in Christ. 

We also must follow Paul's example in declaring the gospel to people who need to hear the glad tidings. 

Moses shining face was obscured by the veil,  picturing the Jews blindness to the gospel of Christ. 

Exodus 34:29  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. 30  And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. 31  And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. 32  And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33  And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34  But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35  And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. 

Paul compared his use of plain words to preach the gospel as a contrast to Moses teaching Israel the law of God.

We know that when we spend time in the sun during warm weather our body produces more melanin to protect our skin from UV damage. 

This results in having a tan during summer that fades over the winter months.

Moses' glowing face was the opposite of a having a tan. It reflected the glory of being in the very presence of God and speaking face to face (See Exodus 33:11).

His glowing skin made the people afraid so he wore a veil after he finished teaching them what God said for them to do.

Moses put on a veil because of the Israelites not being able to “look steadfastly at him.” 

Paul passed from the literal narrative to the truth symbolized by it. This illustrates the blindness of the Jews to the ultimate end of the law as fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The act of Moses putting on the veil  pictures Israel not being able to see Jesus Christ as their Messiah at His first advent.

Blindness of unbelieving Jews was prophesied by Isaiah and explained by Christ. 

Matthew 13:11-17  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

The veil symbolized Israel's blindness to the gospel of Christ. Jesus told His disciples that they were truly blessed because His Father gave them a heart to receive kingdom truth. 

The Jewish people generally and their religious leaders rejected their Messiah. 

They did not see who Christ is nor did they hear His words of eternal life. 

They ignored His mighty miracles and relentlessly attacked Him.

Isaiah prophesied that the people's heart was full of callousness that made them dull toward the good things of God.

They closed off their ears so that they could not hear the gospel truth. They shut their eyes tightly so that they could not see the glory of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh. 

God's glorious purpose of saving Gentiles while the Jews were blinded.

Romans 11:8-10  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 

Israel's blindness is connected with the dispensation of the Church and gospel preaching. 

God promised that He would save non Jewish people (Gentiles) and that is what is presently happening through Christ's church.

God set the Jews aside temporarily until the time when the age of the Church is over.  The Jews were blinded so that we (Gentiles) might hear and see the gospel and be born again.

After the church is taken to heaven at the rapture, God will turn to the Jewish people and they will be restored and rescued by Christ, as the book of Revelation makes clear.

Jews are blinded truth about Christ when the Old Testament is read. 

2 Corinthians 3:13-14  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: 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. 

The glory of God and His law made the face of Moses shine and the people could not bear to look at it.

 Paul's argument is that Moses receiving the law was glorious but the gospel of Christ far exceeds it in glory.

Even when Paul many Jews generally had minds and hearts blinded to the gospel, as God began saving the non-Jewish people (Gentiles) of the world, according to His many promises

Christ took that veil away because He perfectly fulfilled the moral law of God for us. 

When we are regenerated and put into Christ by God's Spirit, we have new life. 

We are then led by the indwelling Holy Spirit to keep God's law, not to gain His favor, but because we truly desire to keep it. 

Israel was required to keep the law which can only condemn us for our sin and then they were required to make a sacrifice to atone for their sins.

Christ fulfilled the law for us and He is the eternal sacrifice for our sins! 

Therefore our heart's desire is to do that which please God because of what He has done to save us, through faith in Christ. 

God will save the Jewish nation and they shall mourn for crucifying their Messiah.

2 Corinthians 3:15-16  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. 

The heart of the Jews upon which the veil now is will be turned back to their Messiah in the latter day. 

This future conversion of the Jews to Jesus Christ will be a mighty work of the Spirit, power, and grace of God. 

Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

Their eyes will be opened and they will look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and embrace him as the true Messiah and only Saviour.

The Jewish nation will mourn bitterly as they grasp that they crucified their Messiah and King, Jesus Christ. 

Yet, they will repent with bitter tears and the grace of God works mightily in their souls to bring them to repentant faith in Christ.

Thus it was in the time of Christ of those who remained in Judaism after the coming of the Messiah and the preaching of his gospel. 

Nevertheless, Paul tells us, there is a time coming when this veil also shall be taken away, and when it (the body of that people) shall turn to the Lord, 2Co_3:16. 

Or, when any particular person is converted to God, then the veil of ignorance is taken away; the blindness of the mind, and the hardness of the heart, are cured. 

Liberty to love and serve God with all our heart.

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

The condition of those who believe the gospel is much more happy than those who persist in unbelief. We have liberty in Christ, because the Spirit of the Lord is at work in our hearts there is liberty. 

This liberty includes freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, and from the servitude of the corruption of our flesh. 

It includes liberty of access to God, and freedom of speech in prayer. The heart is set at liberty, and enlarged, to follow in the ways of God's commands. 

It includes liberty to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as we hear the Word preached, and as we have our steps in His Word ordered by our Lord.

It includes liberty to worship God in Spirit and in truth in accord with the principles of worship established in both the Old and New Testaments. 

However, liberty in Christ does not mean we have a license do whatever we think is right. 

God tells us what is right in His Word and His indwelling Spirit leads is in harmony with His Word.

Liberty to come to the throne of grace for mercy and grace in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

The greatness of Christ is set forth by his name, Jesus, our great physician and Saviour.  He is the Son of God by eternal generation having divine perfection, able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him. 

Secondly, He is not only a great high priest, but a gracious high priest who is merciful, compassionate, and sympathizing with his people. 

Christ our high priest was fully touched with the feeling of human infirmities so He is very kind, and tender toward us. 

He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities as none else can be for Jesus was tried with all the afflictions and troubles that are part of fallen humanity. 

Christ our high priest is our propitiation and satisfaction to the Father for us, but Christ is fully able to sympathize with us. 

He is a sinless high priest. He was in all things tempted as we are but He never sinned and thus, Christ satisfied the law's righteous demands for us.

He was tempted by Satan, but he did not sin. Our great high priest was victorious in His encounter with the devil. 

Christ's perfections under the law of God is the anchor of our blessing and liberty. 

He received the wages of our sins which is death. 

He was bruised for our transgressions. He was wounded for our trespasses. He bore our sufferings when He took our place on the cross. 

Therefore when we hear the gospel and repent of our sin and turn to Christ for salvation, we receive many glorious benefits. 

We receive the gift of eternal life through grace (See Ephesians 2:8-10).

We receive a new heart and a new Spirit (See Ezekiel 11:19-20; 18:31-32; 36:25-27).

We receive a fresh, new start in life as our old manner of life and conduct pass away (See 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Puritan preacher Matthew Henry accurately described the glory of this truth written by the apostle Paul.

"They have light; for with open face we behold the glory of the Lord. The Israelites saw the glory of God in a cloud, which was dark and dreadful  but Christians see the glory of the Lord as in a glass, more clearly and comfortably." 

"It was the peculiar privilege of Moses for God to converse with him face to face, in a friendly manner; but now all true Christians see him more clearly with open face. He shows them his glory."  

"This light and liberty are transforming as we are changed into the same image of Christ, from glory to glory, from one degree of glorious grace unto another until grace is consummated in glory for ever."

"How much therefore should Christians value and seek these privileges! We should not rest content without an experiential knowledge of the transforming power of the gospel, as the Spirit of God brings us into conformity to the glorious gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

May these truths fill our hearts with a joy for the God who loves us so much.

May these truths cause us to pray more earnestly, seeking to be conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

May the Spirit of God have His way in our hearts such that we are His gospel witnesses.

Bob