2 Corinthians 3

2 Corinthians 3:1

“Do we need letters to validate our ministry?” Paul asks. “Do we need credentials to make you understand that the Lord has called us to this work? No. You are our letters. You who have been born again and are now walking with the Lord are the proof of the ministry to which we’ve been called.” In other words, Paul is saying, “The proof is in the puddingand you are the pudding. Look and see the work that has taken place in your midst. Look at the fruit.” Fruit is always the name of the game… Following a failed insurrection against Moses in which two hundred fifty lost their lives, the children of Israel continued to question Moses’ authority. “Let every tribe bring a rod to place in the tabernacle,” he said. The next day, although the rest of the rods remained as they were, the rod of Moses had blossomedthe fruit being the validity of his ministry (Numbers 17). I suggest it was to this account Jesus referred when, concerning true and false teachers, He said, “You will know them by their fruit” (see Mat_7:20).

2 Corinthians 3:4

“We’re not boasting in who we are or what we’ve done,” Paul says. “Our sufficiency comes from God by His grace alone.”

2 Corinthians 3:6

There were those at Corinth who came into the congregation, saying, “Paul is a lightweight. Sure, he talks about gracebut the real issue is the law. If you really want to prove your spirituality, you’ll submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision.” Those who are under the law are miserable because of their own legalism. So what do they do? They seek to make others as miserable as they are, believing that the more miserable one is, the more spiritual he is.

2 Corinthians 3:7

The law was indeed glorious, as evidenced by the glow on Moses’ face when he received it (Exodus 34). “Therefore,” asks Paul, “if the law which brings condemnation and death is glorioushow much more glorious will be the ministry of the new covenant, the grace of God?”

2 Corinthians 3:12

Here, Paul points out something we would never have known otherwise. You see, we know from Exodus 34 that when Moses came down from the mountain with the law in hand, he covered his glowing face with a veil. One would assume he did this so that people wouldn’t be blinded by the brightness of his face. But here Paul says Moses put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel wouldn’t see the glow fading. So, too, we might keep our rules and regulations for a day or two. Yes, we can shine for a whilebut the glow fades quickly because we’re sinners.

2 Corinthians 3:14

The veil over the face of those who live by the Old Covenant blinds their own eyes to the reality and identity of their Messiah, Jesus Christ. That is why you can talk by the hour with Jewish people about the way Jesus perfectly fulfilled Old Testament prophecyand they still won’t see Him as their Messiah. There’s a veil over their eyes. And because this veil is done away in Christ, it is only as they turn to Christ that they are able to see clearly.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Because there is none righteous, because none seeks after God (Rom_3:11), we are able to see the Lord only by His grace. Because He’s lifted the veil from our eyes, we can look into His face. And in so doing, we are changed. We are changed not by a program, a practice, or a procedure. We are changed by a Person. We are changed by looking at Jesusby spending time with Him, learning about Him, and worshiping Him. Stay in the Scriptures, gang. Spend time in the Word daily. Come together for Bible study. Sing songs of adorationfor it’s in worshiping, in studying, in looking at Him that you’ll become like Him.