2 Corinthians 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
This verse is one of the verses in scripture that is Spiritual Meat. How meaty? Is it a massive Fillet? yes... Is it a New York Strip? yes... Is it a T-Bone? yes... Is it a Porter House comprised of Wagyu Beef? Without question! But, here's the issue. Before we can break out the steak sauce, knife, fork and napkin, we have to understand the principles required to Spiritually discern this Wagyu Porterhouse. For the sake of interest, a good Wagyu Porterhouse can go for as high as $1000.00 or more.
We have 4 major spiritual concepts to unpack, that would symmetrically be best served with 4 study concepts, for the sake of a good read. We'll reduce mental strain by labeling the 4 study concepts as A though D. This way the initially discussed 1-4, can be served up in a perfectly prepared fashion.
A- Paul authored 13 epistles that can be drawn from in totality to discern any 1 epistle authored by Heavenly Jesus Christ, through Paul. A major concept that gives this validity is that the flow of pouring in all of Paul's writings together follows the direct flow of any given large multi-paragraph flow of any of his writings. A specific compass to accomplishing this without "twisting Paul" to bad results is to remember that Jesus doesn't like it when Spiritual teachings are reduced to "Commandments, Rules, Ordnances".
B- The Holy Spirit of Christ that indwells believers is the single most incredible provision of God unto mankind which required God, by God's perfect Judgment, providing the availability of His blood unto all mankind through His giving of His Everything unto mankind.
C- Jesus Christ is the MEAT of all SCRIPTURE.
D- Scripture is scriptures only true commentary, in conjunction with the provision of the Holy Spirit of Christ.
1- Having an unveiled face
The very chapter we are in draws from this specific contextual writing flow.
2 Corinthians 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory—
The old covenant is summarized by the very Tablets of the Covenant (
Hebrews 9:4,
14) and known as Moses by the theologically accurate and informed. Moses is a "Creation" and because of his presence being so close to the Theophany, his very face shined, yet because Moses is the Created and not the Creator, the Glory of God's presence faded as Moses was not in the presence of the Creator. To say that the Stone Law gave Moses Glory, would be blasphemy. Moses face shown because of his encounter with the Theophany.
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
If Jesus Christ had not written in the dust of Creation that He drew Adam from, clothed in the very Dust of Creation that He once formed Adam from, before an Adulterous Woman condemned by the very Ministry of Death chiseled in stone and If Jesus Christ hadn't specifically given a NEW Commandment, we would be confused here. Jesus Christ did do those "Ifs". Therefore we know that the Ministry of the Spirit is summarized in the NEW COMMANDMENTS; Love the Lord your God as He has demonstrated His Love for us. Love your neighbor as yourself, who is, by scripture now Dead, only known as the INNER MAN within, which is the union of the Holy Spirit of Christ and one's human soul, which is beset to the Good Potters hands. (Clay, Dust that has been renewed by Living Water)
9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory,
Grammatically speaking, We are about to witness a scriptural contrast. We are being primed to know that the Ministry of CONDEMNATION which is revealed to have been simultaneously a Revelation of God, Who alone is Good by and Just to Judge according to it's LAW and a revelation of the Evil one who Condemns the Lawfully accused as Sinful per the Law with the Power of Death, which the evil one was only stripped of, at Golgotha, by his false imputation of blasphemy against Jesus, through the Sanhedrin he had corrupted and directly handed Jesus over to through his (the evil one's) possession of one of Jesus' twelve disciples.
the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.
Love your neighbor as yourself is superior to the Sand that formed to stone. Love your neighbor is founded on the eternal ROCK of all Ages. This Rock has never not existed. This Rock is the ONE TRUE foundation of Faith, Hope and the GREATEST of all things, LOVE. The Rock's imparted indwelling of His and His Father's Holy Spirit is our abundance of Living Water. This Living Water is Grace, Love, Faith, Hope, Peace, Patience, Joy, Self Control, Kindness, Unconditional Love, Gentleness, which no Law is written against.
10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it.
When we speak of the Royal Law (Golden Rule), we speak of a very Miracle of God. It surpasses the foundation built on sand, which moth and rust destroy. The Stone was God revealing that He alone is God and Creation cannot "lord" over itself to any good end. Only God is good. The dispensation of Angels ended on Golgotha. The Angels that rejoiced in Christ's victory, live by His Golden Rule and understand that He (Jesus) is the very Face of Love (God is Love). The Angels that were filled with rage at the end of the Old Covenant (Moses), hungered for Power, Control, Dominance, Sovereignty, Pride expressed through self exaltation.
11 For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.
The old covenant is only present where the accusations of the King of Demon's are given value. Love covers a Multitude of Sins. Love is the mechanism of God and God, alone. Love is God's power. Where Pride denotes exaltation, Love denotes humility and a Heart (Soul) aching to serve out of the authority of God's Unconditional Love. One act of sincere Love overpowers 1000 acts of hatred brought about by the enemy.
12 Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness. 13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away, 14 but their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted,
By direct flow of this passage, it specifically states that the Covenant of Moses, defined by the very Stone Tablets of the Covenant closes the minds of mankind. The very veil that it places within mankind is the very Veil that The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ rent asunder when The Son gave up His Holy Ghost, on the Cross. Through the Father and The Son, the veil that separated man from God, was torn in two. Sin officially imputed by the Law, was reconciled within the PERFECTLY INNOCENT flesh of God. Christ became the Veil, to destroy the veil.
because it is set aside only in Christ.
When we repent that we are perpetually condemned as Sinners when compared to the standards of God's Perfection, we become the Pharisee that was self righteous, becoming the man that beats his chest, with lowered head that says; "Oh Lord, Have Mercy on me a sinner". When we repent from Self (Moses/The Old Covenant) to Jesus Christ (The New Covenant), we become blinded to this world like Saul on the road to Damascus. The only thing we then see, is The Very One True Blinding Light of the Creator. We no longer look to self, which fails daily, but keep our eyes mysteriously fixed to Jesus Christ, from whom all True Beauty that never fades, Flows.
5 Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts,
This very veil bears Human Judgment of self and mankind. This very veil hardens the soil of the human soul into a self exaltation that holds self and humanity to impossible standards. This veil casts darkness, because the Shakina Glory is no longer dwelling in Temples built by human hands. (
Acts 17:24)
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
By BEHOLDING we become changed. Our works of dead flesh are not our concern. The works of Jesus Christ through us are forever our concern. The more we exalt ourselves, the less that His Love can flow through us and be provided to us. The more we Humble ourselves before God and mankind, the more that His Love can flow through us and be provided to us.
2 Corinthians 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Op will be split into parts due to length. Part 1 concluded.
