2 Corinthians chapter 3
The context from the start is the contrast between the 10 Commandments “law written on tablets of stone” externally – vs the New Covenant “law written on the tablets of the human heart”.
2 you are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
The subject is the contrast between the use of the law in the Old Covenant and the new - notice that both the old and New Covenant are the subjects of 2Cor3.
2Cor 3
vs 6 "who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant"
Where the New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31-33 writes that LAW "on the heart and mind". It is the moral law of God known to Jeremiah and his readers - the Law that defines what sin is - that is written on the heart and mind in Jeremiah 31.
That Law included things like "do not take God's name in vain" Ex 20:7 - and it still does include that commandment.
It also includes the 5th commandment as "the first commandment with a promise" Ephesians 6:2 - in that still-valie unit of TEN.
Such that Paul can ask this question "Do we then make void the LAW of God by our faith? God forbid!! In fact we ESTABLISH the LAW of God" Rom 3:31
Thus it is "still a sin" to take God's name in vain - Exodus 20:7
vs 14 "until this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains unlifted because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. But whenever a man turns to the Lord the veil is taken away"
(notice it does not say whenever they stop reading Moses the veil is taken way - rather when they turn to the Lord (the one true God) they can read Moses with the veil taken away.)
This contrast of outward focus in the Old Covenant and inward in the New Covenant is amplified in these words regarding the law
"you are a letter of Christ cared for by us written not with ink, but wih the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone (- 10 Commandments external on stone) but on tablets of the human heart" 2Cor 3:3 that which is written outwardly on "tablets of stone" in the Old Covenant (God's law) is written inwardly "on tablets of the human heart" under the New Covenant.
Romans 3:19-21 external on stone - they still condemn the entire world - "every mouth shut" they still define what sin is - according to Romans 3.
God further makes the same New Covenant point in Hebrews 8 "I will write my laws upon their hearts" Heb 8:10 --- which is a repeat of Jeremiah 31:33 where the term law in it's highest purest form is the law for Jeremiah written on tablets of stone (as Paul tells us).
So when God speaks these words to his prophet about writing inwardly that which the infinite unchanging creator God calls "law" (inwardly on the heart) - the context demands that we consider the 10 Commandments as the primary reference. James 2 is in full agreement with this giving us examples of the "law" of God - as "the law of liberty" - and the examples are simply excerpts from the law written on tablets of stone. (do not murder, and do not commit adultery).
Romans 2 makes it clear that real Christians "show that the work of the law is written on their hearts"
Romans 2:15. Regarding pagans who have no scripture but "do instinctively the things of the law" ..."for when gentiles who do not have the law - do instinctively the things of the law..."
- clearly it is the same law
of the infinite unchanging creator God which they do not have outwardly, but do have it written on their heart inwardly. That same law is expanded and shown to be the same outward law of the Jews in this same chapter "if therefore the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And will not he who is physically uncircumcised if he keeps the law will he not judge you though having the letter of the law and physically circumcised - as a transgressor of the law"
"for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart - by the spirit -- not by the letter". Rom 2:26-29
and of course the Romans view of what the law is - is the same as the “tablets of stone” we find in 2Cor 3—for Romans quotes from it.
Rom 7:
- 7 what shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, i would not have come to know sin except through the law; for i would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, "" you shall not covet.''
8 but sin, taking opportunity through the Commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the law sin is dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the law; but when the Commandment came, sin became alive and i died;
10 and this Commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
-
(Note: Paul also calls the law "scripture" -
- Gal 3:21 is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
22 but the scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
)
Ephesians 6:2 - is that 10 Commandment unit written on tablets of stone - whose "first Commandment with a promise" according to Paul - is the 5th Commandment to honor parents.
2Cor 3:
5 not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
6 who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Clearly the Gospel - New Covenant is the alternative to death - to that which kills. Only one gospel, only one way of salvation. The New Covenant.
- And the key to this is the fact that the spirit of God is working on the "tablets of the human heart" with the law that would otherwise simply be written on "tablets of stone".
-
2Cor 3
7 but if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
8 how will the ministry of the spirit fail to be even more with glory?
as even Romans 3:19-21 states the moral law of God is indeed the minister of death for it condemns all mankind under sin. Still does - even after the cross. So that all will have the need of the Gospel.
Again the contrast - death vs life. While the law is not written on the heart - while it is simply external - engraved on stone, it only serves to
condemn us. Paul made this very clear in Romans. "the wages of sin is death". God's scripture has placed all men under sin. Romans 3, Gal 3.
- The law is not a "means of salvation" - but the New Covenant does something with the law of God - it writes it on the "tablets of the human heart" -
no longer merely "external" but part of the transformed "new creation" old things passed away - saints "obeying from the heart".
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False doctrine says that Moses is the author of the Old Covenant and that at the reading of Paul there is a veil over their eyes who are stuck under Moses and the Old Covenant.
In the Bible says it is Moses they are not seeing clearly when they read scriptures written by Moses - if they are under the Old Covenant.
In the Bible it is Moses and Elijah that stand WITH Christ in glory in Matt 17.
False doctrine says that "some other gospel - not the one preached by Christ before the cross - is to be proclaimed through all the world"
But in Matt 10 it is "THIS Gospel of the kingdom" that is to be preached long after the cross - into all the world. That pre-cross Gospel.
In Mark 7:6-13 it is the Gospel of Christ that is upholding Moses' teaching saying that "Moses said" = "Word of God" = "Commandment of God"
Notice how Jesus "gets down to the smallest details" when it comes to those trying to edit/downsize/side-step" even one sliver of His Ten Commandments.
Mark 7
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the Commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye
Notice that "Moses said", "Word of God", "Commandment of God" ... are all in one category -- while "your tradition' and "your own tradition" and "tradition of men" are in another category --- according to Christ.
