Lesson 5 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 3:1-14

As we begin chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians, we will discover the relationship between the Old Testament message of Law and the New Testament ministry of the Gospel of God’s grace. As I’ve mentioned before, the false teachers had the ear of the Corinthians, and they were driving the message that Paul didn’t have the credentials they had. Paul would use these accusations as an opportunity to contrast the Gospel of grace with the Law of Moses.

2 Cor. 3:1:
“Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?”

To commend oneself in a proud, selfish manner is to speak or act in a way that draws attention to one’s own achievements, qualities, or status.

Paul is dealing with false teachers who have slithered their way into the church in Corinth. Paul is being accused of what his opponents were guilty of themselves, “Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation.” (NLT)

These false teachers or false apostles, whatever we choose to call them, couldn’t stand on their own credibility because when it came to leaning on a virtuous and godly reputation, they were found severely lacking.

Casting stones of pride and selfish mannerisms at Paul was exactly what they were guilty of. Those who accused Paul of weakness were themselves hollow, and propped up by self-promotion rather than substance.

John 5:44:
“No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.” (NLT)

Jesus might say something like, “You seek honor from men, but you do not know the honor which comes from God. You build your name on applause, but I call you to lose your name for My sake. You commend yourselves, but the Father commends those who walk in truth, love, and lowliness.”

Paul wasn’t trying to make himself look good, he just wanted to tell the truth so people wouldn’t doubt the ministry God gave him.

The ironic truth: Paul says he’s not trying to elevate himself, but by defending his ministry and speaking truthfully, he ends up showing deep spiritual authority and integrity. The very act of not seeking honor reveals a character that’s worthy of it. The more Paul resists self-promotion, the more his authenticity shines through.

Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?

Another ironic truth is, in their attempt to discredit Paul, the false teachers claimed he was the one who lacked the official letters of commendation. While they were pointing the finger at Paul, they were the ones with counterfeit letters. Accusing someone of doing something that they were guilty of… sound familiar?

2 Cor. 3:2:
“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;”

We’ve all heard the phrase, “As God is my witness,” used to back up someone’s honesty or intentions. In Paul’s case, the Corinthian believers themselves were living proof of his faithful leadership. They didn’t just hear his words, they experienced his care, correction, and commitment firsthand.

Paul is saying, you are our epistle (or letter)… all who witnessed the transformed lives of the Corinthians, it was read by all men.

Matthew 7:20:
“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

In effect Paul’s saying, “You are the proof. You are the letter. Your lives are the testimony.” Their changed lives were read by everyone who saw them.

This challenges us to ask: What do others “read” when they look at our lives? Are we living letters that point to Christ? Is the fruit of our faith visible; not just in words, but in humility, repentance, and the love we show?

Just as the Corinthians were living letters, proof of Paul’s faithful ministry and the Spirit’s power working through him, we too are called to be epistles of Christ. Their lives were visibly transformed. The question is: Are we transformed?

2 Cor. 3:3:
“Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”

What a beautiful statement by Paul, guiding us into the goal of being an epistle of Christ. It is Christ alone who saves and sanctifies us through the preaching of His Word by faithful men like Paul.

The Corinthians weren’t Paul’s trophies as some might think, they were Christ’s epistles, written by the Spirit, and delivered through a faithful servant. If you guys ever hear me say something that is over-the-top profound and wise, that’s the Spirit of God speaking through me, I’m just a very ordinary vessel.

As we’ve seen with Paul, when wisdom flows from humility, it points people not to the speaker, but to the Savior.

John 10:27:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

One Bible commentary writes, “How have all the sheep heard His voice? When the preacher accurately proclaims the Word of God, it is not only the mind of Christ but also the very voice of the Lord of the church to His sheep.”

Not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart…

Jeremiah 31:33:
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Then in contrast with the Old Covenant inscribed in stone (Ex. 24:12), the New Covenant is inscribed on human hearts…

Ezekiel 11:19:
“Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,”

As the New is far superior to the Old, so was Paul’s commendation compared with that of the false teachers.

New Covenant doesn’t just change laws, it changes hearts. In that light, Paul’s ministry shines with Spirit-given truthfulness, while the false teachers cling to external credentials and lifeless commendations.

2 Cor. 3:4:
“And we have such trust through Christ toward God.”

The moment our trust and confidence is weighed through man and not Christ, is the moment we fall off a very large cliff… and it’s not a stumble, it’s a plunge.

Jeremiah 17:5:
“Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.”

Romans 15:18 (NLT):
“Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.”

When we look to charisma, titles, or popularity to measure spiritual authority, we lose sight of what truly matters. We trade God’s voice for man’s approval, and suddenly the ground beneath us isn’t very solid anymore.

Paul didn’t rely on his own skills or strength to carry out his ministry, it was Christ’s power working through him that made it effective. His trust wasn’t in himself; it was in the One who called and equipped him… Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 3:5:
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,”

In our own strength and wisdom, we cannot accomplish anything of eternal value, and neither could Paul. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5) That’s not a rebuke, it’s an invitation to abide, to depend, to let go of self-reliance, and lean fully into the life-giving power of Christ.

But our sufficiency is from God…

Paul’s ministry wasn’t powered by talent or sufficiency, but by Christ living and working through him.

“It is not great talents God blesses, so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God,” said Robert Murray McCheyne to a young minister.

A minister who walks closely with Christ, who reflects His character in secret and in public, becomes a vessel of divine power. He’s not flashy, but awe-inspiring, not loud, but deeply effective… and that perfectly describes Paul to us.

2 Cor. 3:6:
“Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

We know that Paul is having to deal with the effects that the false teachers were having on the Corinthians. To drill down on this a little bit, there’s a very good chance these false teachers were what was referred to as Judaizers.

Who Were the Judaizers?

Judaizers were Jewish-Christian teachers who insisted that Gentile believers must adopt Jewish laws, especially circumcision and adherence to Mosaic customs in order to be fully accepted by God. This equates to salvation plus something else… that God’s grace wasn’t quite enough.

Gal. 1:6-7:
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

The Judaizers were spreading a different gospel… so why would this be attractive to the Corinthians believers?

The Judaizers likely came with credentials from Jerusalem, possibly even letters of recommendation. That would have impressed a status-conscious Corinthian culture.

Besides carrying letters of recommendations, we could also say they were carrying the letter of the Law to the people as well. The Judaizers were offering a gospel rooted in external conformity, which meant circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance… what Paul calls “the letter.”

Romans 3:20:
“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life…

Perhaps the Corinthians were drawn to the law because it involves doing things; people like to play a part in their own salvation. It’s strange that this battle is even taking place, because the law is strenuous, whereas God’s grace is so freeing.

Even when grace is clearly preached, the law has a strange allure for people:

• It’s measurable: You can count your prayers, your fasts, your good deeds.
• It’s visible: Others can see your devotion, your discipline, your “righteousness.”
• It’s empowering (in a worldly sense): It lets you feel like you’ve contributed to your salvation.

Gal. 5:3-4:
“I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”

Paul declares for us… but the Spirit gives life…

Through the Spirit, those under the new covenant are empowered to live out God’s law… not as a burden, but as a joy. Like the psalmist, they can truly say, “Oh, how I love Your law… it is my meditation all day long.” (Ps. 119:97)

The gospel gives life to those who believe because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross… awakening hearts to grace, hope, and eternal fellowship with God.

The false teachers were doing the opposite of grace, they were laying down tracks of legalism, trying their best to gain control over the Corinthians.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “A legalistic ministry brings death. Preachers who major on rules and regulations keep their congregations under a dark cloud of guilt, and this kills their joy, power, and effective witness for Christ.”

It’s amazing that God uses regular, imperfect men to preach His perfect Word. When the Holy Spirit teaches and equips them to handle Scripture rightly and speak it clearly, that’s how the good news of Jesus gets out. People can’t hear the gospel unless someone tells them. Even those who are saved need someone to help them understand what the Bible means.

Just like in Acts 8, when Philip asked the Ethiopian, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” and the man said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” It’s a reminder that God’s plan includes people helping people.

2 Cor. 3:7-8:
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?”

(NLT) “The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?”

The law had real glory, you could see it in Moses’ face when he came down from the mountain, shining from being with God. So Paul asks, “If the law that brings judgment and death had that kind of glory, how much greater is the glory of the new covenant, the message of God’s grace that brings life?”

It’s like comparing the flicker of a candle to the rising sun. One puts a light on the seriousness of sin, the other shows the power of God’s grace and mercy.

Unlike Paul’s legalistic opponents, he saw the old covenant of the Law in its proper perspective… as a ministry of death.

The Law can’t save anyone; it was never meant to. Its purpose is to expose our sin and show us our desperate need for a Savior. Without Jesus, the Law doesn’t lead to life, it leads to judgment. In that sense, it stands as the most relentless accuser in history, condemning every soul that refuses the grace of Christ to eternal separation from God.

Romans 3:19 (NIV):
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”

The thought of someone turning away from the only hope of salvation should shake us deeply. Not because we delight in judgment, but because we understand the gift of grace and the horror of its rejection.

How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

Romans 8:1-2 (NLT):
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

In Romans 8, Paul expounds on the ministry of the Spirit, the fact that every believer of Christ will not face any condemnation whatsoever is indeed glorious, it’s one of the most triumphant declarations in all of Scripture.

The ministry of the Spirit, is not just that we’re forgiven, it’s that we’re adopted, indwelt, empowered, and kept by Him.

Just as we see in the book of Hebrews the superiority of Jesus over all things, the new covenant ministry of the Spirit is superior to the old covenant.

Hebrews 8:6 (NLT):
“But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.”

The old covenant was mediated by mortal priests, repeated sacrifices, and external regulations. The new covenant is mediated by Christ Himself… eternal, perfect, and enthroned at the right hand of the Father… and it’s applied by the Spirit, who writes God’s law on our hearts.

2 Cor. 3:9-10:
“For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.”

Paul continues comparing the old with the new, the ministry of condemnation represents the Law, and the ministry of righteousness denotes the covenant of God’s grace.

The Law was glorious because it revealed God’s holiness and justice, but it also condemned, because it exposed sin without providing power to overcome it.

The new covenant is more glorious as it not only reveals righteousness, but imparts it through the Spirit. It’s going from judgment to eternal life, making it a transformation from death to life.

Paul is urging the Corinthians not to revert back to a system that brings death, but to embrace the Spirit who gives life.

2 Cor. 3:11:
“For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”

When God put the Law in place, it was never intended to be permanent; in fact, it was meant to be directional, to guide mankind to the foot of the cross. The Law was never the destination, it was the signpost, and as a signpost that leads men to Christ it was glorious!

Romans 3:24-25:
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,”

Israel trembled at Sinai, not just because of the spectacle of the signpost, but because they had a glimpse of the righteousness of the Great I Am.

What remains is much more glorious…

What remains for us as believers is a permeance, not some kind of left-overs for us to pick at. The glory is brighter than the full force of the sun.

The old covenant had its moment, its fading brilliance, chiseled in stone and veiled on Moses’ face, but what remains… is the new covenant ministry of the Spirit. It is not a dim afterglow, but it’s the brilliance of God’s redemptive glory, and that glory never fades.

2 Cor. 3:12:
“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech.”

What is the hope that Paul speaks of?

We see a reference to it in Romans 8:23:
“And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.” (NLT)

If we break this down, we know that we have been given the Holy Spirit as a seal and a promise of what is to come for every believer. More specifically, a life of eternity spent with God, and brand-new glorified bodies… the older a person gets, the more they long for a new body.

Our old worn-out bodies are the reminders of our mortality, they all point us toward a deeper hope. That hope isn’t vague or abstract, it’s anchored in the person of Christ and the work of the Spirit. The Christian hope is a deep assurance that what God has promised will come to pass.

Romans 8:24-25 (NLT):
“We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”

This is the attitude all believers need to have… a willingness to wait patiently and confidently.

There are five core elements to the hope Paul and all believers hold on to:

• Resurrection of the Body… believers anticipate receiving glorified, imperishable bodies… free from sin, suffering, and death.
• Eternal Life with God… this hope includes being forever in God’s presence, where there is fullness of joy and peace (Revelation 21:3–4).
• There is a Redemption coming… that’s just not personal salvation, but the renewal of all creation. Romans 8 speaks of creation itself groaning for restoration, which believers will witness and share in.
• We have an inheritance as Children of God. Christians are adopted into God’s family, and have the full rights of that adoption… including eternal glory… which will be revealed (Romans 8:23, Colossians 1:5).
• Victory Over Death and Sin… through Christ’s resurrection, death has lost its sting. This victory is the foundation of Christian hope (1 Corinthians 15:54–57).

It is this hope that Paul says… we use great boldness of speech… Paul is saying this with great confidence, because he knows to whom he belongs. It reminds me of David and Goliath. David wasn’t standing by himself that day in front of the Philistines’ champion, he had the hope of God with him.

Paul’s boldness and David’s courage both spring from the same deep well: confidence in God’s presence and promises.

Eph. 4:4:
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;”

Col. 1:5:
“Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,”

Paul was spreading the truth of the gospel, and here in our text he does it with great boldness of speech. He was always ready to give his life for Christ, displaying a courage and devotion unlike most.

Paul’s life was a living testimony to the transformative power of the gospel. His boldness could be seen by everyone; it was expressed in every city he entered, every synagogue he spoke in, and every prison cell he endured. He writes in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

That’s not just courage… it’s sacrificial devotion.

2 Cor. 3:13:
“Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.”

This gives us a vivid picture when Paul reminds us that Moses had to put a vail over his face so he would not cause the Israelites to freak out. Moses returns from speaking with God, and his face is literally shining with divine glory.

Just like blue jeans fade over time, Moses’ radiant face represented a temporary glory. Paul says that glory was fading (what was passing away) just like the old covenant… all according to God’s plan.

In contrast to the fading glory of the old covenant, comes the new covenant that reveals the mysteries of God that were once vague in the old covenant. This shift from law to grace, from veiled to unveiled, is the heartbeat of the Christian hope. It’s why Paul could speak with such boldness, and why we can live with such confidence.

The old covenant is what was passing away…

Hebrews 10:1 (NLT):
“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.”

Under the shadow of the old covenant, the sins of the people were only covered up at the mercy seat. With the new covenant, a perfect cleansing of sin came through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

We see a shift from ritual ceremony to relational; it’s a radical redefinition of how humanity now relates to God… all through the blood of Christ.

2 Cor. 3:14:
“But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.”

The NLT captures the essence of what is being said…

“But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.”

The word hardened can be translated as “stubborn,” the Old Testament refers to the Jews as a “stiff-necked people.”

Exodus 32:9:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!”

This was a sad commentary on the Jews, because of their stubbornness and blindness they missed the arrival of the one true Messiah Jesus Christ.

Luke 19:41-42:
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

John 12:40:
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

There’s an old saying; “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed” or, “In the Old Testament Jesus Christ is concealed, and in the New Testament Jesus is revealed”

We need the Holy Word of God, the Bible. Some refer to the B.I.B.L.E. as, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Old Testament puts us on a course that directs us to the New Testament, right to the foot of the cross. In the New, grace and forgiveness are offered as a free gift, and all who receive become the glory of God.