Lesson 6 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 3:15-18 & Chapter 4:1

We’ve been talking about the new covenant being more glorious than the old, and this is all according to God’s plan. When we first become believers, God’s sanctification process begins. This is the time when we begin to grow in Christ, and we keep moving forward in our relationship with God.

I think this is similar within the covenants that God has laid out for us. What I mean by this is the old covenant was never meant to stand alone, it was meant to direct us to Jesus. Just as being sanctified sets us apart unto God, the old covenant sets us part by showing us how sinful we are.

The Jews failed to see God’s glory on display through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the only true Messiah. We ended last week talking about the fact that the Jews were labeled as a “stiff-necked people,” meaning they were satisfied with the outside requirements of the law, and ignoring the heart and soul… where the blood of Christ would take away sins, not just cover them up.

In the New Testament, the “stiff‑necked” label echoes the prophets’ rebukes to Israel for resisting God’s Spirit.

Acts 7:51 :
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

The Law, as Paul explains, was never meant to be the end goal; it was a tutor leading to Christ.

Galatians 3:24-25:
“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

The sacrificial system could only cover sins temporarily, but the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, removes sin entirely.

Hebrews 10:9-10:
“Then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

From a first‑century Jewish perspective, many struggled with the idea of a suffering and crucified Messiah.

2 Cor. 3:15:
“But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.”

It hurt Paul’s heart to write concerning the Jewish people that to this day, when Moses is read… meaning as part of their weekly Sabbath worship. They were locked in a pit; a veil lies on their heart.

The veil recalls Moses covering his face after meeting with God (Exodus 34), but here it’s not over the face, it’s over the heart.

Acts 13:27 (NLT):
“The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath.”

Talking to a Jew about Jesus being the Messiah isn’t much different from talking to a Jehovah Witness about Jesus not being an angel.

For many Jews, the stumbling block for them is the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. Judaism, as it’s been practiced since the first century, does not accept Jesus as the promised Messiah.

For Jehovah’s Witnesses, the issue is different, but just as foundational: they believe Jesus is the Son of God, but not equal with God, and they identify Him as Michael the Archangel.

The story of Emmanuel Mebasser’s Journey:

Emmanuel was born into a Jewish family in Tehran, Iran. When he was still a baby, political unrest forced his family to flee to Los Angeles. Growing up, he learned about the God of the Bible and the Hebrew prophecies, but his faith felt more like something inherited from his parents than something personal.

By the time he reached college, Emmanuel began to question what he truly believed. Friends challenged him about Jesus, and he realized he couldn’t defend his faith. When a close friend suggested starting a Bible study club, Emmanuel decided he needed to seek God for himself before leading others.

He began reading Scripture and praying directly, asking God to reveal Himself. Over time, he noticed that God was answering his prayers in small but undeniable ways. The turning point came when Emmanuel finally prayed from his heart, confessing Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

“As soon as I made that prayer, I felt like my soul was unburdened… I knew that all the things I read in the Scripture were true,” he recalled.

Today, Emmanuel openly shares his faith, proclaiming Jesus as the Jewish Messiah while still embracing his Jewish identity. This is why as believers, we should always be praying for our Jewish brothers and sisters, that the veil would be lifted from their eyes.

Paul knew that the veil of a hardened heart made the Jews think they could save themselves, causing them, therefore, to miss the meaning of both the old and new covenants.

Paul saw the veil as more than just a metaphor for ignorance; it was a spiritual blindness rooted in their self-reliance and a misunderstanding of God’s covenant purposes.

Romans 10:1:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

The Jews could do all the good deeds in the world, but those good deeds can never turn into a righteousness that God would accept. Human effort, no matter how sincere or abundant, can never produce the kind of righteousness God requires. Scripture is very direct about this:

Isaiah 64:6:
“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”

What does God want?

Psalm 51:17:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart… These, O God, You will not despise.”

God is always looking at a person’s heart. God’s evaluation of a person is never about outward appearances, rituals, or even impressive deeds. He looks deeper, He looks at our motives, desires, and the attitude of our heart.

There are those times when the veil is lifted, and then there are times when God leaves it on… why? There are no easy answers, there are moments when God intentionally withholds full revelation, not out of cruelty, but because His timing is always perfect.

2 Cor. 3:16:
“Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

The lifting of the veil is often tied to a position of humility, repentance, and faith. When a person’s heart is open to God, He reveals His truth, and gives clarity with a deeper understanding. This unveiling is an act of God’s grace… a gift that allows us to see His glory and purposes more clearly.

If we could fully understand God, that is when He would cease to be God. If we could fully comprehend Him with our finite minds, He would be no greater than our own capacity to reason. Scripture reminds us that His nature, wisdom, and ways are infinitely higher than ours.

The veil was taken away for Saul (Paul), just like it happened for one Jewish man who gave his life to Christ and said, “It’s like scales falling from your eyes. And you wonder why everybody doesn’t see what you see!”

Isaiah 55:8–9:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Biblical scholar Philip E. Hughes writes, “Christ alone is the full, the abiding evangelical glory. To turn to Him is to turn to the light of the world. To follow Him is not to walk in darkness, but to have the light of life.”

Jeremiah 29:13:
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

God is knowable, and He reveals Himself in ways we can grasp: through His Word, His Spirit, and His Son Jesus Christ, but there will always be depths that are beyond our reach, because He is infinite and we are not.

In a way, that’s good news for us. It means there will always be more of Him to discover, more wonder to experience, and more awesomeness to draw us into deeper worship of Him.

2 Cor. 3:17:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

In the Godhead there are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirt. Here we have a strong declaration from Paul affirming the deity of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is not just a force or holy influence, but He is fully God, co‑equal with the Father and the Son. This truth is woven all throughout Scripture:

The Old Testament witness:

Genesis 1:2 – “The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (He was present and active in creation, a role only God fulfills.)

Job 33:4 – “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Creation and life‑giving power are the divine works of God.)

Psalm 139:7 – “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (The Holy Spirit is omnipresent, a uniquely divine attribute of God.)

The New Testament gives clarity about the Holy Spirit as well…

Matthew 28:19 – Jesus commands baptism “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (This places the Spirit on equal footing with the Father and Son.)

Acts 5:3–4 – Peter tells Ananias, “You have lied to the Holy Spirit… You have not lied to men but to God” (Peter is directly identifying the Spirit as God.)

1 Corinthians 2:10–11 – The Spirit knows “the deep things of God” (only God can fully know God.)

The Holy Spirit is not a lesser being or an impersonal power, He is the personal, eternal God, actively involved in creation, revelation, salvation, and our sanctification. To be clear, the Holy Spirit is not an “it” but a “He.”

The Judaizers who had invaded the Corinthian church were leaning heavily on the letter of the Law to change men’s lives, but only the Spirit of God can bring about a true spiritual transformation. Paul contrasts the law with the internal work of the Holy Spirit, who writes God’s law on human hearts, bringing real change in men from the inside out.

Ezekiel 36:26:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty…

We could say, where God is present in a believer’s life, there is liberty.

Romans 7:6 (NLT):
“But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

Paul shows that the Law, though it is holy, could only condemn when met with sinful hearts. The Spirit enables a new kind of liberty for the believer… with a desire for obedience, that is motivated by love, and not fear. This liberty is rooted in grace, not license; in transformation, and not mere permission.

Liberty doesn’t mean doing whatever one wants, it means being free to live rightly, guided by love and God’s truth.

Romans 8:14-15:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

As we are all sons of God, we are also sons of liberty, no longer bound by the weight of sin, but free to live with purpose, to serve others, and to walk as one with God.

2 Cor. 3:18:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

This verse is the climax of chapter 3!

(NLT) “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

But we all… (believers) with unveiled face… (this is “liberty”)

On the cross, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” the veil in the temple was torn in two, revealing the Holy of Holies. This symbolized that believers in Jesus Christ had full access to God. We could say the veil was removed, and with it, all believers now enjoy liberty in Christ. Never is God more clearly revealed than in the face of Jesus Christ.

You could even say: The veil was torn so hearts could be opened.

Beholding as in a mirror… it means to show in a mirror, to make to reflect, implies contemplation and reflection… this speaks of intimacy with God.

The word mirror in this context means the Word of God.

James 1:23-25 (NLT):
“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

James is saying it’s like staring into a mirror until you see not just your flaws, but your identity in Christ. When the people of God look into the Word of God and see the glory of God, the Spirit of God transforms them to be like the Son of God.

This speaks to our intentionality, not just a casual glance, but a deep, reverent gaze into Scripture. The Word is not just information, it’s a revelation. It’s the mirror that shows us both who we are and who we’re meant to become in Christ.

Romans 8:29:
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Looking into the mirror, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit teaches us all about Jesus and what He has done for us.

For those He has predestined, they come to Him with confession and repentance, then receiving Christ into their hearts. With reborn hearts, believers see the glory of the Lord.

The glory of the Lord is one of the most awe-inspiring and multifaceted concepts in Scripture. It’s not just a bright light or a divine aura as some might think, it’s the manifest presence, character, and majesty of God made visible and knowable to all who believe.

We are being transformed… The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus: His love, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His ongoing work in us. To know Him, to follow Him, is to be changed by Him… transformed by Him… and our verse says, from glory to glory.

To be transformed or changed is similar to the English word metamorphosis. We get the image of a larva turning into a beautiful butterfly. For the Christian, it’s a change that takes place from the inside out; before there can be a seeable change from the outside, the heart must change on the inside.

Romans 12:2:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The Spirit of God works within us, changing our desires, healing wounds, and reshaping our identity to be Christlike. Over time, this inward change begins to radiate outward: we see it in our speech, actions, relationships, and even our purpose.

We might say to ourselves, “This all sounds great, but I don’t think I can pull this off.” By ourselves we could never do this, even Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” But we’re not alone, the moment we gave our life to Christ, we were sealed with the Spirit of God, to work in us and to do the will of God.

The beauty of the gospel is that it never asks us to transform ourselves by sheer willpower, it is the Holy Spirit who brings the change.

Phil. 2:13:
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

As believers get into the Word of God and encounter Christ, they behold His glory, His character, His love, and His holiness.

The Christian life isn’t a solo climb, it’s a Spirit-led journey, and on that journey we move from glory to glory. The Christian life is a continual process of growing into the image of Christ, ascending from one level of glory to another.

Col. 3:10 [a reminder from Paul]:
“Put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,”

Our goal in life should be to be more and more like the Lord.

1 John 3:2:
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

We could say: “from glory to glory” is the rhythm of a life being remade in the image of Christ.

God’s ultimate goal in salvation is that believers become conformed to the image of His Son, and that goal is through the accomplishment of the Holy Spirit. Just as by the Spirit of the Lord… this phrase is the action of the Spirit that changes believers into Christ’s image.

This isn’t about imitation alone; it’s about transformation. We’re not just copying Christ, we’re being formed into His image. Salvation is the doorway, but transformation is the destination, and the Holy Spirit is our guide.

CHAPTER 4

2 Cor. 4:1:
“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”

Therefore… Paul wants us to keep in mind all that he has taught us about the “new covenant.” Remember, we have the awesome privilege of the “unveiled look” into the face of Jesus.

Paul says, since we have this ministry… we know that when we serve Christ, we will have trials and tribulations, it’s just going to happen. Paul knew this and he most certainly experienced it. With this in mind, since we have this ministry is all encompassing.

Phil. 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Looking into the face of Jesus, as it were, gave Paul the strength to do ministry.

For Paul, seeing “the face of Jesus” wasn’t just metaphorical, it was transformational. His encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) was the moment everything changed for him. From persecutor to preacher, from blindness to vision, Paul’s entire life was reoriented around the glory of Christ.

The phrase “we have this ministry” shows that Paul humbly recognizes God gave him the special job of sharing the message of the new covenant. He’s not boasting. He’s not claiming credit. He’s humbly acknowledging something powerful: God gave him this calling. It wasn’t earned. It wasn’t achieved. It was granted by grace.

Romans 15:15-16 (NLT):
“Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.”

We have received mercy…

The same is true for us today because of God’s mercy. If you’ve been called to serve, to teach, to encourage, to lead… you have this ministry because God entrusted it to you, not because you’re perfect, but because He is; not because you’re strong, but because His Spirit empowers you. This is how Paul did ministry, this how we do ministry.

Mercy… is when God holds back the judgment that sin rightfully deserves. For those who haven’t yet believed, His mercy gives time and space to repent and come to faith. For those who are saved, His mercy is everlasting, securing them in grace and shielding them from any condemnation.

Like Paul, we can all look back and see God’s mercy in our life! Maybe it was a time when we wandered, and God gently called us back; maybe it was a season of brokenness, and He met us with healing; or maybe it was simply the quiet, daily mercy of waking up with new chances and fresh grace.

Paul never forgot who he was before Christ, and that memory didn’t bring shame, it brought gratitude.

In 1 Timothy 1:13, he says:
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy…”

God’s mercy isn’t just part of our past, it’s the fuel for our future, and Paul saw it as the source of his strength.

We do not lose heart…

Have you ever had a time in your life when you feel like you’ve hit a wall and you just want to give up? Then the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and reminds you of who you belong to… and it changes your whole outlook.

Hitting a wall can feel like the end of the road, bringing exhaustion, discouragement, and maybe even doubt. Then in the quiet of your heart, the Holy Spirit whispers His truth. Not just any truth, He reminds you: That you belong to Jesus.

Even though Paul endured intense suffering and relentless opposition from false apostles, he never gave up. His strength came from a deep, unwavering confidence in the glorious God he had encountered, through the face of Jesus Christ. That vision sustained him, it empowered him, and kept him moving forward in his calling… he would not lose heart.

Paul didn’t survive ministry because he was tough. He endured because he was anchored; anchored in the mercy of God, anchored in the truth of his calling, anchored in the vision of Christ that burned in his heart.

We’ll close with this…

Like Paul, we’ve been entrusted with a calling, God uses every one of us, and yes, it’s hard. Yes, it gets heavy sometimes, but remember, we don’t carry it alone. The same Spirit who strengthened Paul lives in us. The same mercy that held him up, now holds us.

When you feel like quitting, remember to whom you belong. Look into the Word, look into prayer, look into the face of Jesus, because in His eyes, you’ll find mercy every day; in His presence, you’ll find strength; and in His glory, you’ll find the courage to keep going.