Daily Scripture Reading 2Corinthians 2:14 - 3:18

We live in a culture that suppresses the truth about Jesus and mocks the core tenets of Christianity. Creation, the Bible, the resurrection, and the existence of God are all derided as wishful thinking. Many people today think modern man has progressed beyond the need to believe in God.

This causes many Christians to speak timidly and step carefully in proclaiming the truth found in the Bible. We try to minister without causing offense or creating controversy. We will see in today’s passage that the truth of our message should compel us to do the opposite.

In the passage we read yesterday, Paul explained that he did not visit Corinth again because he wanted to spare the Corinthians. He did not want to go to them in sorrow. Instead, he went to Troas, and then on to Macedonia.

2Cor. 2:14 ¶ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

2Cor. 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

2Cor. 2:16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2Cor. 2:17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Note the words “many” and “peddling”. Paul differentiated himself from others who were selling the word of God. Paul ministered with a sincere desire to do ministry. The implication is the others who were peddling the word of God didn’t really care about ministry, they just used ministry as an opportunity to gain money.

We should ask ourselves to what extent this is happening today. There are many celebrity pastors who are good at entertaining people and raising money from them. The celebrity pastors end up rich, having huge homes and private jets. However, are they doing ministry because they have a sincere desire to proclaim Jesus, or are they merely using Jesus as a tool to gain wealth?

2Cor. 3:1 ¶ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

Sometimes traveling pastors or missionaries need letters of recommendation because they are unknown outside their local church. The church at Corinth did not need a letter commending Paul, nor did Paul need a letter from Corinth to other churches.

2Cor. 3:2 You are our letter, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

2Cor. 3:3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, ministered to by us, having been written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh.

The existence of the church at Corinth testified to Paul’s ministry.

2Cor. 3:4 ¶ And such confidence we have through Christ toward God.

2Cor. 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

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

In verses 5 and 6 we see the concept of sufficiency. Paul by himself was not sufficient to do ministry. Instead, he was sufficient because God made him sufficient.

Humans want to be capable and self-sufficient. We do not want to have to rely on anyone else for success. If Paul was not sufficient in himself to do his ministry, then neither are we. We are not sufficient in ourselves to do whatever it is God created us to do in service to Him. In everything we do in ministry, we need to remember that it is the leading and power of God that will give us success, not merely our own talent and work.

2Cor. 3:7 ¶ But if the ministry of death, in letters having been 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, which was being brought to an end,

2Cor. 3:8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more in glory?

In verse 7 the phrase “ministry of death” refers to the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law brought glory; therefore, the coming of Jesus brings even more glory.

2Cor. 3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

2Cor. 3:10 For indeed what had been glorious, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.

2Cor. 3:11 For if that which was being brought to an end was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

2Cor. 3:12 ¶ Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness,

2Cor. 3:13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the consequence of what was being brought to an end.

Look at the word “therefore” in verse 12. Because the coming of Jesus is more glorious than the coming of the Law of Moses, Paul was bold. Moses hid his face because the Israelites could not handle the glory reflected in his face. In contrast, Paul spoke boldly. He did not hide the glory of Jesus in any way.

We live in a culture that suppresses the truth about Jesus and mocks the core tenets of Christianity. This causes many Christians to speak timidly and step carefully in proclaiming the truth found in the Bible. However, Paul did not do that. He was bold. He knew he spoke the truth. He knew the truth of Jesus is more glorious and valuable than anything else; therefore; he proclaimed it without reservation and with no regard to his own safety.

We Christians living in the 21st century should be doing the same thing. We live in a world full of hurting people. They need Jesus. We know the truth that they need in order to fill the emptiness in their lives. Therefore, we should proclaim that truth with confidence and boldness.

2Cor. 3:14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is brought to an end in Christ.

The pronoun “their” refers to the Israelites.

2Cor. 3:15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart,

2Cor. 3:16 but WHENEVER a person TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY.

2Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Many of the hurting people in our society are enslaved to various lusts and erroneous beliefs. The Lord brings freedom from that enslavement, which is another reason for us to preach Jesus boldly and without apology.

2Cor. 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 from the Lord, the Spirit.

The glory of Jesus far exceeds the glory of the Law of Moses. Therefore, Paul spoke boldly and so should we.

What are some of the other Biblical truths that are suppressed by the modern world?

In what ways are modern Christians timid in how we proclaim Biblical truth?

What would it look like for modern evangelists to proclaim Jesus with the boldness that Paul possessed?

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to Bible Mountain dotcom, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold nor given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”