Sean,
This is nothing more than a mere verse by verse commentary, with the exception of the obvious. We all us bible commentaries. please consider this commentary I have comprised. Qualifier: I am only a bible student not a theologian.
2Corinthians 3:1-18 (KJV)
1.Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2. Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3. For as much as
ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Paul was saying, that these people represent what he preached in word not a Law of stone that he gave them. But it was received by the preached word of God into their hearts.
4. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6. Who also hath
made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
This is another confirmation of what he just said. He didn't telepathically transmit these things to them by osmosis in the Spirit, He Preached To Them.
7. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance;
which glory was to be done away:
Moses read them the Law with a veil upon his face. The glory was going to be done away from the face of moses.
8. How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
The Spirit Anointed preaching of the Word of God.
9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
The ministering of the Word of God is so much better than what they had Because these things were engraven in stone, But God's man Preaches What sayeth the Spirit, " He that have an ear Let him hear what the spirit sayeth unto the church."
10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
There was a better thing coming than tablets of stone_ The Spirit Anointed Preached Word of God..
11. For if that which is done away was glorious, how much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12. Seeing then that we have such hope,
we use great plainness of speech:
The Apostole is saying that he has no doubt that the things he has said are greater than those Holy things once received in old time because it was done by the Spirit. Now he has no problem preaching with Great Plainness.
13. And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look
to the end of that which is abolished:
Not Like Moses who had to wear a vail to convice the people the glory still remained even though it was gone.
14. But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
Now through Christ we are able to understand and hear plainly but then they could not because the veil kept them from understanding.
15. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the
vail is upon their heart.
In these verses the vail is a blinding element upon the heart from understanding. Even today the Jew are Blind to the Spiritual truths in the Law.
16. Nevertheless
when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
when Israel (IT) turns to God the vail will be taken away and they will be restored.
17. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Sean, these versus only point out that the ministering of the Word in the spirit are superior to writing the Law on Tables of Stone. This actually is a great chapter that we look to debate the prederist. (bless their holy name)
Because it states and confirms clearly that Israel will be restored. They were not cut off at 70ad permanently..
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