2 Corinthians 3:7-4:1
1599 Geneva Bible
7 If then the ministration of death written with letters [a]and engraven in stones, was [b]glorious, so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance (which glory is gone away.)
8 How shall not the [c]ministration of the Spirit be more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, much more doth the ministration of [d]righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was glorified, was not glorified in this point, that is, as touching the exceeding glory.
11 For if that they should be [e]abolished, was glorious, much more shall that which remaineth be glorious.
12 [f]Seeing then that we have such trust, we use great boldness of speech.
13 (A)[g]And we are not as Moses, which put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look unto the [h]end of that which should be abolished.
14 Therefore their minds are hardened: for until this day remaineth the same covering untaken away in the reading of the old Testament, which veil in Christ is put away.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is laid over their hearts.
16 Nevertheless when their heart shall be turned to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the [i]Lord is the (B)Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 [j]But we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face, and are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
4 1 He showeth that he hath so labored in preaching the Gospel, 4 That such are even blinded of Satan, who do not perceive the brightness thereof, 7 that the same is carried in earthen vessels, 10 who are subject to many miseries: 16 and therefore he exhorteth them by his own example to be courageous, 17 and condemn this present life.
1 Therefore, [k]seeing that we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we [l]faint not:
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 3:7 Imprinted and engraven: so that by this place we may plainly perceive, that the Apostle speaketh not of the ceremonies of the Law, but even of the ten commandments.
- 2 Corinthians 3:7 This word Glory, betokeneth a brightness, and a majesty, which was bodily in Moses, but spiritually in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 3:8 Whereby God offereth, yea and giveth the Spirit, not as a dead thing, but a quickening Spirit, working life.
- 2 Corinthians 3:9 To wit, of Christ, which being imputed to us as our own, we are not only not condemned, but also we are crowned as righteous.
- 2 Corinthians 3:11 The Law, yea, and the ten commandments themselves, together with Moses, is abolished, if we consider the ministry of Moses apart by itself.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12 He showeth wherein standeth this glory of the preaching of the Gospel, to wit, in that that it setteth forth plainly and evidently, that which the Law showeth darkly, for it sent them that heard it to be healed of Christ, which was to come, after it had wounded them.
- 2 Corinthians 3:13 He expoundeth by the way the allegory of Moses’ covering, which was a token of the darkness and weakness that is in men, which were rather dulled by the bright shining of the Law, then lightened, which covering was taken away by the coming of Christ, who lighteneth the hearts, and turneth them to the Lord, that we may be brought from the slavery of this blindness, and set in the liberty of the light, by the virtue of Christ’s Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:13 Into the very bottom of Moses’ ministry.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 Christ is that spirit which taketh away that covering, by working in our hearts, whereunto also the Law itself called us, though in vain, because it speaketh to dead men, until the spirit quickeneth us.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Going forwards in the allegory of the covering, he compareth the Gospel to a glass, which although it be most bright and sparkling, yet doth it not only not dazzle their eyes, which look in it, as the law doth, but also transformeth them with its beams, so that they also be partakers of the glory and shining of it, to lighten others: as Christ said unto his, You are the light of the world, whereas he himself was the only light. We are also commanded in another place, to shine as candles before the world, because we are partakers of God’s Spirit. But Paul speaketh here properly, of the ministers of the Gospel, as it appeareth both by that that goeth before, and that that cometh after, and that, setting them his own example and his fellows.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 Now he plainly witnesseth that both he and his fellows (through the mercy of God) do their vocation and duty uprightly and sincerely, neglecting all dangers.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 Though we are broken in pieces with miseries and calamities, yet we yield not.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Bible Gateway Recommends
