Lesson 491

(Lesson 491)(12-19-12) 2 Corinthians Chapter 3, "Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch 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. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 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. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 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. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 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."

In this lesson,Paul warns the Corinthians, as well as us today, that we should seek no reward, or special acknowledgment for our efforts toward furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul also exposes how the workings and mystery of faith was established and demonstrated by the teachings of Moses as he guided the Hebrew people through the seemingly aimless forty years in the wilderness.

Their journey was an epic exorcize in faith, the mystery which would not, and could not, be exposed, or finalized, until Jesus had come to secure salvation for all those who, like Moses, understood and accepted the fact that a Savior would eventually come. Even though the end result could not be seen, as Paul said, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 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."

The whole exodus experience was done, not only to rescue the Hebrew people from Egyptian bondage, but to demonstrate the inability of mankind to adhere to any form of rule, or to escape his/her sinful nature. After so long benefitting from the fruits of Moses' faith, upon his death and their entry into the promised land, the Hebrew people would very quickly begin to reject that faith and turn their backs on him and his law.

As Paul implied, we today, have the scriptural record and witness of the coming and existence of our Savior. That knowledge provides us with a basis for our faith, as it should have the children of Israel who had the word of Moses that a Messiah was soon to come.

Humanity today has such a great advantage over those early Jews, yet still, for the most part, choose to reject the saving grace of God.~