October 23 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 3:7-11 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.

Yesterday Paul began to contrast the Old Covenant of the Mosaic Law with the New Covenant, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In verse 3 we saw that the Old Covenant involved obedience to external laws, whereas the New involved an internal relationship of the heart. In verse 6 we saw that the Law killed, because no one could keep it, but the Gospel gives believers eternal life. Beginning in verse 7 he writes that in spite of the insufficiency of the law, it was still glorious. Notice that he calls it the "ministration of death", The Law could only bring about death, for no one could keep all of its components 100% of the time from birth until death. Therefore, since "he soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20), the Law served to show people their failings before a holy God, and condemned them to physical and eternal death. Paul spoke of the impact of the Law as it related to himself by stating,

"And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death" (Romans 7:10).

"And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly."

"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony...that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone... And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out... And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again."

"In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

Paul then says in verses 7-9 that if the giving of the Old Covenant was glorious, the New Covenant, the "ministration of the Spirit", is much more glorious. John MacArthur commented,

"The Old Covenant was good in that it commanded righteousness. The New Covenant is better in that it confers righteousness."

"Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them."

Paul concludes these thoughts in verses 10-11. The old covenant was glorious, but when compared with the New Covenant it is as if it had no glory at all. Albert Barnes wrote,

the law itself; and it was glorious, or splendid, in the magnificent and imposing ritual in which the worship of God was celebrated. But all this was surpassed in the brighter glory of the gospel. Its glory was all eclipsed in the gospel; in the incarnation, life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus; in the pardon of sin; in the peace and joy of the believer; and in the glories of the heavenly world to which the gospel elevates dying men."

Have you accepted the glory of the Gospel?