Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (II Corinthians 3:1-3)
We're well aware there were no phones during Biblical times. Often, when someone was being sent to another place they hadn't been before, people where they were from would send them with letters of commendation, an official award or citation that praises or approves of someone publicly. Paul had previously instructed the church in Corinth, On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. (I Corinthians 16:2-3) So these letters of vouching for someone's character or their purpose for going to a certain place was a common practice.
Now he had asked them were they needing him to start the process all over again to commend ourselves. We will study in a future lesson that there were still some in the church in Corinth who denied that Paul was truly an apostle of Jesus. Paul explained that the mere fact that they were an established church in such an immoral city is proof enough; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (II Corinthians 3:4-6)
This is very important! People may try to deny that we are a Christian, based on what they can see or what they think; but the proof that we are who we say we are will be in the lives we live and the lives we affect. We may not have the seminary training, or have been taught by a certain well known teacher or pastor or evangelist, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. We have to study the Word of God in order to teach and lead others to saving faith in Christ Jesus, but just memorizing the words doesn't equip us to live out our ministry. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (I Corinthians 2:10-12)
The Jews had know the letter of the law for centuries, and what good had it done them? But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6) For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life! But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance [Exodus 34:27-35], which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (II Corinthians 3:7-11)
In other words, the Word of God and the commandments of God given to Moses was glorious, it had a weighty importance, as evident in Moses' shining majesty, which comes from being in God's presence. And as glorious as the commandments are, which were written and engraved on stones, they are the the ministry of death, because they are the ministry of condemnation. ...I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. (Romans 7:7-12)
The old covenant, trying to live by obeying the laws and commandments of God of our own power and will did not work. It was passing away, even though it was glorious. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:7-13)
What is this new covenant, of the Spirit, through which the Spirit gives life? When Jesus had his last supper with the disciples before His crucifixion, ...He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20) The old covenant tried to convict us of sin so that we would turn from our sin and obey God; but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, because we're not perfect and as long as we're in the flesh, we will not be able to live perfect lives. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, that He sent His Son, Christ Jesus to die for our sins and establish a new covenant!!!
The new covenant gives us life and hope, because our salvation isn't based on what we do, but it's based on what Christ did. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11-15)
And if we accept Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we have an assurance that we are no longer condemned to death under the old covenant; but we have eternal life under the new covenant, because of ...the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) The ministry of the Spirit is more glorious, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory, an epistle of Christ, written by the Spirit of the living God, on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart, for the Spirit gives life. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. [Exodus 34:27-35] But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. (II Corinthians 3:12-15)
This is very important also! Without Christ, there is a veil of separation between us and God. We can not enter into God's presence on our own. Nor will our sacrifices that we feel are worthy be acceptable to God. There is only ONE way for us to have an eternal relationship of everlasting life with God, and that is through His Son, because the veil is taken away in Christ. When Jesus was crucified, many miraculous things happened, but one thing specifically; And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;... (Matthew 26:50-51; Mark 15:37-38; Luke 23:45-46) Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,... Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. (Hebrews 9:1-5)
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,... (Hebrews 10:19-20) Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 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 by the Spirit of the Lord. (II Corinthians 3:16-18) Let's make the decision today to turns to the Lord, Christ Jesus, and ... be transformed by the renewing of your mind,... (Romans 12:2) by the Spirit of the Lord! AMEN!
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