![]() ![]() Some commentators think this part of the verse in an allusion to how the skin on the face of Moses was transformed after he came down from Mount Sinai where he received the ten commandments from the Lord (Exodus 34:29-35). #4: “…are being transformed into his image…”Ĭhristians are transformed into the image of Jesus by their direct access to Him. ![]() In a sense, Jesus took both the physical and spiritual veils away from Christians. And spiritually, unlike the Israelites who used Moses as a conduit to God, Christians can speak to Jesus directly. ![]() After he conveyed his message to them, he would put the veil back over his face until he went to speak to the Lord again (Exodus 34:34-35).Ĭhristians do not physically cover their faces with veils like Moses. Moses wore a veil for at least part of his life, removing the veil when he spoke with the Lord and then conveyed messages in the Old Testament to the Israelites. It would not be from one glory to another, or one degree of glory to another. The best view is that it only applies to truly sanctified Christians because an unsanctified Christian would not be transformed “with ever-increasing glory.” An unsanctified Christian would be working to become holy in the first place, which would be the first step into glory at all. ![]() Other commentators think it refers only to the apostles. Breaking Down the Key Parts of 2 Corinthians 3:18Ī popular interpretation of this part of the verse is that it means all Christians, whether from a Jewish or Gentile background, whether strong or weak in their faith. In this verse, Paul is concluding chapter 3 with perhaps the most important advantage of living under the law of Jesus. Christians have a direct relationship with Jesus, unlike the Jewish of the time who communicated with God through Moses. Christians have spiritual freedom, as opposed to Jews who are under the prescriptive bondage of Mosaic law. The passage from 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 contrasts followers of Jesus who lived according to the law of Jesus with Jews who lived under Mosaic law. True Christians ascend through various stages of glory as they read God’s Word due to the transforming power of the gospel. By grace, He dwells among us, and by that same grace, He invites us into His presence.“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Explanation and Commentary on 2 Corinthians 3:18 Rather than being distant, inaccessible and detached, He has drawn near to us so that we might draw near to Him. He relates to us, loves us, and cherishes us. God is present with us, deeply invested and active in each of our lives. Our relationship with God is rooted in His glory and expressed in His immanence. Even more, we have received a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to remain with us at all times. Because of Christ, we can enter into relationship with God both corporately as His Church and as individuals. While Moses was the mediator between God and His people, we now have Christ, the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3) as our Mediator. We can now gaze upon the glory of God with unveiled faces, just as if we were staring into a mirror (v.18). In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul writes that the sacrifice of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit have changed the nature of our relationship with God. And so, whenever Moses met with God, he would remove the veil, but then put it back on when speaking with God’s people. He “did not realize that the skin of his face shone” (v.29) after talking with God-that it was reflecting the radiance of God’s glory and frightening his fellow Israelites. Moses came down from the mountain and found he had to conceal his face with a veil in order to speak with the Israelites. We see this in Exodus 34, when God met with Moses on Mount Sinai. He is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When we consider His infinite greatness, it can be difficult to remember that while He is incomprehensibly grand, He is also personal and relational. Our finite, human minds will never truly understand the vastness of God’s glory, nor the fullness of His character. God is a triune personal being who enters into a covenant relationship with His people, both individually and corporately. ![]()
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