1To do away with the imputation of vain glory, Paul sheweth that the gifts and graces of the Corinthians were a sufficient commendation of his ministry, 4the efficacy of which he ascribeth entirely to God. 6He proveth the superior excellency of the gospel ministry to that of the law; 12and thereupon justifieth his plain speaking, as under a dispensation of greater light and liberty than that of Moses.
1DO 1we begina again 2to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, 3epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
1 The apostle speaks here in the plural number, because this epistle was written not only in his name, but also in the name of Timothy. See 2 Cor. 1:1.
a 2 Cor. 5:12; 10:8.
2 Or, to recommend.
3 Or, recommendations, to make us and our ministry acceptable unto you and others.
24Ye are our epistle 5written in our hearts, known and read 6of all men:
4 That is, your conversion and other singular gifts, which were wrought among you by our ministry, are witnesses of the dignity of our ministry with you, as well as with others; as is more largely declared in the following verse.
5 This the apostle says because of the love which he, with Timothy and Silvanus, bare unto them, and the esteem in which they were with them.
6 Namely, which observe and understand your conversion and gifts.
3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ 7ministered by us, written not 8with ink, but with the Spirit of 9the living God; not 10inb tablesc of stone, butd11in fleshy tables of the heart.
7 Gr. administered by us.
8 Namely, as men use to write other epistles.
9 That is, Who has not only life in Himself, but also imparts the same to those in whom He works by His Spirit and writes His laws in them, Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10.
10 Paul here alludes to the writing of God’s law in the two tables of the covenant, Exod. 24:12, which external inscription could not convert the hearts of corrupt men. See Rom. 8:3; Gal. 3:21.
b Exod. 24:12; 34:1.
c writing-tablet*
d Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26; Heb. 8:10.
11 Hereby is not understood that which is called many times flesh or fleshly, that is, corrupt, in the Word of God, but is here taken for hearts which are made suitable by the Spirit of God and renewed to receive the word of the Gospel by faith, as Ezek. 36:26, and like the good ground whereof Christ speaks, Mat. 13:23, whereof also the apostle says in the Greek sarkinais, not sarkikais.
4And 12such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
12 Namely, of the power and of the fruits of our ministry among you.
5Not that we are sufficient 13of ourselves 14to think any thing as of ourselves; but oure sufficiency is of God;
13 That is, by our own wisdom or natural acuteness.
14 Or, consider. Namely, that would be suitable to convert the hearts of men, or to bring ourselves and others to salvation. See John 15:4, 5, and Philip. 2:13.
e Philip. 2:13.
6Who also hath made us able ministersf ofg the new 15testament; not 16of the letter, but 17of the spirit: for the letter 18killeth, but the spirit 19giveth life.
f 2 Cor. 5:18.
g Heb. 8:6, 8.
15 Or, covenant. Thus the Covenant of Grace is called, in which God promises His people forgiveness of sins and righteousness by faith in Christ, and withal also renewing by the Holy Spirit, Whose power manifests itself in the hearts of the elect in the preaching of the Gospel, as is promised, Jer. 31:31; Ezek. 36:25, wherefore also the Gospel is called a ministry of the Spirit and of life, verses 6, 8, and of righteousness, verse 9.
16 That is, of the covenant of the law, which is called letter, because the law is written only with letters in tables of stone, as is declared in the following verse.
17 That is, of the doctrine and preaching of the Gospel whereby the Holy Spirit works faith in us. See Acts 16:14; Gal. 3:2, 3, etc.
18 Namely, because the law, although it shows the way of life, yet confers not upon corrupt man the power to keep it, nor any promises to forgive the sins of the transgressor, but curses everyone who continues not in all that is written, Gal. 3:10, and convinces us of our transgression, and consequently that we are worthy of death, which is threatened to the transgressors, and subject to the same, Rom. 7:7, etc. Wherefore also the same is called a ministration of condemnation, verse 9. See more of this in Rom. 8:2, 3, 4; 10:3, 4, 5; Gal. 3:5, etc. and 4:21, etc., Heb. 8:6, etc., where the apostle further declares the difference of these two covenants.
19 That is, the Gospel does not only show the way to life and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, but is also accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit, whereby faith is wrought and kept in the elect, and they are raised up and quickened from the death of sin.
7But if the ministration of death, written andh engraven in stones, was glorious, soi that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses 20for the glory of his countenance; which glory was 21to be done away:
h Exod. 24:12; 34:1; Deut. 10:1.
i Exod. 34:30.
20 Namely, the glory of Moses’ face, which, as it is done away, was also a type that the law given by him would also be abrogated. See the history of it in Exod. 34:30, and the following, which the apostle interprets as a type of the doctrine of Moses, consisting in shadows and justifications of the law.
21 This the apostle says of the law of Moses, not only in respect of the ceremonies, which were to endure but until the coming of Christ, but also in respect of the law of the Decalogue, as concerning the curse, which it threatens to transgressors, and the justification which is promised to the doers of the law; which in both members it must be abolished by Christ’s death and obedience. See verse 11.
8How shall not the ministration 22of the spirit be rather glorious?
22 See verses 6, 9.
9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration 23of righteousness exceed in glory.
23 That is, of justification, which is in every respect opposed to condemnation. See Rom. 8:33, 34.
10For even that which was made 24glorious had no glory in this respect, 25by reason of the glory that excelleth.
24 That is, the law, which considered in itself, has a special glory, and was given to the people of Israel with glory.
25 That is, compared with the excellent glory of the word of the Gospel, and its power in our hearts.
11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more 26that which remaineth is glorious.
26 Namely, the Gospel, which shall remain, without being subject to alteration, until Christ shall come to judgment, Mat. 28:19, 20; 1 Cor. 11:26; Rev. 2:25.
12Seeing then that we have such hope, we use 27great plainness of speech:
27 Namely, joined with clarity, as this word is also taken, Mark 8:32; John 10:24; 16:29.
13And not as Moses,j which put a vail over his face, 28that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look 29tok the end of that which is abolished:
j Exod. 34:35.
28 With these words is not properly explained Moses’ meaning in the covering of his face, of which may be read in Exod. 34:33, but the intention of God’s providence, which ordered this to such an end and caused it here to be declared.
29 That is, the innermost foundation, or the purpose and intention of the law and of the ceremonies, which had their aim at Christ and His righteousness. For the whole law was a guide unto Christ, Gal. 3:24, which the greater part of the Jews understood not, but would seek their righteousness outside of Christ in the obedience to the law, moral as well as ceremonial. And this is the covering whereof the apostle speaks.
k Rom. 10:4.
14Butl their minds were 30blinded: for until this day remaineth 31the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; 32which vail is done away in Christ.
l Isa. 6:10; Ezek. 12:2; Mat. 13:11; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:8.
30 Namely, by a righteous judgment of God in this their opinion of the law of Moses.
31 That is, the same perverse understanding that the law was given them to be justified and sanctified by the same. See Rom. 10:3.
32 Namely, which covering is done away by the knowledge and Spirit of Christ, when they shall be converted unto Christ, as is declared in verse 16. For then they are, as also we, brought to the right understanding of the law, and convinced in their hearts that the law was not given to that end, but that they must seek righteousness outside of themselves by faith in Christ. See Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:21, etc.
15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16Neverthelessm when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
m Mat. 13:11; Rom. 11:23; 1 Cor. 2:10.
17Now 33then Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 34there is liberty.
33 That is, Jesus Christ is the quickening Spirit, Who by the power of His Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the Holy Gospel takes away the covering and powerfully converts the hearts to God. Or, the Holy Spirit is the Lord, whereby we are converted and set at liberty, seeing He, by His Divine power and by the doctrine of the Gospel, which is a ministration of the Spirit, verse 8, works this in us; and is sent by the Lord Christ to this purpose, wherefore He is also called the Spirit of the Lord, verses 17, 18. Or, Christ is the spiritual being and as it were the soul of the ceremonies of the law; as this word Spirit is also taken, John 6:63. Or, the Lord Who converts our hearts unto Christ and takes away this covering, is the Holy Spirit. Or, the doctrine of the Gospel of the Lord Christ is the Spirit, Who is placed in opposition to the letter, verse 6.
n John 4:24.
34 Namely, from the veil of ignorance, from the yoke of the law and from slavery of sin and death, Rom. 8:15, 16; Gal. 4:7.
18Buto35we all, 36with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even 37as by the Spirit of the Lord.
o 1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 5:7.
35 Namely, who have received this Spirit of the Lord.
36 The apostle again here alludes to the example of Moses, who put away the covering from his face when he appeared before the Lord Himself, and by this beholding of God, became glorious in his face; so also says he, we have a bold access to God by the Gospel, which is as a clear mirror in which God’s glorious face is seen by ourselves, and we are more and more renewed and glorified in our mind after the same image of God.
37 Or, as by the Lord the Spirit, that is, by the Spirit, Who is the Lord, namely, of one Essence with the Father and with the Son.