Living in the Spirit: The Ministry of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:1-18)
Verse 3 This is an important ministry of the Spirit, to write on our hearts the testimony and grace of Jesus.
• This is the perfect example of how things have now become internal.
Verses 4-5 Paul is making the case that they are competent ministers and this competence has come from God.
Verse 6 Paul adds here they are ministers of a new covenant, not one of letters written on stone tablets.
• The ministry of the Spirit is to point toward Jesus and His grace, which leads to life.
o The spirit ministers grace instead of the law.
• Living in the Spirit is cooperating with the Spirit so that He can minister grace and life to us.
Verse 7 The ministry that brought death engraved on stone tablets is of course the Ten Commandments.
• This ministry of the law came with some glory. This glory faded over time though.
• This shows the glory was not from the stone tablets themselves.
o But the glory came from the presence of God where the stone tablets had been.
Verse 8 Because the Spirit is always in the presence of the Lord, the glory never fades.
• The Spirit is a person and the glory is meant to rest and remain on persons, and not objects like stone.
Verse 9-10 He is still talking about the ministry of the spirit.
• Paul is driving home the point that the ministry of Grace through Jesus delivered by the Holy Spirit comes with glory that surpasses that of Moses and the law.
Verse 11 The Glory that Moses came down the mountain with was fading, the longer he was away from the presence of God the more it faded.
• The Law he came down with was also fading, for its purpose was to point toward Jesus Christ and His cross.
• But the ministry of the Spirit does not fade, nor will it fade.
o This glory is as eternal as God Himself, just as the grace brought by Jesus is eternal.
Verse 12 This boldness is a side benefit of the ministry of grace from the Holy Spirit.
Verse 13 Paul is saying in this new covenant we will not have to conceal the glory of the Lord.
o In fact, we can be bold with it. Because this glory is lasting.
Verse 14-16 Paul goes on to add that not only could the people of the Old Covenant era not gaze upon the glory but they also could not fully understand the Old Covenant.
• They had a spiritual veil that covered their eyes preventing them from understanding Spiritual things.
o Keep in mind it is the Holy Spirit that both leads one to Christ and lifts the veil.
Verse 17 The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same.
• Paul says that wherever the Spirit is, freedom is present. The Spirit ministers freedom.
o The Holy Spirit always ministers grace, and grace sets us free from sin and death.
Verse 18 As we allow the Spirit to minister grace and freedom to us, we are crafted more and more into the likeness of Christ. As we become more and more like Christ we begin to reflect His glory.
There should always be a measure of Glory on us
