For a moment Paul seemed to have
departed from defending himself and enter into a more intricate dialog
concerning the Ten Commandments. His discussion here had relevance because what
he wrote were materials used by his opponents to support their position. In verse 6 he maintained that the ministry he
and his team brought to the believers in Corinth was a ministry of the New
Covenant.
In referring to the Old Covenant,
Paul called it a ministry of death engraved on stone. He referred to what Moses
had received, calling it laws or codes engraved on stone. In verse 9 he
described it as codes of condemnation. In verses 10-11, he said that those
codes were also losing its glory or splendor. Why is the Old Covenant a
ministry of death? Although it had splendor because it was given by God, it
nonetheless brought death and no hope in comparison with the New Covenant. It
revealed the way in which God could be pleased but it offered no power to enable
a person to keep it. Instead of life the
law brought death and condemnation because it made it plain where we have hopelessly
failed. Whereas the New Covenant is of the Spirit. It has a greater and a more permanent
splendor. It provides righteousness to everyone who enters into this New
Covenant. And every person who chooses to live under it will certainly enjoy the
blessings it brought.
In verse 7 we are told that the Old Covenant is fading in
glory. What does it mean? To some, it seems to imply that the law was slowly
losing importance and influence since it was given. But this was not Paul’s
meaning. He was merely saying that the law paled in significance with the coming
of Christ. It once had a glory and would dazzle the eyes of the Israelites. But
in Christ there is a greater dazzle. And if the Old Covenant lacking in
permanent validity could dazzle the people how much more glorious and dazzling would
the New Covenant be, with its permanent validity. In saying that, Paul showed
that the ministry of the Spirit that comes through Christian ministers such as himself,
brought a greater splendor than Moses and any minister of the Old Covenant. For
the New covenant not only can liberate a person from condemnation, it provides righteousness
to that person. It ushers one into a new relationship with the God who saves.
Plainly put, Paul is telling us that the New Covenant of the
Spirit is far more glorious than that of the Old, because of its permanency. And
as glorious as the Old Covenant was, its glory had faded. But the New one is
entirely different. Its glory and effects are permanent and it ministers righteousness.
As privileged people it behooves us to live a life that is congruous
with the new status received in Christ. The Lord calls us to let our light
shine to bring glory to the Father. Two questions we may like to ponder at the end
of each day are: Is my life well lived? Is my God well pleased?
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