January 14, 2026
2 Corinthians 3 ESV
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Discussion Questions:
In chapter 3 Paul uses two metaphors to describe his apostolic work. We would like to explore each of these word pictures.
1) Letters (verses 1-6)
What is the difference between written with ink or on stone and being written by the Spirit?
2) Moses’s Veil (verses 7-18; Exodus 34:29-35)
In what way did the Israelites have a veil and how and why do Christians not have a veil?
Discussion Summary:
1. Letters: Paul references letters of recommendation. Many believe that he is referring to the “super apostles,” teachers who had come to Corinth and were opposing Paul’s teachings ( 2 Corinthians 11:15). Paul is reminding the Corinthian brethren that he didn’t need to be introduced to them because he founded their ecclesia. To him, they are written on his heart and their Christian lifestyle can be read by all (1 Corinthians 9:1).
Paul also makes the difference between the tables of the law ( Exodus 31:18 and 32:6) and the new way of the spirit that writes on their hearts. This is also referred to in Romans 7:6, “Serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
2. Moses Veil (Exodus 34:29-35): Paul uses this Old Testament picture in different ways to illustrate the new way of the Spirit.
- It explains his boldness as he doesn’t address them through a “veil” of insincerity.
- The Jewish nation, still under the law, wears a “veil” of unbelief (Romans 11:25) and cannot see that Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17) and ended their obligation to their covenant (Colossians 2:14).
- Those who allow the Holy Spirit to do a transforming work in their hearts (Romans 12:2) have removed the veil.
- Jesus in his role as mediator during the earthly Kingdom will speak to all nations through a “veil” of earthly representatives (Luke 13:28).
We also discussed what covenant Christians are developed under as some see in this passage proof that Christians are under the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:34-36. In 2 Corinthians 3 they believe it refers to Christians receiving the removal of sin and their heart of stone is removed and they are given a heart of flesh. See also Hebrews 8-10.
Others believe that Christians are developed under the Grace Covenant (Galatians 3:15-29). In this passage they see through the concept of “ministers of the covenant” the thought that Christians are developed now in order to serve as priests when the New Covenant is established first with the nation of Israel and then all the nations.
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