“As we constantly speak and pour the gospel into the lives of others/one another, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shines into their/our hearts, creating life, removing the veil and transforming men (one degree at a time) into conformity with the image of Christ, who is that glory.”
This is a statement that I wrote on a white board in my office this afternoon as I sat to put together my notes on these two chapters into manuscript form. As I think of it now, it means so much more to me than it would if I had simply read that statement (written by someone else) a few days ago (and probably more than it currently means to you). However, my prayer is that at the end of the night, there would be a resounding “Amen” as we consider this statement, its truth, and how it applies to our living. I hope that by the end of the night we might better understand salvation, evangelism, and how the entire body of Christ is to work together in these things.
In order to allow us to better see this statement, I want to walk us through an exposition of these two chapters in which Paul picks up on the text we read at the end of Exodus 34 on Sunday. In doing so, I want to walk us through ten truths which we can take and use to build our understanding of the statement with which we began and accomplish all the goals aforementioned.
We’ve spoken of this countless times as we’ve looked at the role of the law in Scripture. We’ve seen that the law functioned to point us to Christ in whom we might find righteousness, not to bring righteousness of its own. This is reiterated in this text as Paul reminds us what the law does. He lists three things of the law:
1. It kills. He writes in 3:6, “[We are] ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” And in the context of the preceding verses, we see that he is talking about the Mosaic covenant and the law contained therein. It kills, and it does so rightly. For by allowing us to die to it, it pushes us to Christ in whom we find life. Thus, Paul writes in Galatians 2:19, “For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God.”
2. It condemns. Paul writes in 3:9, “For if the ministry of condemnation …” Again, context shows he is speaking of the law covenant. And, as aforementioned, this is a good thing for it teaches us to look to one who can fulfill its demands and remove condemnation (i.e. Christ, Romans 8:1-4).
3. It fades with the appearing of the New Covenant. Paul refers to the law in 3:11 as “that which fades away.” That is, the law is fulfilled in Christ, and, therefore, it is no longer needed (i.e. Galatians 3:24-25). When your purpose is to serve as a foreshadow of something else, then when the “something else” appears, you become obsolete. So it is with the law.
And I point all of this out for the same reason Paul does – to show how weak the law is in light of the gospel of Christ. The law could not do what Christ did: it could only show our need to seek Christ. Therefore the law was (in itself) useless to provide forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and righteousness before God.
In fact, as we read in Exodus 34, it had such great glory that as Moses was receiving the law, he came back down to the camp with his face shining. Paul speaks of this in 3:7, and 9-11, writing, “But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,” “For the ministry of condemnation has glory,” “For indeed what had glory,” and “For if that which fades away was with glory.” Therefore, he leaves no doubt that the Mosaic covenant had glory.
This is also seen in these verses (3:7-11). As Moses would come from speaking with the Lord, his face would shine to the extent that he had to put a veil over his face because the Israelites couldn’t look intently at his face.
In some sense, Paul changes the way in which he uses the word “veil” now. It had been that which allowed the Israelites to tolerate looking at Moses while the glory shone on his face. Now Paul uses the imagery to point out that the Israelites couldn’t see the glory that was in the law because they couldn’t see (or refused to see) that it pointed to Christ – who is the very reason the law has any glory at all.
He writes, “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart.”
And with that we see the insufficiency of the law, how the law shone so brightly that the Israelites couldn’t behold the glory, and that the reason they couldn’t behold the glory is because they couldn’t (and wouldn’t) see Christ. Now, however, Paul makes a shift to the New Covenant and points out truth about it. In this, he shows the following facts.
Again, read 3:7-11 and notice the contrast of the glory of the old covenant in light of the New. Paul says, in essence, “If the law, weak as it is, had glory, imagine the glory of the substance to which it served as a foreshadow.” And that substance is Christ. It’s like saying, “If you think a two-watt flashlight is important, wait until you walk outside on a bright summer day.” The flashlight is only useful in so much as it leads you out of darkness into the light. However, once you are outside, its brightness will not even be apparent. Therefore, Paul says, “For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it.”
In light of how glorious this new covenant is, isn’t it glorious that we who believe (who have had the veil removed) are ministers of it? He tells us this in 3:18-4:2. And the “ministry” he speaks of is obviously the ministry of ministering the new covenant in light of his statements in 3:6.
This is great; we get to be the ministers of the new covenant – a covenant that is so glorious that it makes the former glory nothing in its light (and that was a glory that shone on Moses face so bright the Israelites couldn’t behold it).
However, we also remember that it is because they were veiled from seeing Christ. Therefore, we might ask, “Is anyone veiled from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ in the new covenant?” And the answer is a resounding, “yes.”
Paul tells us in 4:3-5 that Satan has blinded the eyes of many so that just as with Moses in the first covenant, they will not be able to see the glory because they will not be able to see Christ as he is. And the veil is only removed in turning to Christ (3:16).
But if they are unable to see Christ to turn to him, how will the veil be removed? Or how will they have eyes to see? How will they have life, for they are dead in their sins? The answer to these questions is in 4:6.
Paul writes this after writing, “For God, who said, ‘Light shine out of darkness’ is the One who has shone …” And in writing this, he makes a reference to creation – and not accidentally. For Paul is teaching us that God will create new life. He will create sight. And as he does, simultaneously, the individual will have the veil removed, see Christ, and turn to him. God overcomes our deadness and absence of sight by creating this in us just as he created at the beginning.
And we know that he does it even as we speak the gospel. Therefore, in a very real way, just as God spoke creation into existence, we get to be his mouthpieces to speak the new creation into existence as we speak of the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ and he brings life.
He has placed the gospel in the hands of his people. Or to say it another way, he has given to us the power to be a part of speaking the new creation. This is what Paul is saying in 4:7-14. Therefore, because we believe in this power and have tasted it ourselves, we will go through affliction if only we might be privileged to be the ministers of this new covenant.
This is the context of Psalm 116, from which Paul quotes in 4:13. The psalmist had tasted the hope of the Lord, believed in power, and therefore cried out in his affliction, knowing God would work.
Paul writes in 4:15, “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.”
Now, finally, let me say that in this task we all supply. And as we speak and pour the gospel of the new covenant into lives, they will be new creations, with the veil removed, seeing Christ (3:16). Also, as we continue to speak and pour the gospel into lives, they will be gradually transformed into the image of Christ, who is the great glory of the gospel – even as Moses’ appearance shone with the glory of Christ forshadowed in the old covenant – for Christ is the substance of the former glory (i.e. the glory of the old covenant).
And this brings us back to the opening paragraph, which I hope motivates your heart to pour your life, with the lives of your brothers and sisters, into this calling as ministers of the new covenant.
Therefore, may we be a people who constantly speak and pour the gospel into the lives of others/one another, beholding as the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shine into their/our hearts, creating life, removing the veil and transforming men (one degree at a time) into conformity with the image of Christ, who is that glory.
And may we do it by his grace. Amen.