Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Nature of This Spiritual Discernment – Continued

C. “We All . . . ‘With Unveiled Face’ ”

Paul doesn’t just rejoice in the fact that in the new day all believers see; he also rejoices to note how they see. They see with open, with unveiled, uncovered, face. What good would it have done if Moses could have taken all the people to the top of the mountain if they had poor eyesight? The bright light of the glory of the Lord would have blinded their vision entirely. Paul gives us a striking example of what happens to those who saw something of the glory of the Lord while not prepared for it. He sees the Jews of his day. They insist on reading the Old Testament without recognizing the Christ in it. They were fools and slow of heart not to see that the Christ had to suffer and be raised again the third day. Yet they seemed to see something of it. Paul preached to them the gospel of the resurrection of the Lord. What happened when he did? They blasphemed. They were exposed to the light of the sun of righteousness; however, it was just that very teaching that made them blaspheme.

In our summation, aren’t we distorting the figure which the Apostle employs? If these Jews had a veil on their faces weren’t they in essence protected from the light? Sadly, no. They weren’t protected even though they still didn’t see. The light irritated their eyeballs underneath the veil. There is no veil sufficiently heavy to keep men from being irritated by the gospel. Paul, bold as he is, rejoices in the fact that he has a part in working out the mysterious plan of God and thus, so should we. “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) Paul, an apostle of the Lord, an able minister of the New Testament, was working for God and under God and with God for the completion of the ages, and therefore that should be our desire as well.

Paul however, rejoices most in the vision that the redeemed could see. He may take his people to the top of the mountain. He doesn’t need to fear that they will be blinded by excess of light. Moses and the Prophets saw their panoramic vision alone. Now we all may see. Now we all may see with spiritual telescopes, as it were. Things that seemed far distant and vague are now brought close and made clear to all. Thus the Apostle contrasts the people of the new day on the one hand with those Jews who had no vision at all, and on the other with those who had the power of sight but who had no spiritual telescopes with which to see the distant panoramic scene.

Again you might ask, doesn’t Paul fear that his office and his influence will be jeopardized? Wouldn’t he rather be the lonely mountain climber that has seen something no one else has seen in order to boast of visions and revelations? That’s not the Paul of the Bible, so no, he would not.

To Be Continued

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