FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

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

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Nature of This Spiritual Discernment – Continued

B. “ ‘We All’ . . . With Unveiled Face” – Continued

Continuing on, we need to remember that In context, Moses kept warning the people not to come near unto Jehovah; Paul keeps inviting the people to come right into His very presence; that is the contrast Paul has in mind.

However, doesn’t Paul fear for his own authority and standing with the people? For instance, didn’t the people stand in awe before Moses the man of God just because it was he alone that went to the top of the mount to speak with the Lord? Yes, it’s true. But consider how gladly Moses and the prophets would have seen it otherwise. The true prophets of God, even in the old dispensation, did not rejoice in the spiritual ignorance of the people. They lamented it. They were as lonely giants walking in a valley full of dwarfs. “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets” (Numbers 11:29) was the burden of their prayer. However, now all the people are prophets. That prayer of Moses has been heard. And now all God’s people are priests. The veil has been rent, torn, from the top downwards; God’s people may all come into the presence of the most high God.

What joy this was for the true servants of God! Is their office jeopardized? Is there no need now for ministers of the gospel? Does denominationalism now replace the sacred ministry of the word? Not in the least. Paul presupposes the permanence of the ministry. He rejoices in its greater fruitfulness because of the spiritual vision of the people. As a great artist would rejoice in an increase of artistic appreciation on the part of the people, so this great artist of the gospel, who had so often openly set forth the crucified and risen Savior, rejoices that now there are those who really understand with opened spiritual eyes.

So then, did Paul mean that in Corinth things were actually ideal? Not at all. There was at Corinth a great lack of true spiritual discernment. The Corinthians were still very carnal. Paul spoke unto them as he would to babes. There was factionalism; they doubted the resurrection; there was lack of discipline and on the other-hand there was discipline that was too severe. Things were not what they should to be. For the Apostle Paul he church of the Lord Jesus Christ was first of all an object of faith. But he knew it was gradually being realized in small degrees.

Paul, therefore, did all he could to have the Corinthians live up to that which they have in Christ. He would have us as ministers of the gospel do all we can to bring the people the Lord’s people to that level of spiritual discernment which is theirs in Christ. Our special gifts are to be at the service of the church as a whole. There is not supposed to be a separatism between so-called “clergy” and “laity.”

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Nature of This Spiritual Discernment – Continued

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

It seems that Paul thinks of Moses as God’s prophet went up to the mount. He thinks of the words of Jehovah which Moses had to speak to the people: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6). “All the people answered together and said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do’ “ (Exodus 19:8). But the Lord knew how little they understood what they said and how hard were the hearts of many of them. He did not allow them to come up to the top of the mountain with Moses:

The LORD said to Moses, “And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live’ ” (Exodus 19:12-13).

Even after Moses had come to the top of the mount he was charged to go down again to warn the people “lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish” (Exodus 19:21).

Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

And the LORD said to him, “Go down . . . but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them” (Exodus 19:23-24).

Then came the terrible thunderings on the mountain top. “Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly” (Exodus 19:18). Is it any wonder that the people trembled? Is it any wonder that they quaked with fear? Is it any wonder they pleaded with Moses not to let the Lord speak to them for fear they would die? (see Exodus 20:19).

In contrast to all this Paul now takes the people straight to the top of the mountain. Pentecost has come. There was the sound as if a mighty rushing wind was blowing through the house but it brought no fear. Then there appeared on each of them what appeared like divided tongues of fire and it rested upon each one of them but they didn’t tremble. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, these Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers in Mesopotamia. (See Acts 2:1-3).

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.