FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Nature of This Spiritual Discernment – Continued

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

From last lesson: 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.

He would take them all to see what he has seen. There remains enough for him to do. As the minister of Christ to them he will point out the beauties of the scene. “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” (2 Corinthians 3:12-13). Moses had put a veil on his face because there was a veil on the faces or hearts of those to whom he was speaking. As a minister of the old covenant he could not speak plainly. He could not proclaim the whole counsel of God to them. They would have been further confused by it. The brilliance of the objective redemption had to be dimmed because of the poor eyesight, the spiritual obtuseness, of those to whom it came. But Paul speaks plainly and fully and doesn’t need to worry that such speaking is in vain. He has fed them with milk but he will also feed them with solid meat.

It also means that he doesn’t have to worry about people understanding once and then fall into not understanding in the next moment. He is not speaking of moments of high spiritual attainment to be followed by descent into the valley of the mists below. The veil, he intimates in his form of expression, is not lifted so that it may at any time drop again. The veil has been entirely and permanently removed. If you approach a distant mountain peak gradually your vision may from time to time be obscured. There are foothills and smaller mountains that obstruct the view of the highest mountain toward which you climb. But Paul thinks of the whole party as having arrived at the top of the mountain, and each of the party has a spiritual telescope (as it were) of their own. They see and they see constantly and continuously.

Yes, we may speak of ups and downs in our Christian life. Paul is not trying to teach perfectionism. Yet as we are holy in Christ, as we are without sin in Christ so also we see constantly in Christ. The Church of Christ Jesus is an object of faith. But it’s an object of faith that is gradually being realized. Therefore, Paul’s labors are not in vain in the Lord. They are most abundantly fruitful! He can speak to them as spiritual men as opposed to speaking to them as carnal men.

Such is the nature of the spiritual discernment of the New Testament believers. Through the power of the Spirit the congregation of Jesus Christ, old and young, equipped with the spiritual telescopes of faith, are led by the servant of the Lord to see, and to see without interruption, the glory of the Lord.

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

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.