II Corinthians 3
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Paul bears witness not only to their love but also to their good works, since by their behavior they can demonstrate to everybody the high worth of their teacher. What letters would have done to gain respect for the apostle, the Corinthians achieve by their life and behavior. The virtues of disciples commend the teacher more than any letter.
– St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, 6.1
By the “ministration of death” [St Paul] means the law. … he did not say, “which causes death” but the “ministration of death”; for it ministers unto, but was not the parent of, death; for that which causes death is sin; … For the [law] more distinctly revealed the evil, and punished it.
– St John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians
We are being transformed from glory to glory … we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. … St Paul draws a contrast between the glory of the Old Covenant and the greater glory of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant Law, which was given in glory, is described as the letter that kills, a ministration of death, engraven in stone, a glory that faded. The New Covenant is the ministration of the spirit that gives life, a ministration of righteousness, written on the fleshy tablets of our hearts, a glory that is eternal. The fading glory of the Old Covenant is illustrated by the story of Moses at Mt Sinai.
Exodus 34:29 It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.
St Paul comments on the transfiguration of Moses in II Corinthians 3:
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, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. … For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
Therefore having such a hope, we …. are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
We are being transformed from glory to glory … Moses was transfigured by God’s presence at Mt Sinai. He became a visibly changed person! So startling was the glory that shone from Moses’ face that the people were afraid. But the glory that shone from Moses’ face was temporary, impermanent and fading. … In the New Covenant, with an unveiled face we. all of us, behold the glory of the Lord, the glory that does not fade, the glory of life and righteousness. We behold His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14; 14:9). We behold His glory in worship, in the Mass, where Jesus is specially present to us in Word and Sacrament (Matthew 18:20). We contemplate and partake of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament where we behold Him in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:31,34). And we are being continuously transformed into that same image, transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.
We are being transformed from glory to glory … How can we not be transfigured by being in God’s presence? How can we fail to be transformed by partaking of Him, the glory of the only begotten of the Father? We should be transformed in a way that is made visible, showing forth the glory of God imparted to us and at work in us. There is no transforming power more effectual than the Holy Spirit. who brought forth the creation of the world (Genesis 1), made of us new creations in Holy Baptism, and who is transforming us from glory to greater glory.
JSH+