2 Corinthians 3:12 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, the apostle draws two lessons from what he has already said about the Old and New Testaments.

First, gospel ministers have a duty to speak with great plainness and clarity. They should not, like Moses, put a veil over their faces or hide the meaning of the truth they are meant to make clear. The gospel is a clearer way of God’s working than the law. In the New Testament, God’s truth is revealed without relying on types and shadows, so ministers are at fault if they do not set spiritual things, and the truth and grace of the gospel, in the clearest light possible. The Israelites could not look steadily at the goal of what was commanded, since that covenant was later set aside, but we can. We can understand the meaning of the old types and shadows through their fulfillment, since the veil is removed in Christ. He is the one who fulfilled the law, bringing righteousness to all who believe, and Moses and all the prophets pointed to him and wrote about him.

Second, those who enjoy the gospel have a great advantage over those who lived under the law. People under the law had their minds blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14), and a veil lay over their hearts (2 Corinthians 3:15). That was true in former times, and it was especially true of those who stayed in Judaism after the Messiah came and his gospel was announced. Yet the apostle says there is a time coming when that veil will also be taken away, and when that people as a whole will turn to the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16). In the same way, when any person turns to God, the veil of ignorance is removed, and the blindness of the mind and hardness of the heart are healed.

Those who hear and believe the gospel are in a much happier condition. They have liberty, because where the Spirit of the Lord is working under the gospel, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). This means freedom from the burden of the ceremonial law, freedom from the power of sin, liberty to come near to God, and freedom of speech in prayer. The heart is also set free and enlarged, so that it can run in the way of God’s commands.

They also have light, for with unveiled faces we behold the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Israelites saw God’s glory in a cloud, which was dark and awe-inspiring, but Christians see the Lord’s glory more clearly and more warmly, as if in a mirror. Moses had the special privilege of speaking with God face to face in a friendly way, but now all true Christians see him more clearly with unveiled faces. He shows them his glory.

This light and freedom are also transforming. We are changed into the same image, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18), from one degree of grace to another, until grace here is completed in glory forever. Christians should value these blessings deeply and make full use of them. We should not be satisfied unless we know by experience the changing power of the gospel, through the work of the Spirit, as he shapes us to match the character and purpose of the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.