What does "surpass it" in 2 Corinthians 3:9 reveal about the new covenant? Setting the Context - 2 Corinthians 3 contrasts two ministries: • “the ministry of condemnation” (Old Covenant, centered on the stone tablets given through Moses). • “the ministry of righteousness” (New Covenant, accomplished through Christ and administered by the Spirit). - Paul admits the Old Covenant possessed genuine glory (Exodus 34:29-35) but insists the New Covenant “surpasses it” in every dimension. The Phrase “surpass it” - renders v. 9, “For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!” • “how much more” = literal Greek πολλῷ μᾶλλον, “by far greater,” “it surpasses.” - Paul is not downplaying God’s earlier work; he is measuring two divine revelations and declaring the latter infinitely superior. How the New Covenant Surpasses the Old 1. Greater Source of Righteousness • Old: exposed sin and pronounced judgment (Romans 3:20). • New: provides righteousness as a gift in Christ (Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21). 2. Greater Agent • Old: written “in letters on stone” (v. 7). • New: written “on tablets of human hearts” by the Spirit (v. 3; Ezekiel 36:26-27). 3. Greater Result • Old: “ministry of death” (v. 7). • New: “gives life” (v. 6). 4. Greater Duration • Old: fading glory (v. 11). • New: lasting, permanent glory (Hebrews 13:20). 5. Greater Access to God • Old: veiled face of Moses kept Israel at a distance (v. 13). • New: veil removed in Christ so believers behold God’s glory “with unveiled faces” (v. 18). 6. Greater Transformation • Old: external regulations could not change the heart (Hebrews 9:9-10). • New: Spirit transforms believers “from glory to glory” (v. 18), fulfilling Jeremiah 31:33. Connected Passages Reinforcing the Superiority - Hebrews 8:6 — “He has obtained a more excellent ministry… a better covenant.” - Galatians 3:24-25 — Law was a tutor “until Christ came.” - Romans 8:1-4 — Spirit enables the righteous requirement of the Law to be fulfilled in us. Practical Takeaways - Confidence: our standing with God rests on Christ’s completed work, not our flawed obedience. - Freedom: the Spirit empowers real holiness, not mere external conformity. - Hope: the glory we experience now is a foretaste of an eternal, unfading glory in His presence (2 Corinthians 4:17). |
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