More Glorious
Gordon Crook, PastorGrace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly 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?” 2 Corinthians 3:7-8
Paul refers to the law as “the ministration of death.” This is an interesting title to use of the law, but he is trying to make a point that the law brought death. Look at verse 6. It had to. The wages of sin are “death” Romans 6:23. Because the law could not make a person righteous, it could not bring life. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20
Paul knew the law well being instructed by Gamaliel (brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers) Acts 22:3. He was not just trying to show disrespect to the law. “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Romans 7:12. However, he also knew that God had done something better which is what the law was pointing to all along.
He is clear that the law is glorious. The giving of the law was well known and it was truly glorious. So much so, that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face. The argument is not against the law, but rather a contrast between the law and something significantly better.
What could be better? “The ministration of the Spirit.” This is not some Plan B that God came up with because Pan A didn’t work. This has been God’s plan all along. A plan to send His Son to bring His glory down so that we could be brought up to Him. John describes what they witnessed. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
Jesus is more glorious because He is the Son of God and because He brought Grace and Truth to this world. He came to free us from the curse of the law. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” Galatians 3:13. Paul was addressing Christians who wanted to go back to the law after being saved by grace.
In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul uses another term. “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.” 2 Corinthians 3:6 This is an important distinction. The New Testament brings life. So, the contrast is between life and death.
The New Testament is more glorious because it brings life where death was deserved. God’s grace gives what we could not get for ourself and what we did not deserve. This is the basis of the Gospel. Now we can live and serve God acceptably because of His life. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” Hebrews 12:28.
The New Testament is more glorious because we could not obtain righteousness through the old. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:20-22. The more glorious covenant brings righteousness to us through Jesus Christ, not an attempt at self righteousness. “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Philippians 3:9.
Paul understood the law, being well versed in it, so he also understood the importance of what Jesus had accomplished. “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:22-27. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Hebrews 8:6
So, we have learned that we have been made partakers of a better, more glorious, covenant; the covenant of Grace which brings us directly into the presence of God. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” Hebrews 10:19-22. Why then, would we want to go back to the Old “ministration of death” which cannot make us righteous or bring us directly into the presence of God.
