Barry Metz 6/26/16

Ministers of the New Covenant2 Corinthians 3:1-6

We’ve said many times over the last few weeks that the book of 2 Corinthians is an apology for Paul’s apostleship and by the word apology what do we mean? A defense.

Here is the simplified outline for the book of 2 Corinthians from the ESV Study bible.

As you can see, defense of his apostleship is Paul’s main concern in the first seven chapters of the book.

Now with respect to the background for the book of 2 Corinthians, we said that opponents had weaseled into the church at Corinth and were challenging the apostleship of Paul. And it was Paul who had founded the church on his second missionary journey.

In a sad turn of events, Captain Paul who had set the Corinthian church cruising at sea on a good course was now fighting to make sure he wasn’t thrown off the ship. And it wasn’t about theological issues as much as what does a true apostle look like? Paul’s opponents claimed to be true apostles and they attempted to discredit Paul with the Corinthians.1 They attacked his integrity—He said he would visit but he didn’t! They attacked his philosophy of not receiving pay for his work. They attacked his preaching style and his personal presence.

With that last idea in mind, consider 2 Corinthians 10:10 on the screen….

We can imagine Paul’s opponents saying, “You want to know what the true marks of an apostle are?... We’ll tell you. A true apostle is powerful. A true apostle has charisma. A true apostle is successful. A true apostle can preach like Billy Graham!” {Well they probably didn’t say that.} 1 Seifrid, M.A. The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 2 Corinthians

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Now what’s the problem with criteria like power and charisma and success? Well such criteria are all about what you can see, right? But is the advance of the kingdom of God always visibly detectable? No! You see the Corinthians had put themselves in the judgment seat and Paul’s ministry was coming up lacking…“His presence is weak and his preaching is contemptable” They had no idea that in God’s economy, life was to be found only in death, wisdom was to be found only in foolishness, and that glory was to be found only in shame.2

You see the Corinthians were ready to throw Paul off the ship because he was an embarrassment to them. In a sense Paul was a thorn in the flesh of the Corinthians. He was weak in appearance, he was an affliction magnet constantly tumbling from one trouble to the next, and his preaching was pathetic. “Throw the bum off the ship!” we could hear the Corinthians exclaim.

And so in the first seven chapters of the book, Paul defends his apostleship, he commends his apostleship to the Corinthians. But he does it ways they (and we) wouldn’t expect!

Remember how the book starts? It didn’t start like this—‘Blessed is God who makes us powerful and successful!’ No, it began this way “Blessed be God…who comforts us in all our affliction…so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.”3 We apostles are blessed when we are afflicted! Wait a minute Paul that’s no way to commend yourself to this church!

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This past week I had the privilege of giving a reference for Crystal Dudley for a job at East Texas Christian School. I think she is going to be their volleyball coach. It was easy to recommend Crystal. In fact I told the representative from the school that they ought to open up other opportunities for Crystal beyond being the volleyball coach because she was so competent.

But the whole process made me reflect on how we commend ourselves or others. And I imagined two different teachers commending themselves for a teaching job.

Candidate A begins like this… “I’ve got a top notch education. My GPA was 4.0. Regarding my experience, I’ve got 4 years of teaching under my belt. In fact I was voted “Teacher of the Year” three out of the four years I was there. I love to develop detailed lesson plans and I’m very meticulous in my planning. The kids learn from me and year after year I’ve gotten good reviews. I believe I am well qualified for the job and will do a good job.”

Nothing wrong with that, right? Wouldn’t we expect a good candidate to brag a bit about their experience and talents, or at least communicate their talents?

Candidate B, however, begins like this: “As you can see on my resume, I have a degree in education. I was in school for six years. What a journey! I have to admit, teaching doesn’t come easy for me. I’m not a natural teacher. I struggle to produce meaningful lesson plans. I’m always asking God to help me. I struggle with all the work (grading papers, making up tests) that is required outside of class. And I often struggle to relate well with the students I teach. I’m more introvert than extrovert. But I promise you I will do a good job.”

2 Seifrid, M.A. The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 2 Corinthians3 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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Ok so there you have candidate A and candidate B. Which candidate will probably get the job? Probably, candidate A. Which self-commendation is more like Paul’s self-commendation in 2 Corinthians? Candidate B. You see Paul commends himself as an apostle in afflictions, in beatings, in shipwrecks and so on. It’s not what we (or the Corinthians) would expect. Paul really was a thorn in the side of the Corinthian church.

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And we can see this same thing, this unexpected, almost ironic self-commending in the passage that Keon shared last week in 2 Corinthians 2:12-17.

If you were with us you remember that Paul couldn’t find rest for his soul because he couldn’t find Titus who was bringing word of the Corinthians and how they had reacted to Paul’s ‘sorrowful’ or ‘painful’ letter. He had no rest for his soul because he was concerned that the Corinthians may have taken his letter the wrong way, and that the relationship between him and the church might be irreversibly broken.

But he thanks God, 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14, that God always leads him in a triumphal procession. Now the question we want to ask is this—Is Paul commending himself to them with this ‘triumphal procession’ imagery?

Now from what Keon shared last week about triumphal processions in the first century---that conquering generals publicly humiliated their conquered captives by marching them in chains through the streets of Rome---from that background is Paul bragging about his place in life? Is a triumphal procession an enviable place to be found? Well yes and no. There is an element of beauty about marching as a vanquished captive in King Jesus’ triumph. But is it the captives who are being commended? Is it the captives who are being praised? Or the conquering king? The conquering king gets the praise. The captives are there to bring glory to the conquering king.

Paul says I’m a defeated captive marching before King Jesus, the one who has utterly vanquished me. And yes it’s good to be in his triumph…thanks be to God!... but I’m just a conquered captive spreading the knowledge of him in every place—this apostle of yours—who you need to be powerful, full of charisma, and successful, is just a conquered captive spreading the knowledge of Christ as I walk through life…to those who are perishing a fragrance of death to death, and to those who are being saved a fragrance from life to life.

Look at the last verse of 2 Corinthians chapter 2, “For we are not like so many….in other words we’re not like the other candidates….peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity…

What do we bring to the table, O Corinthians? Sincerity…. As commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Who are we really? We are just men who with sincerity speak the word of God.

Now look at verse 1 of chapter 3 as we dive into our text this morning… Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Do you hear the irony in Paul’s question?4 Oh Corinthians, I’m a 4 Seifrid, M.A.  The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 2 Corinthians  “Paul is speaking to the Corinthians perception of the situation. In his lengthy rehearsal of his experiences, actions, decisions, and motives,  he has not been commending himself to the Corinthians in their terms 

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captive marching in King Jesus’ triumphal procession. I’ve been conquered by him, I’ve been completely vanquished by him…and as I carry about in my body his death I spread the knowledge of him in every place. I’m not the powerful, successful preacher you would expect me to be….I just speak with sincerity… Am I beginning to commend myself again?  Yes and no. Yes I’m commending myself but not in the way you would wish or expect.

Continuing in verse 1… Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 

It’s not that letters of recommendation were wrong. In the first century letters of recommendation were very important. There was no way to take someone’s driver’s license number or social security number and do a background check. Paul often wrote letters of recommendation’5

But his point here is he doesn’t need a letter of recommendation for the Corinthians. He has credentials in his heart.

Look at verse 2…..2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.    Paul’s legitimation as an apostle is in the Corinthians themselves: ‘You are our letter.’6 What a cool idea: people as letters! Paul’s credentials are not on paper but in persons.7

Can’t you just see a pastor candidating at a church to be their next pastor bringing ten people along with him whose lives had been changed under his ministry? “These are folks in my ministry who have changed dramatically because of the gospel! They are my letters of recommendation.”

Paul says, “I don’t need a letter of recommendation. You yourselves are my letter written on my heart.”    Now that’s an interesting twist isn’t it? “You’re the letter written on my heart”. It seems a little unusual that Paul mentions the letters being on his heart. But the one who is being recommended frequently carries the letter of recommendation with him, right?8

What is Paul saying? Paul is saying he loves them. And his love for them commends him to them. He has them as a letter written on his heart. But that raises another question. Who did the writing? Christ did. It is by the work of Christ that the Corinthians are in his heart.9

(1:8-2:17).  In that sense his commendation is no commendation.”5 Hughes, “It wasn’t that Paul believed that using letters of recommendation was wrong. Just the opposite, because the slow and unreliable communications of the ancient world necessitated letters of introduction and commendation. Paul often wrote recommendations himself on separate occasions commending Timothy to others (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:10, 11), and then Titus (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:22ff.), and then Phoebe (cf. Romans 16:1, 2), and even Timothy and Epaphroditus together (cf. Philippians 2:19–30). The book of Philemon is, in effect, a letter of recommendation.”6 Seifrid7 Moule as quoted in Garland8 Garland9 Seifrid

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Look at verse 3…..3 And you show that you are a letter from10 Christ …..Doesn’t a letter of recommendation come from a third party? Yes! Well who is the ultimate third party recommender? Jesus Christ11 don’t you think? Paul makes sure that the Corinthians understood that he was not the author of the letter. Jesus Christ was the author of the letter. They are a letter from, a letter of Christ!    But we could also say they’d been made to share in Christ. They were Christ’s letter also in that Christ himself was present in and among them.12

Well what role did Paul play? Look at the next phrase… delivered by us…he’s just the mailman

Can Paul’s opponents top that? Paul has letters of recommendation written in his heart and they’re written by Jesus Christ!

Well there’s more in verse 3…. written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

As the letter of Christ, the Corinthians are ‘written’ not by means of ink but by the Spirit of the living God. Listen to what one author says about that:

That the Corinthians are so ‘written’ implies an unqualified remaking, a rewriting of the person and life by God the creator.13

Let’s break open up the phrase at the end of verse 3…. not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

It’s pretty clear that the phrase tablets of stone alludes to the giving of the ten commandments, don’t you think? If you were with us when we went through Exodus, you may remember that in Exodus 20 when the law was given initially, it was given verbally… Exodus 20 verse 1 says “And God spoke all these words saying…”  At the time of our series I remember being surprised by that fact. I’d never seen it. It was a new thought for me that God initially verbally spoke the law to Israel. Well by verse 19 of Exodus 20 the people had had all that they

10 Seifrid, “The Corinthians are “a letter of Christ.” Genitive relations are semantically productive and not to be pigeon-holed. In what ways, then, are the Corinthians “Christ’s letter”? The context itself invites the question. The genitive relation in the first instance is probably that of possession, as in Paul’s preceding reference to the Corinthians as “our letter.” Yet the idea of Christ’s authorship is also surely present: the Corinthians are “Christ’s letter” communicated (or, indeed, “delivered”; RSV, ESV) by the apostle. They are thus not Paul’s commendation but a commendation of Christ, who has sent the apostle as his agent and envoy. Furthermore, it is likely that the idea of content is also present in the genitive relation “of Christ.” The Corinthians are a letter in which Christ is present. This reading of the genitive corresponds to Paul’s immediately preceding description of God, who makes Paul to be “the odor of Christ among both those being saved and the perishing.” Through him the crucified and risen Lord is communicated to the world, whether it responds in faith or in unbelief (2:15–16). A genitive of content likewise matches Paul’s following description of himself as a “minister of a new covenant” through whom God imparts the Spirit and righteousness (3:8–9; cf. 1 Cor 11:23–26). The “administration” of Christ’s letter is nothing other than the “administration of the new covenant,” which imparts a new relation to God. The Spirit—given through the apostolic mission—communicates the glory of the Lord to those in Christ, a glory that is found solely in the crucified and risen Christ (3:17–18; cf. 4:4–6). Indeed, the fundamental theme of the letter is the presence of Christ in the apostle, a presence that is communicated to the believing Corinthians. The Corinthians thus are not merely a letter written by Christ. They have been made to share in Christ. They are Christ’s letter in that Christ himself is present in and among them. For this reason, too, Paul is able to say, as he does already in v. 2, that the Corinthians have been written as a letter in his own heart.11 Hughes12 Seifrid13 Seifrid

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could stand of God speaking to them. Exodus 20:19 You speak to us…the people said to Moses…  and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us lest we die.  

Four chapters later, Exodus 24:12, the law was given on stone tablets. So even before the golden calf incident in Exodus 32, the very fact that the Law had to be given in written form—the people didn’t want to hear God directly—the very fact that the Law had to be given in written form signaled ‘Israel’s rebellious heart and distance from God’14 So that’s the phrase tablets of stone in verse 3 and it communicates distance from God and rebellion.

Well what about the phrase “tablets of human hearts”? And the Greek really says tablets of fleshly hearts.   It seems pretty clear that Paul is alluding to the promise of the New covenant in Jeremiah 31.

But before we look at Jeremiah 31 let’s talk about the phrase ‘fleshly hearts’ first. I’m pretty convinced that Paul doesn’t have in mind here warm loving converted hearts but rebellious hearts. What does the bible say about unconverted hearts? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us ‘the heart is deceitful—it’s tortuous, uneven and crooked like a bad road15—and it’s desperately sick…medically incurable. That’s the kind of heart Paul is talking about at the end of verse 3—fleshly hearts, hearts bent on breaking every law of God they can find.

And so the picture here in verse 3 is not ‘warm and loving’ human hearts that the Spirit writes upon but stony, rebellious, fleshly hearts--hearts chock full of rebellion, iniquity and sin. And having painted that picture, let’s look at the announcement of the New covenant in Jeremiah 31

The problem with the old covenant was that it was external. As we said, its laws were written on stone tablets. And there was no internal power to live out God’s laws.

But look on the screen in Jeremiah 31… I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts. No longer will the Word of God be outside his people, external to them, distant from them. It will be written on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my 

14 Seifrid15 ESV Study Bible

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people.   And furthermore we won’t need to exhort each other “Know the Lord!” For everyone will know God…. and our sins will be forgiven.

So under the New covenant, God promised a new heart, a new relationship, a new knowledge, and true forgiveness.16 Notice that these are all promises of God. The Old covenant was all about demands. The New covenant is all about God’s promises.

I learned a word this week. I want to teach it to you. I’ll put it up on the screen….

Now why the new word?

Verse 3 of our text is saying that the Corinthian’s hearts( and our hearts) are pal-imp-sests: upon the very hardened hearts onto which sin, iniquity, and rebellion have been inscribed, the Spirit of the living God, when we’re saved, makes his own, fresh inscription, an inscription that creates them anew.17

What does the Spirit write? RebirthRighteous

Over against the stony plates of the law are the stony plates of ‘fleshly hearts’. It is upon these that the Spirit savingly writes.18 And the people said, “Amen!”

So what have we seen so far? The apostle Paul has argued that he has no physical letters of recommendation for the Corinthians. He really has no need to commend himself. Because the Corinthians themselves “are his letter of recommendation—and really not his but Christ’s who works in and through him to rewrite the hearts of fallen human beings.”19

Verse 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.   The word ‘confidence’ here in verse 4 doesn’t refer to something inside Paul. It’s a confidence that has been given to him and rests outside of him in Christ’s work. The confidence he has is in God, that the Spirit can write “life” and “righteousness” and “obedience” on fleshly hearts. The

16 Hughes17 Seidfrid18 Seidfrid19 Seidfrid

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confidence he has is that the Spirit can bring life where only death exists. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 

And then having said what he said in verse 4, he qualifies it in verse 5…

5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 

Paul says, “Oh Corinthians be assured it’s not about me…It’s not something I can do on my own…I could never be sufficient and competent to proclaim God’s good news in the world.”20 No my sufficiency is from God.

Isn’t it that way time and time again in the scriptures?

Moses’ insufficiency… I’m not eloquent, I’m slow of speech and of tongue…21

Gideon’s insufficiency…My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my father’s house22

Isaiah’s insufficiency…. I’m undone…I am a man of unclean lips23

Jeremiah’s insufficiency….I am only a youth24

In each of those cases, wasn’t their insufficiency met with God’s sufficiency? One author says it this way, “Our weaknesses and His strength form an unbeatable combination!”25

Oswald Chambers26 says the same thing in different words:

Well Paul’s insufficiency was met with God’s sufficiency. Look at the first part of verse 6…

6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant,

20 Guthrie21 Ex. 4:1022 Judges 6:1523 Isaiah 6:524 Jeremiah 1:625 Vance Havener as quoted by Hughes26 Hughes, R. K. (2006). 2 Corinthians: power in weakness (p. 69). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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I’m reminded of the story about the flea who hitched a ride on the elephant. I think I’ve told it once before. So this flea hitched a ride on this elephant and they came to a wooden bridge. Well as they proceeded to cross the bridge, the bridge really, really shook. I mean it was shaking like it was going to come down. When they got to the other side, the flea whispered into the elephant’s ear, “Boy, we really shook that bridge, didn’t we?”

You see, you and I are the flea in New covenant ministry. It’s God and him alone who makes us sufficient for such a ministry. And it’s God who does the work.

Look at the end of verse 6….not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 

What does Paul mean when he contrasts the ‘letter’ and the ‘spirit’?27

It’s clear he has in mind the contrasting aspects of the Old covenant and the New covenant.

Under the old covenant, men encountered God and his demands but there was no power to accomplish what God demanded. But the New covenant promised a saving encounter with God through the Spirit. The old covenant was all about Moses and his actions. The new covenant is about Christ and his actions.

Finally the word ‘letter’ is shorthand for the broken and distant communication between God and man that takes place in the Law. But the word ‘Spirit’ signifies the renewal of communication with God that takes place by the Spirit who recreates the human heart.

The letter kills--the old covenant brought condemnation and death--but the Spirit gives life. ____________

Now in verses 7-11, Paul is going to argue that there is greater glory associated with a new covenant ministry than that which was associated with the old covenant.

{And in my remaining time I just want to introduce these verses and get our feet wet with them so to speak so that you can study them further on your own in preparation for Larry Bock’s message next Sunday—next Sunday, Larry will be looking at 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. So I just want 27 These contrasts from Seifrid.

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to get a first look at some of the things Larry will be sharing. The ideas are difficult enough for us that I think it will benefit us to hear them twice}

Follow with me as I read verses 7-11.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 

Let’s just make a few observations….

First notice the word ‘ministry’ is used several times in contrasting ways.

Second notice the phrase at the end of verse 7, “the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory”

It’s universally agreed that with this phrase in verse 7, Paul is referring to a scene in Exodus 34. Let’s turn there and briefly look at it. Exodus 34: 29-35…Exodus 34:29-35

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 

34 Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face 

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was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. 

Now let’s just make a few observations in the text.

Look at the word ‘returned’ there in verse 31. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him.   The text seems to be saying that Moses came down from the mountain with the two tablets and he was unaware that his face was glowing. Aaron and the people saw his face and were terrified and they ran off and Moses had to call them back.

And so Moses spoke to them with a glowing face. Afterwards, verse 33, he placed a veil over his face. From that point on, when he went into the tabernacle to speak with the Lord he removed the veil, verse 34.

So it seems that this became Moses’ practice—he would speak to the Lord in the tabernacle with an unveiled face; then with his face still unveiled, he would recount to the people what God had said; then he would place the veil on his face again until he entered the tabernacle to speak with the Lord, verse 35.

So the Word of God was always delivered to the people with Moses’ face shining. The sons of Israel repeatedly saw the glory of Moses’ face as Moses delivered divine instruction to them. And then, after the divine instruction, the veil would go back on Moses’ face. So it seems that glory became associated with divine instruction.

Well we’ll look forward to Larry sharing the rest of 2 Corinthians 3 next week.______________

What have we seen this morning? ■With new covenant ministry, the work of God in people’s lives is what commends a ministry

leader.■With new covenant ministry, the Spirit writes on the hearts of fallen people. And our

confidence is just that—that God is the one who does the work in people’s hearts■ Who could ever be adequate for a ministry where God does such an incredible work in

people’s hearts? God makes us adequate for such a ministry. ■There is a far greater glory associated with a new covenant ministry than the glory that was

associated with the old covenant.

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Let us pray.

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