Covenants Compared
The Letters to the Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewThis chapter is a key one, for it shows the relationship between the OT message of Law and the NT ministry of the Gospel of God’s grace. It seems that the Jewish faction at Corinth was saying that Paul was not a true apostle because he did not have letters of commendation from the church at Jerusalem. Apparently some teachers had arrived at Corinth with such letters, and this lack of credentials seemed to discredit Paul. The apostle used this accusation as an opportunity to contrast the Gospel of grace with the Law of Moses.
Notes
Transcript
2 Corinthians 3 (NLT)
1 Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not!
2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?
9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.
11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Introduction:
TS: Notice the differences between the two covenants:
The New Covenant is superior because it..
I- IS WRITTEN ON HEARTS RATHER THAN STONE. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)
I- IS WRITTEN ON HEARTS RATHER THAN STONE. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)
2 Corinthians 3:1–3 (NLT)
1 Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not!
2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
A- The evidence is in the life, not a letter. (2 Cor. 3: 1-2) (Matt. 7:20)
Matthew 7:20 (NLT)
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
B- The Gospel is written on the heart, not carved in stone. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
2 Corinthians 3:3 (NLT)
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
1- The Gospel demonstrates the power of heart transformation over the external commands.
a- As God promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34; and Ezekiel 11:19–20; 36:26–27.
Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NLT)
31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
Ezekiel 11:19–20 (NLT)
19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart,
20 so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NLT)
26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
II- BRINGS LIFE RATHER THAN DEATH. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).
II- BRINGS LIFE RATHER THAN DEATH. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).
2 Corinthians 3:4–6 (NLT)
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
A- True qualifications come from God, not men. (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)
2 Corinthians 3:4–5 (NLT)
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
B- The law demonstrates our lost condition and condemns us to death. (2 Corinthians 3:6)
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT)
6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
(Romans 7:5)
Romans 7:5 (NLT)
5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.
III- HAS A LASTING GLORY RATHER THAN ONE THAT FADES. (2 Corinthians 3:7-13)
III- HAS A LASTING GLORY RATHER THAN ONE THAT FADES. (2 Corinthians 3:7-13)
2 Corinthians 3:7–13 (NLT)
7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?
9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.
11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
A- The new covenant has a glory that exceeds that of the old covenant because it replaces the old.
1- The Old Covenant was designed to show us our need of salvation.
(Galatians 3:23-25)
Galatians 3:23–25 (NLT)
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.
25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
B- The new covenant has a glory that exceeds the old because the new one lasts forever.
(Hebrews 13:20)
Hebrews 13:20 (NLT)
20 Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
IV- UNVEILS THE HEART RATHER THAN VEILING IT. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
IV- UNVEILS THE HEART RATHER THAN VEILING IT. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
2 Corinthians 3:14–16 (NLT)
14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
A- Following the law covers the minds with the veil of unbelief.
1- Legalism produces a works-based mentality.
B- The veil is removed when we turn to Christ and follow Him.
1- We can only be saved through the gospel of grace.
2- Receiving the Gospel of Grace transforms our ability to see why we serve and obey Christ.
V- PROVIDES LIBERTY RATHER THAN BONDAGE. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
V- PROVIDES LIBERTY RATHER THAN BONDAGE. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NLT)
17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
A- The Lord is the source of freedom.
(John 8:36)
John 8:36 (NLT)
36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
B- Only those of us who have been saved can see and reflect the glory of Christ.
Conclusion: