The Surpassing Glory Text: 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
Introduction: Two Kinds of Glory
We live in an age that is starved for glory, and because of this, it settles for glitter. Our culture is infatuated with the fleeting fame of celebrities, the polished shine of a new gadget, or the empty pomp of political theater. But this is not glory. This is a cheap knock-off, a tawdry imitation that cannot satisfy the human heart, because the human heart was made by God for glory, and it will only be satisfied with the real thing.
The apostle Paul, in this section of his letter to the Corinthians, is dealing with a similar problem. False teachers, Judaizers, had crept into the church, and they were peddling a form of glory that was past its expiration date. They were boasting in the old covenant, in the law of Moses, in the stone tablets, and in the reflected glory that shone from Moses' face. And Paul's task is not to deny that the old covenant had glory. His task is to show that the glory of the new covenant in Jesus Christ so completely outshines it that, by comparison, the first glory was no glory at all. It is the difference between the moon on a clear night and the sun at high noon. Both are glorious, but one is a pale reflection, and the other is the source of all light.
Paul is making a case for the superiority of his ministry, the ministry of the new covenant, over and against the ministry of these Judaizers. But in doing so, he is teaching us a fundamental lesson about the progress of redemptive history. God works in stages, and each stage has its own appropriate glory. But we are fools if we prefer the glory of the overture when the symphony has already begun. We are fools if we want to go back to the black-and-white television set after we have been given high-definition color.
This passage is a magnificent comparison of two ministries, two covenants, and two glories. One is a ministry of death and condemnation, glorious but fading. The other is a ministry of the Spirit and righteousness, a glory that not only remains but increases forever. Understanding this distinction is absolutely crucial for living a confident, joyful, and effective Christian life. If we get this wrong, we will live in the shadows, constantly trying to earn what has been freely given, polishing stone tablets when we have been invited to gaze upon the face of Christ Himself.
The Text
But if the ministry of death, in letters having been engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was being brought to an end, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more in glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had been glorious, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which was being brought to an end was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
(2 Corinthians 3:7-11 LSB)
The Lethal Glory of the Law (v. 7)
Paul begins by making a startling concession. He grants that the old covenant, the law of Moses, was glorious. But notice what he calls it.
"But if the ministry of death, in letters having been engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was being brought to an end..." (2 Corinthians 3:7)
He calls it the "ministry of death." This is not an insult; it is a technical description of what the law, by itself, does to fallen sinners. The law is holy, just, and good. The problem is not with the law; the problem is with us. When the perfect standard of God's righteousness, engraved on stones, is brought to bear on the crooked, rebellious hearts of men, all it can do is condemn. All it can do is kill. It shows us our sin, it provokes our sin, and it pronounces the death sentence upon us for our sin. It is a ministry of death because it tells us the truth about our condition before a holy God: "the soul who sins shall die."
And yet, this ministry of death was glorious. Its inauguration was so bright, so terrible, that the people of Israel could not even look at the face of Moses, the mediator of that covenant. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face was radiant with a reflected glory from having been in the presence of God. This glory was a terrifying thing. It was a "keep your distance" glory. It was a lethal glory. This was not a warm and fuzzy glow; it was the radiance of the very holiness that would consume them if they came too close.
But Paul adds a crucial qualifier. This glory on Moses' face was "being brought to an end." The Greek word here is katargeo, which means to be rendered inoperative, to be made obsolete, to be nullified. This wasn't a glory that slowly faded like a dying battery. It was a glory that was designed from the beginning to be superseded. It was glorious, yes, but it was a temporary, preparatory glory. It was the glory of the scaffolding, which is necessary for a time but is taken down once the building is complete. The Judaizers wanted to keep the scaffolding up and admire it, not realizing that the glorious building, Christ Himself, had arrived.
The Argument from Lesser to Greater (v. 8)
Having established the terrifying, yet temporary, glory of the ministry of death, Paul now makes his first "how much more" argument.
"...how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more in glory?" (2 Corinthians 3:8)
This is simple, powerful, Spirit-breathed logic. If the covenant that kills came with such a dazzling, unapproachable light, how much more glorious must the covenant that gives life be? Paul calls the new covenant the "ministry of the Spirit." The old covenant was external, written on stones. It could command, but it could not empower. It could demand righteousness, but it could not produce it. The new covenant, however, is internal. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, who does not just give us a list of rules, but writes God's law on our hearts and gives us a new nature, a new desire, and new power to obey. He regenerates us, He indwells us, He sanctifies us. He gives life.
The glory of the old was the reflected light on a man's face. The glory of the new is the indwelling presence of God Himself in the hearts of His people. The first was a glory that pushed men away; the second is a glory that draws men in. If the prelude was magnificent, how much more magnificent must the symphony itself be?
Condemnation vs. Righteousness (v. 9)
Paul restates his argument in verse 9, but this time he sharpens the contrast by changing the terms. He shows us not just the means of the ministries (stone vs. Spirit) but also their outcomes.
"For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory." (2 Corinthians 3:9)
The "ministry of death" is also the "ministry of condemnation." Its function was to hold up God's perfect law and declare every man guilty. It was a ministry that ended with a verdict: condemned. And this was glorious because it revealed the perfect justice and righteousness of God. A God who does not condemn sin is not a glorious God; He is a moral marshmallow.
But if that ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more does the "ministry of righteousness" abound in glory? The new covenant does not just tell us we are sinners; it tells us how we can be made righteous. It doesn't just deliver a guilty verdict; it delivers a perfect, alien righteousness, the very righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is credited to our account by faith alone. This is the heart of the gospel. God does not just forgive our sin; He imputes Christ's perfect obedience to us. In the old covenant, God demanded righteousness from us. In the new covenant, God provides righteousness for us. The glory of condemnation is the glory of a just judge. The glory of righteousness is the glory of a gracious Father who clothes the prodigal in the best robe.
The Surpassing Glory (v. 10-11)
In the final two verses of our text, Paul drives his point home with a powerful illustration. The glory of the old covenant is not just less than the new; it is effectively eclipsed by it.
"For indeed what had been glorious, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which was being brought to an end was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory." (2 Corinthians 3:10-11)
Imagine you are in a dark room with a single, bright candle. The candle has glory. It gives light, it pushes back the darkness, and you are grateful for it. But then, someone throws open the curtains and the midday sun floods the room. What happens to the glory of the candle? It is still lit, it is still a candle, but in the face of the sun, its light is completely overwhelmed. It has "no glory... because of the glory that surpasses it." This is Paul's point. The law of Moses was a bright candle in the long night before the dawn. But now the Son has risen, and to prefer the candle to the sun is the height of folly.
Paul concludes with one last contrast. The old covenant was "being brought to an end"; it was temporary. The new covenant "remains"; it is permanent. If that which was designed to be temporary and preparatory was inaugurated with such glory, how much more glorious is that which is eternal and final? The glory of the old covenant was the glory of a shadow. The glory of the new covenant is the glory of the reality, the substance, which is Christ.
Conclusion: Living in the Light of the Son
So what does this mean for us? It means everything. It means we are not the people of the fading glory. We are the people of the remaining, abounding, surpassing glory. We are not defined by the ministry of death and condemnation, but by the ministry of the Spirit and righteousness.
This means we are to live with an unshakeable confidence. Our standing before God does not depend on our ability to keep a set of rules engraved on stone. Our standing depends entirely on the perfect righteousness of Christ given to us as a free gift. The old covenant made men fearful and distant. The new covenant makes us sons and daughters, and gives us bold access to the throne of grace.
This means we are to live with great joy. We are not trying to work our way up a mountain of performance to a distant, terrifying God. We have been brought into His family by the Spirit. The Christian life is not a grim duty; it is a glorious liberty. We obey not in order to be accepted, but because we have been accepted. We obey out of gratitude for the surpassing glory of the grace we have received.
And finally, it means our mission is glorious. Paul says elsewhere that God "has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). We are not peddling a system of moral improvement. We are not offering another set of rules. We are ministers of the new covenant. We are holding up the glory of the Son, the light that outshines every other fading glory this world has to offer. We are telling a world lost in the shadows that the sun has risen, and in Him is life, and that life is the light of men.