So You’re a Priest: Immodest Christianity

This is part 7 of a sermon series through 2 Corinthians. Today’s passage is sometimes called a "Christian midrash" of Exodus 34:29-35. (Midrash is a Jewish form of interpretation, where one passage is used to interpret—and expand upon—another passage.) In Exodus, after Moses received the 2nd set of stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, his face was radiant and the people feared him, so he hid his face beneath a veil until the radiance faded. Veils frequently connote modesty—e.g: a bridal veil, or a niqāb, the veil often worn Muslim women, often in conjunction with a hijab—but veils can serve more sinister purposes as well.

2 Corinthians 3:12-17

Commentary

v7-11 Paul’s argument in these verses proceeds from the lesser—the ministry of the Mosaic law—to the greater—the ministry of the Spirit of Christ. The lesser ministry brought death & condemnation and faded away, but the greater ministry brought the Spirit & righteousness and lasts forever.

The lesser ministry brought death and condemnation, because the Israelites were judged and found wanting by the very law that given to save them. The fault was not in the law, but in people, for it is the bane of humanity to take that which could benefit them and use it unscrupulously. (Note also that the lesser ministry is still deemed glorious.)

v12-13 Rabbincal interpretation of Exodus 34 is varied, but modesty is frequently the motivation ascribed to Moses (e.g. not wanting the Israelites to see the radiance diminish over time). In any event, Christians, by contrast, are to be immodest —"not like Moses"—and bold, or open, in their ministry.

v14-15 I said it is the bane of humanity to take that which could save them and use it unscrupulously. That is the process at work here: self-righteousness that schemes to find justification within the law; selfishness that seeks to transform the law to personal benefit instead of being transformed by it. It is the lawyer asking Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" not to be edified by, but to diminish the moral requirement of, Jesus’ teaching (Luke 10:29). It is the child failing to care for parents even while professing dedication to God (Mark 7:11).

v16-18 These verses are a study in contrasts between the greater and lesser ministries: open vs veiled; free vs fettered; Spirit-life vs spiritless-death; ever-increasing glory vs glory that fades away.

ever-increasing glory. Don’t miss this! Even for the mature Christian, there is no "good enough". How much more does God have in store for those who follow him?

Application

As a pastor, one of the great frustrations is that people frequently don’t want to see, or hear, the truth. I can watch them put on their veils: a veil of hard-heartedness when I teach something (like tithing) they don’t want to hear; a veil of false ignorance ("I just don’t understand") when I say something to which they don’t want to be held accountable; a veil of righteousness that presumes to know better, or to be good enough already.

However, as a pastor, one of the great joys is when veils come off, for the promise is that we will look like Jesus (v18). To let the veils fall off is to be healed.

Points to Ponder

What veil, or veils, are you wearing? What are you reacting to?

If you take off your veil, what will people see: Jesus, or another veil?