Bible Study 3: You are a letter from Christ (2 Corinthians 3:1-18)

I have often wondered how the Apostle Paul would get on in the Church of England today if he were undertaking his ministry in the Salisbury Diocese. Would he be considered successful? It is difficult to imagine that a man who spent most of his adult life in prison, lived on minimal funds, never initiated a building project and did not have a social media presence, such as a Facebook page or Podcast, would be even shortlisted for a post. Paul had a reputation for being dogmatic and challenging. Paul had no permanent home due to the constant travelling. He frequently needed employment to support himself and admitted to being an unremarkable speaker with an unimpressive appearance. I think any interviewing group would see him as someone not to shortlist. Paul does not seem to meet the conventional criteria for success. It is therefore understandable that there were issues about him in Corinth and suspicions about his authenticity as an apostle.  

Look at what Paul says;  

Paul begins this chapter by asking if he and his companions must prove themselves to these Corinthians. He wanted to know if he had proven the work was legitimately from God. So Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians that they are his letters of commendation, His work with them is written on their hearts through his ministry by the Spirit of God. Paul emphasizes to the Corinthians that he is not seeking self-promotion; rather, he urges them to reflect on their own lives and see this as a mark of his role as an Apostle of Jesus. Their transformed lives should provide evidence that Paul delivered and spoke about Christ, not himself, to them. They have become living declarations for Paul and his associates, serving as adverts written by Christ with the Holy Spirit deep in their hearts (v1–3). 

Paul asserts that this is not due to his strength or skill. He and his colleagues are not intrinsically "sufficient" to perform this work. They do not have qualifications derived from their abilities or power. Instead, their capability is entirely attributed to the power of God, who has allowed and enabled them to serve as ministers of the New Covenant (v4–6). 

Paul draws a comparison between the New Covenant of salvation through faith in Christ and God's grace and the Old Covenant between God and Israel. The Old Covenant is described as a ministry of death inscribed in letters on stone. Despite its true glory as God's revelation to the Israelites, it was a ministry of death because it required the sacrifice of animals to atone for every sin committed by Israel. This Covenant highlighted that sinful humans cannot achieve the righteousness demanded by God to witness His glory (v7). 

The New Covenant of God's grace through faith in Christ far surpasses the Old Covenant of the law. The old ministry condemned sin, but the new one grants righteousness through Christ and is eternal (v8-11). Paul, as a minister of the New Covenant, is bolder than Moses who had to veil his face to shield the Israelites from God's glory. This veil still exists for those not in Christ and can only be removed by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (v12–17). In Christ, believers see God's glory with unveiled faces and are transformed to become like Him over time by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

The Aims of this Chapter 

To learn how to become a "letter of Christ" 
To see the difference between the old and new covenants 
To value the role of the Spirit in the new covenant, and in producing our transformation 

Bible Study Questions 

Breaking the Ice: Just as there are signs of physical life so there are signs of spiritual life. If we are looking for spiritual life in a person, what are we looking for? 

Q1. How do you measure fruitfulness in ministry? In what ways do people measure the ministry in a local church? 

Q2. Who was Paul's "letter of commendation”? (v1-2) How had Paul written to make the Corinthians a "letter of Christ"?  And upon what had he written? (v3) Why is this important? 

Q3. In what sense were the Corinthians the story of Paul’s values and concerns? (v2-3) And in what sense were the Corinthians a record of God’s values and concerns? (v2-3)  

Q4. Who made Paul a minister? (v5-6a) What is the new covenant? And what does it give? (v6b) 

Q5. How are the "old covenant" and "new covenant" described in v7-9? 

Q6. What is said about the old covenant when compared with the glory of the new covenant? (v10,11) 

Q7. What remains on the heart when only the Old Testament is read? (v14-15) And what changes when one turns to the Lord? (16) 

Q8. In turning to the Lord, what kind of freedom does Paul speak about and what difference does it make? (v17) 

Q9. As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, what happens? (v18) What does this transformation mean? (v18)