You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
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, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:2-18
This was written most likely from Philippi by Paul. Philippi and Troas were frequent stopping places for Paul and company. Of course Philippi was the city in which Lydia had her purple cloth business and was a very early disciple of Paul. Troas was a port city to Asia Minor. I believe both had growing groups of The Way. At this time The Way was growing with both Jew and Gentile believers and was very new and most believers had only heard very few of the books of the New Testament. No gospels had been disseminated throughout the believers yet. Just a few letters written by Paul. Of course they had the Old Testament scriptures and the human weakness was always to slip back into the ‘letter of the law’ with strict rules and regulations, from which the Jews had lived with their entire history. But then comes this Jesus who claimed things they could not comprehend, and did things only God could do. Then this Jesus was said to have come back from the dead and walked again among them and then ascended into the heavens. There were these eye witnesses giving their first hand accounts of seeing the resurrected Jesus. Then this incredible event happened in Jerusalem with Peter and many others being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit and had fire on their heads. Peter preached a sermon so moving thousands accepted that Jesus was who He said He was. And the ekklesia was born. And all those people went back to their home cites and countries – taking with them the Spirit of God now residing within them.
The encounters with the Holy Spirit was a new thing for people. The revelation and inspiration was a marker of His Presence. And some of these ‘common’ people were doing miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit! And the persecution of The Way began from many factions. They were stirring up the government authorities and exposing the works of the enemies of God with their ‘signs and wonders’, and miracles. The Truth was being spoken and preached. People were becoming ‘living epistles’ of the testimony of Jesus which was written on their hearts.
Does this passage stir your heart? Is the Holy Spirit enlivening your heart and spirit when you read these scriptures? We are no different than these earlier believers in Jesus. The existence of the written Bible does not diminish the power of God through people.
Do you understand Paul when he wrote this… For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life? The external law with it’s impossible rules and regulations pointed out everyday how no one could measure up to it’s standards. But through forgiveness through Jesus we have fellowship with His Spirit who was willing to make our very bodies / selves His Temple. And that there is a greater ‘glory’ that comes with that kind of life being lived led by the Holy Spirit. The law is now understood through the Spirit of God and shows the very heart of God.
Is the Holy Spirit teaching you? Is He bringing greater revelation and inspiration to you about Jesus? Is He birthing in you His fruit at greater and greater amounts? Is He driving His Truth to the very depths of your soul?
Oh what a wonderful savior and Lord we have!!!