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"The glory that excels."

Text: 2 Corinthians 3:10

THE GLORIOUS NEW COVENANT MINISTRY

Paul rightly desired to help his readers to appreciate the glorious New Covenant ministry.

“For even what was made glorious had no glory
in this respect, because of the glory that excels.
For if what is passing away was glorious,
what remains is much more glorious.”
2 Corinthians 3:10-11

1. Comparison and contrast

What was being compared?

a) Ministries

i) The ministry of Moses

ii) The ministry of the Holy Spirit

b) Characteristic features

i) The ministry of death and condemnation

A reference to the Old Covenant Ministry represented by the Law.

ii) The ministry of righteousness

A reference to the New Covenant Ministry (Represented by the Spirit of God giving life).

c) Glory

i) The impermanent glory of the Old Covenant that faded away.

ii) The glory of the New Covenant that excelled that of the Old Covenant.

2. What were some of the reasons behind this attempt to compare and contrast?

a) To help readers to move away from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.

b) To help believers appreciate the significance of the New Covenant.

c) To help believers to become more discerning.

d) To help believers desire to learn more about the New Covenant.

i) This was a very new doctrine.

ii) Many were still grappling with the tenets of this new doctrine.

e) To help believers free themselves from wrong influences.

f) The problem of the Judaizers

i) They were fixated about the keeping of the Old Testament laws.

ii) They believed that believers in Christ must continue to keep the Mosaic Law.

iii) They were a very strong force in the early first century church.

iv) They caused much upheaval in churches wherever they made their presence felt.