THE KING’S BUSINESS
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letter of the law as contrasted with the Spirit of the gospel. The advent of the Spirit is not in the nature of a letter, but of a power. The law brings death; the Spirit giveth life. If those representatives of the law—these false teachers—repre sented the legal system of Moses, which had a fading, transitory glory, counted themselves, or were counted by the Corinth ians, as worthy of honor, how much more the Apostle Paul and the twelve apostles who were ministers of the gospel, the glory of which was not only greater but more enduring. The glory in the face of Moses passed away, and the patriarch, perchance, put the veil on his face so that the children of Israel might not see the glory fading, or departing. Not so is it with the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. With unveiled face we may see glory abiding, and passing from one stage of glory to another (iii. 18). It is true that even today Israel does not see the immeasurable superiority of the gospel over the law, but that is because a veil is still over their minds (Isaiah xxix. 9-14), probably through the hardening of sin (iii. 14). As soon, however, as Israel shall turn to Christ, that veil will be taken away. When Moses returned to God from speaking with the people, he removed the veil from his face. So when Israel shall Christ from them shall be removed, and they will see the glory of God in the face return to God, the veil that now hides of Jesus Christ, their Messiah, whom because of their ignorance—the ignorance that is in them because of sin—they see not now as their rightful Messiah and King (cf. Zechariah xii. 10). Such a “behold ing” (iii. 18) they will see in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which, in reality, mirrors forth the Messianic glory (iv. 4). The removal of the veil is true of Israel individually now, as the individual Jew turns to Christ. It will be true nationally some day, when Israel as a nation shall turn to Christ (cf. Romans xi. 25). (c) The Possession o f so Glorious a Gospel Gives Boldness of Speech (iii. 12- 18).
Corinthians chaps, ii.-iv. ; vii. 25, 40; ix. 14, 18; xv. 10). Is the vindication of char acter and action ever necessary, and may such take place without vanity and pride ? Such successes as the apostle has men tioned in both Corinth and Asia were tri umphs of God in Christ, and he would so designate them. The power and sufficiency are of God, who has made the apostles able sufficient ministers of the new covenant, which is the gospel (iii. 6; cf. Matthew xxiv. 28, 29; Ephesians iii. 7; Colossians i. 23; 1 Corinthians xi. 25; Galatians iv. 24; Hebrews ix. 15). Evidently Paul has in mind the false and Judaizing teacher? who were preaching the doctrine of legalism and demanding obedi ence to the Mosaic law. Such a doctrine could only kill ; it could not make alive (cf. Romans v. 12, 13; vii. 9; viii. 2), and was well represented by the law written on tables of stone as contrasted with the true gospel, which is written by the Spirit of God on the tablets of the human heart. The gospel is “spirit and life” (Romans ii. 29; vii. 6) ; the law means condemnation and death to the sinner (cf. Romans v. 20; vii. 7-13), because by reason of the weakness of the flesh, he cannot keep it (Romans viii. 3). The ministry of the gospel is superior to the ministry of the law inasmuch as Christ is greater than Moses 7 - “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (iv. 6) being far greater and more permanent than the glory of the law on the face of Moses (iii. 10). The glory of the law on the face of Moses has faded before the glory of the gospel “in the face of Jesus Christ.” The glory of the law was temporary—it passed away; the glory of the gospel is pérmanent—it remains (iii. 11). Because of the superiority of the gospel of Christ which Paul preached over the law which the Judaizing teachers proclaimed, Paul had ^reason to be bold, and had no need of dis sembling (or adulterating) the Word of God, as accused by his enemies. The words “the letter killeth” do not refer to the literal, as distinguished from the spirit ual or figurative interpretation, but to the
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