OCTOBER 31, 2021
A CLEAR BRIGHTER VISION
INTRODUCTION:
1. The Apostle having referred to the transient brightness of Moses’ face, as a symbol of the passing glory of his ministry, here uses the fact that Moses veiled his face as a twofold illustration. (Verses 12-15)
a) First, it symbolizes the obscurity of the revelation made under the old dispensation. As the brightness of Moses’ face was covered, so spiritual truth was covered under the types and shadows of the Mosaic economy.
b) Second, it symbolizes the blindness which rested on the minds of the Jews, which prevented their seeing the true import of their own institution.
2. Nevertheless, as Moses removed the veil from his face when he turned to the Lord so both the obscurity of the Law and the blindness of the people are taken away when they turn to Christ. (Verses 1, 6)
3. The clearer and brighter vision of the Gospel not only removes the veil form the heart, but it liberates from bondage, and transforms into a Christ-like glory. (Verses 17, 18)
4. Because we have in Christ a clearer and brighter vision, we can use great plainness of speech in declaring this glorious Gospel. (Verse 12)
I. PAUL’S EXPERIENCE OF THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE OF THE GOSPEL LED HIM TO DECLARE IT WITHOUT RESERVE. (VERSES 12, 13)
A. HIS “PLAINNESS OF SPEECH” WAS BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THE GOSPEL AS REVEALED IN THE NEW COVENANT, AND ALSO HIS CALLING AS A MINISTER OF CHRIST. (VERSE 12 with VERSE 4)
1. “Seeing then that we have such hope,” literally, “Having such hope,” i.e. because we have it.
a) What he here calls hope; in Verse 4 he calls confidence.
b) The hope to which he refers is the Gospel and its ministry, which were far superior to the Law and the ministry of Moses.
2. “We use great plainness of speech,” or “We are very outspoken.”
a) This stands opposed to all concealment, whether from lack of information, or timidity, or fear of consequences.
b) Paul therefore says that in his case it was a result of his firm conviction of his divine mission and of the truth and glory of the Gospel, that he proclaimed it fully and boldly.
c) May the same confidence produce the same effect in us.
d) This is indeed one of the glories of Christianity. It is characteristic of error to practice reserve and seek secrecy and concealment.
B. HIS “PLAINNESS OF SPEECH” REGARDING THE GOSPEL IS CONTRASTED WITH MOSES’ CONCEALMENT AND RESERVE, WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY. (VERSE 13)
1. “And not as Moses…” that is, we do not do what Moses did, for he did practice concealment.
2. This is no impeachment of the character of Moses. Paul is not speaking of his personal character, but of the nature of his office.
3. The truth concerning man’s redemption was not “in other ages made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed to the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” (Eph. 3:5)
4. It was not consistent with the nature of Moses’ ministry to communicate the doctrines of redemption as do Christian ministers. He was sent to speak as it were in parables and types. He set forth truth in significant rites and ceremonies. He thus put a veil over the glory, not to hide it entirely, but to obscure its brightness.
5. This Moses did, as symbolized by the veil which he put over his face, so that the people “could not look stedfastly to the end of that which was abolished.” (Verses 7, 13)
a) “The end” here speaks of the termination, and not the design or scope, not as in Romans 10:4, where Christ is said to be “the end of the law,” that is, the object toward which it intended.
b) In Verse 7 Moses veiled his face in order to prevent the Israelites seeing how soon its brightness faded. This was symbolic of his ministry by which the people could not see the temporary, preparatory nature of that economy.
6. Mark 4:11 is in a measure parallel to what we have here. “…all these things are done in parables; that seeing they may see, and not perceive.”
II. BY THE GOSPEL ALONE IS THE VEIL REMOVED FROM THE EYES AND HEART, SO THAT THE TRUE GLORY IS SEEN. (VERSES 14-16)
A. THE BLINDNESS OF THE JEWS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES REMAINED UNTO THAT VERY DAY. (VERSES 14, 15)
1. Even still, the Jews did not truly understand the ministry of Moses. They, for the most part, did not understand what was set forth in types and shadows. They did not see Christ’s person and work, as typified in their priesthood and sacrifices. Therefore, when the Old Testament Scriptures were read, they remained in their religious darkness.
2. Not even through the plain and unreserved preaching of the Gospel did they understand what Moses was setting forth. They considered the preaching of Christ to be offensive. In other words, the veil remained not taken away. Thus, when the Old Testament Scriptures were expounded, as Paul did at Rome in Acts 28:23, the same veil was over their hearts and minds.
3. This means that they remained satisfied with the external, ritual, and ceremonial, without any interest in what was the import of the types and symbols.
4. The Old Testament Scriptures are intelligible only when understood as predicting and prefiguring Christ. The knowledge of Christ removes the veil from the Old Testament. “Which veil is done away in Christ.”
5. The Jews did not understand the Scriptures in two ways. (Verse 15)
a) The veil was on the Scriptures. The message was obscure to them
b) The veil was over their hearts. The true want of knowledge was subjective. The Scriptures are sufficiently clear if they had a heart to understand them.
6. The Jews are not alone in their blindness to the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. The religion of many professing Christians consists in nothing more than outward observances. They have no heart for anything deeper.
B. THE VEIL SHALL REMAIN UPON THE HEART UNTIL IT TURNS TO THE LORD. (VERSE 16)
1. So long as the people were turned away from the Lord the veil remained.
2. The allusion seems to be to what is recorded in Exodus 34:29-35, as it is expounded by the Apostle here. When Moses was among the people, he wore a veil, but, when he returned to the Lord, he removed it.
3. Some understand “it” as referring to Moses, as representing the Law. “When Moses is read, the veil is upon the heart,” but “When it (Moses, i.e. the Law) shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.” When the Law is directed to Christ, Who is the end of the Law, the message then becomes clear.
4. The most natural subject of the verb shall turn is heart. A veil is on the heart but when it (the heart) turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
5. It is the heart that is the true seat of understanding. We must be given a heart to know the Lord. (Jer. 24:7)
III. THE TWO GREAT RESULTS OF THIS GOSPEL UNVEILING ARE LIBERATION FROM BONDAGE AND CONFORMITY TO CHRIST. (VERSES 17, 18)
A. THE TURNING OF THE HEART TO THE LORD IS BY THE MINISTRATION OF THE SPIRIT REFERRED TO IN VERSE 8.
1. The things that were being compared are the ministration committed to Moses, and the ministration committed to Paul. The latter, being the ministration of the Spirit (the Gospel) is the more glorious. The former was a ministration of death, while the latter is a ministration of life. Life and life-giving are inseparable from the idea of the Spirit.
2. The Gospel as the source of life is called spirit (small “s”), so the translators render it thus in Verse 8, since spirit is being contrasted with letter.
3. It is, however, the Holy Spirit, and He alone, Who turns the heart to the Lord, and in doing so, writes the Law upon the heart. (Verse 3; Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10)
4. “Now the Lord is that Spirit,” says the Apostle.
B. IN THE GOSPEL, IT IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST THAT LIBERATES AND SETS US FREE. (VERSE 17; JOHN 8:36)
1. Set free from the curse of the Law.
2. Liberated from its yoke of bondage.
3. Free to walk in its holy precepts by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
C. THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS LIBERTY IS HERE STATED. (VERSE 18)
1. Who are these so effected? “But, we all.”
a) All who have turned to the Lord. (Verse 16)
b) All who have been set free from bondage by the Spirit of the Lord. (Verse 17)
2. What is their advantage? “…with open faces.”
a) The veil has been removed, they have unveiled faces.
b) They have a brighter vision now of those blessed truths that were before obscured in types and shadows.
3. What are they now able to do and by what means? “…beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord.”
a) They see in the looking glass of the Gospel the glory of the Lord.
b) They now see clearly the person of Christ, Who was the subject of the prophetic Scriptures, and the object of the ceremonies of the Law. They see in Him the end of the Law for righteousness. (Rom. 10:4)
c) By the Gospel, they see “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (Ch. 4:6)
d) This is a continuing experience. ‘beholding”
4. What effect does this continuous beholding have on these? “…are changed into the same image, from glory to glory.”
a) The chief desire of those hearts that are turned to the Lord is to be like Him.
b) By constantly beholding Him in the Gospel, believers are themselves being changed.
c) This is a progressive change. “…from glory to glory,” that is, for one degree of glory to another.
d) This is according to God’s predestinated purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
5. By what instrumental power is this glorious change effected? “…even as by the Spirit of the Lord,” even by the Spirit of Sanctification.
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