2 Cor. 3:7-15

There are many ideas around concerning the usability of the Law of Moses for Christians today.  This passage represents what is common teaching in the New Testament as to the limited use of the Old Testament law today.  Note first the contrasts Paul makes concerning the Old and New Testaments (Covenants):

o   The Old was glorious but served up death to people.  In effect it showed them they were dead in sin.  The New is thus more glorious being the ministry of the Spirit in that the Spirit gives life (v6).

o   The Old was a ministry of condemnation, again judging people as having fallen short of God’s glory.  The New is a ministry of righteousness in that through Christ men can be justified or declared righteous before God.  A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28).

There is an illustration of the lesser glory of the Old Covenant (the Law of Moses) found in Moses himself.  Paul refers to Ex. 33:17-23 and 34:29-35 when Moses had gone up on Mt. Sinai to receive the law from God.  While there he expressed his desire to know God, to see Him.  God responded by allowing Moses to get just a brief glimpse of His glory.  (God Himself is invisible but expressed Himself through His brilliant glory in Moses’ day.)  The effect of Moses’ vision of God was that his face reflected God’s glory.  When he went down the mountain a veil had to be put over his face because the people could not look at it.  This went on for a period of time but eventually the reflection faded and the veil was removed.

In today’s passage the point is expressed in v11.  The Old Covenant involving God’s law through Moses was truly glorious, but only for a while.  It was meant to give way to the more glorious ministry of Christ.  As in Gal. 3:24-25, the law was meant to lead us to Christ, showing us our need of Him.  But one who would receive Christ must not seek to do it by keeping the law but by faith in Christ.

Thus, concerning the usability of the Law of Moses today we must agree with the apostle in 1 Timothy 1:8-11:

⁸ But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰ for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

Let the Old Covenant serve it’s purpose to show people their sin and their need of Christ.  But then present Christ to them through the gospel.  Only then can dead men live.