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Question

Does 2 Corinthians 3 teach that the Ten Commandments were "done away"? Investigate the diakonia (ministry/ministration) contrast, the katargeo grammar, the glory/doxa theme, the veil imagery, and the stone-to-heart transition.

Topics

VEIL

  • Worn by Rebekah (GEN 24:65)
  • By Tamar (GEN 38:14,19)
  • By Moses, to screen his face when he descended from Mount Sinai (EXO 34:33,35; 2CO 3:13-16)
  • See DRESS
  • See WIMPLE

GLORY

  • God is, to his people (PSA 3:3; ZEC 2:5)
  • Christ is, to his people (ISA 60:1; LUK 2:32)
  • The gospel ordained to be, to saints (1CO 2:7)
  • Of the gospel exceeds that of the law (2CO 3:9,10)
  • The joy of saints is full of (1PE 1:8)
  • SPIRITUAL
  • Is given by God (PSA 84:11)
  • Is given by Christ (JHN 17:22)
  • Is the work of the Holy Spirit (2CO 3:18)
  • ETERNAL
  • Procured by the death of Christ (HEB 2:10)
  • Accompanies salvation by Christ (2TI 2:10)
  • Inherited by saints (1SA 2:8; PSA 73:24; PRO 3:35; COL 3:4; 1PE 5:10)
  • Saints called to (2TH 2:14; 1PE 5:10)
  • Saints prepared unto (ROM 9:23)
  • Enhanced by afflictions (2CO 4:17)
  • Present afflictions not worthy to be compared with (ROM 8:18)
  • Of God's people shall be rich and abundant (ISA 60:11-13)
  • The bodies of saints shall be raised in (1CO 15:43; PHP 3:21)
  • TEMPORAL
  • Is given by God (DAN 2:37)
  • Passes away (1PE 1:24)
  • The devil tries to seduce by (MAT 4:8)
  • Of hypocrites turned to shame (HOS 4:7)
  • Seek not, from man (MAT 6:2; 1TH 2:6)
  • Of the wicked is in their shame (PHP 3:19)
  • Ends in destruction (ISA 5:14)
  • OF GOD
  • Exhibited in Christ (JHN 1:14; 2CO 4:6; HEB 1:3)
  • Exhibited in his name (DEU 28:58; NEH 9:5)
  • His majesty (JOB 37:22; PSA 93:1; 104:1; 145:5,12; ISA 2:10)
  • His power (EXO 15:1,6; ROM 6:4)
  • His works (PSA 19:1; 111:3)
  • His holiness (EXO 15:11)
  • Described as great (PSA 138:5), eternal (PSA 104:31), rich (EPH 3:16), highly exalted (PSA 8:1; 113:4)
  • Exhibited to Moses (EXO 34:5-7; with 33:18-23)
  • Stephen (ACT 7:55)
  • The people of God (DEU 5:24; PSA 102:16)
  • Enlightens God's people (ISA 60:1,2; REV 21:11,23)
  • Saints desire to behold (PSA 63:2; 90:16)
  • God is jealous of (ISA 42:8)
  • The earth is full of (ISA 6:3)
  • The knowledge of, shall fill the earth (HAB 2:14)

COMMANDMENTS

  • General scriptures concerning (EXO 13:8-10; 20:3-17; DEU 4:5,9,10; 5:6-21; 6:4-9; 11:18-21; 32:46,47; JOS 8:30-35; etc.)
  • See DECALOGUE
  • See TABLES
  • Precepts of Jesus: MAT 5:16,22-24,27-48; etc.
  • Precepts of Paul: ROM 12:1-3,6-21; etc.
  • Other Apostles: JAS 1:16,19,21,22; 1PE 1:13-17; etc.
  • Of Men (ISA 29:13; MAT 15:3-20; MRK 7:2-23; ROM 14:1-6; 1TI 4:1-3)

COVENANT

  • Sacred (JOS 9:18-21; GAL 3:15)
  • Binding (JOS 9:18-20; JER 34:8-21; EZK 17:14-18; GAL 3:15)
  • Blood of (EXO 24:8)
  • Book of (EXO 24:7)
  • The Mosaic law called a covenant (EXO 34:28)
  • OF GOD WITH MEN
  • Confirmed with an oath (GEN 22:16; PSA 89:35; HEB 6:13,17,18)
  • Everlasting (GEN 8:20-22; 9:1-17; PSA 105:8,10; ISA 54:10)
  • God faithful to (LEV 26:44,45; DEU 4:31; 7:8,9; PSA 105:8-11)
  • Repudiated by God on account of Jews' idolatry (JER 44:26,27; HEB 8:9)
  • Broken by the Jews (JER 22:9; EZK 16:59; HEB 8:9)
  • KEY INSTANCES
  • Of the sabbath (EXO 31:16)
  • Of the Ten Commandments (EXO 34:28; DEU 5:2,3; 9:9)
  • With Abraham (GEN 12:1-3; 15; 17:1-22)
  • With Israel, at Horeb (DEU 5:2,3)
  • THE SECOND COVENANT (JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:4-13; 12:18-24; 13:20)

DECALOGUE

  • Written by God (EXO 24:12; 31:18; 32:16; DEU 5:22; 9:10; HOS 8:12)
  • Divine authority of (EXO 20:1; 34:27,28; DEU 5:4-22)
  • Called WORDS OF THE COVENANT (EXO 34:28; DEU 4:13)
  • TABLES OF TESTIMONY (EXO 31:18; 34:29; 40:20)
  • See COMMANDMENTS (EXO 20:1-17; DEU 5:7-21; MAT 19:18,19; 22:34-40; LUK 10:25-28; ROM 13:8-10)

STONES

  • Commandments engraved upon (EXO 24:12; 31:18; 34:1-4; DEU 4:13; 5:22; 9:9-11; 10:1-3)
  • The law of Moses written upon (JOS 8:32)
  • Houses built of (ISA 9:10; AMO 5:11)
  • Temple built of (1KI 5:17,18; 7:9-12)
  • Hewn/cut (EXO 34:1; DEU 10:1; 1KI 5:17)
  • FIGURATIVE
  • Of temptation, "Stone of Stumbling" (ISA 8:14; ROM 9:33; 1PE 2:8)
  • Of Christ, "a Tested Stone," "a Precious Stone" (ISA 28:16)
  • Of the impenitent heart (EZK 36:26)
  • Of the witness of the Spirit, the white stone (REV 2:17)

MOSES

  • A Levite and son of Amram (EXO 2:1-4; 6:20; ACT 7:20; HEB 11:23)
  • Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt (ACT 7:22)
  • Commissioned as leader of the Israelites (EXO 3:10-22; 6:13)
  • Receives the law and ordains various statutes
  • Face of, transfigured (EXO 34:29-35; 2CO 3:13)
  • A type of the Messiah (DEU 18:15-18; ACT 3:22; 7:37)
  • CHARACTER OF:
  • Meekness of (EXO 14:13,14; NUM 12:3; 16:4-11)
  • Faith of (NUM 10:29; DEU 9:1-3; HEB 11:23-28)
  • God spoke to, as a man to his friend (EXO 33:11)
  • Magnified of God (EXO 19:9; NUM 14:12-20)

TESTAMENT

  • A will (HEB 9:16-18)
  • The new (MAT 26:28; MRK 14:24; LUK 22:20; 1CO 11:25)
  • See COVENANT

HOLY SPIRIT

  • General scriptures concerning (GEN 1:2; 6:3; ISA 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; EZK 36:27; JOL 2:28,29; JHN 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; ACT 1:8; 2:2-4; ROM 8:1-27; 2CO 3:3,6,8,17,18; GAL 5:22,23; EPH 1:13,14; etc.)
  • SIN AGAINST (ISA 63:10; MAT 12:31,32; MRK 3:29; ACT 7:51; HEB 10:29)
  • WITHDRAWN FROM INCORRIGIBLE SINNERS (GEN 6:3; ROM 1:24,26,28)

TEN COMMANDMENTS

See COMMANDMENTS (per Nave's cross-reference)

TABLES (Stone Tablets)

Referenced under DECALOGUE: "Tables of Testimony" (EXO 31:18; 34:29; 40:20) Referenced under STONES: "Commandments engraved upon" (EXO 24:12; 31:18; 34:1-4; DEU 4:13; 5:22; 9:9-11; 10:1-3)

Key Observations from Nave's

  1. GLORY: Nave's explicitly notes "Of the gospel exceeds that of the law" citing 2CO 3:9,10 -- and "Is the work of the Holy Spirit" citing 2CO 3:18. The glory theme is central.
  2. DECALOGUE: Written by God, called "Words of the Covenant" and "Tables of Testimony" -- uniquely authored by God's finger.
  3. COVENANT: The Ten Commandments are explicitly identified as "the covenant" (EXO 34:28; DEU 5:2,3; 9:9), distinct from the broader Mosaic law.
  4. SECOND COVENANT: Nave's lists JER 31:31-34 and HEB 8:4-13 as the "second covenant" passages -- these are the new covenant promises that write the law on hearts.
  5. VEIL: Nave's links Moses' veil (EXO 34:33,35) directly to 2CO 3:13-16 -- Paul's interpretation.
  6. STONES: The figurative use of stone for "the impenitent heart" (EZK 36:26) connects to the stone-to-heart transition in 2 Cor 3:3.