2 Corinthians Chapter 3
The Glory of the New Covenant
A. Paul’s Letter of Recommendation
1. (2 Corinthians 3:1-2) Does Paul need a letter of recommendation? He has one — the Corinthian Christians themselves.
“Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.”
In the Greco-Roman world, letters of recommendation were common, functioning as credentials when travelers or teachers sought recognition in new communities. Within the early church, these letters protected congregations from false apostles or wandering prophets who might claim divine authority without accountability. For instance, Paul himself used such letters on multiple occasions: “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also” (Romans 16:1-2). Similarly, Paul entrusted others with letters for church support or oversight (see 1 Corinthians 16:3, 10-11; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24).
Here, however, Paul rejects the notion that his ministry requires external validation. His “letter” is not ink on parchment but the very lives of the Corinthian believers. Their transformation from paganism to faith in Christ serves as his living credential. He writes, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2). Unlike letters that could be forged or misused, this testimony was undeniable.
This statement also underscores the relational bond between Paul and the Corinthian church. The phrase “written in our hearts” emphasizes that their spiritual growth and testimony were not mere statistics for Paul but matters of deep personal affection. His credibility as an apostle was bound up with their obedience to Christ. In this sense, every believer’s life served as a public witness, “known and read by all men.”
There is nothing inherently wrong with written commendations, yet Paul demonstrates a higher standard. A certificate or ordination document may be useful, but true ministry credentials are found in transformed lives. The most compelling proof of God’s work is not human paperwork but the fruit of the Spirit manifested in people. As Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8).
This perspective also guards against misplaced confidence in outward displays of spiritual authority. Some argue that the apostolic signs and wonders served as God’s commendation in the Book of Acts. While such miracles confirmed God’s power in the apostolic era, Paul here emphasizes something far greater: not miracles, but transformed lives. He does not say, “The miraculous signs are our epistle,” but rather that the Corinthians themselves are the proof of his apostleship. This aligns with Paul’s consistent teaching that the greatest miracle is salvation itself: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The application for today is clear. Many in our modern church culture trust in degrees, titles, or institutional endorsements as marks of legitimacy. Yet Scripture reminds us that the true measure of ministry is the evidence of changed lives. As Matthew Poole remarked, “Nothing so commends a minister as the proficiency of his people.” John Trapp added, “The fruitfulness of the people is the preacher’s testimonial.” A seminary diploma or ordination paper may serve a necessary role, but it can never replace the authentic witness of disciples growing in Christlikeness.
Thus, Paul’s question is rhetorical: Does he really need a letter of recommendation? No. His “letter” was written by the Spirit of God upon the hearts of the Corinthians, and their lives bore witness before the world to the power of the gospel.
B. The Writing of Paul’s Letter of Recommendation
2. (2 Corinthians 3:3) The writing of Paul’s letter of recommendation.
“Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”
Paul declares that the Corinthians themselves are not merely his commendation but “an epistle of Christ.” The true author of their transformed lives was not Paul, but Jesus Christ working through His Spirit. Paul carefully avoids claiming ownership of their faith, lest any think that he boasted in his own ability. His role was that of an instrument, a ministerial “pen,” used by God to write Christ’s message upon their lives. This demonstrates the humility of apostolic ministry: while Paul “ministered,” Christ Himself wrote the letter.
The “ink” of this spiritual letter was not earthly or perishable, but rather “the Spirit of the living God.” Unlike human credentials written in fading ink, this testimony was enduring because it was authored by the eternal Spirit. This echoes prophetic promises of the New Covenant. The prophet Jeremiah recorded God’s promise: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Likewise, Ezekiel prophesied of the transformation God would accomplish: “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19). Again, he declared: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Thus, Paul connects the Corinthian believers to the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies. They are living proof that God’s Spirit has replaced the cold, unyielding heart of stone with a responsive, Spirit-filled heart of flesh. This makes them a visible testimony of the New Covenant, not bound by external regulations, but animated by internal transformation. The law carved on tablets of stone at Sinai revealed God’s holiness but could not impart life; the Spirit now writes God’s law upon hearts, producing true obedience from within.
C. Sufficient Ministers of the New Covenant
3. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6) Sufficient ministers of a new covenant.
“And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Having exalted the reality of transformed lives as his testimony, Paul quickly turns to clarify that his confidence does not rest in himself. He writes, “And we have such trust through Christ toward God.” He acknowledges that speaking of believers as living letters might seem presumptuous, but his trust is not self-confidence. It is Christ-centered confidence toward God. Paul’s sufficiency is grounded entirely in the finished work of Christ and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul continues, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” This is a crucial theological truth. No minister, however gifted, is inherently sufficient to accomplish the transformation of human lives. Only God can write upon the human heart. This should guard against both pride and despair. Pride is excluded because all sufficiency is of God; despair is relieved because God Himself provides the sufficiency to those He calls.
As Charles Spurgeon observed, Paul’s admission rebukes every dream of human self-sufficiency: “Brethren, if Paul is not sufficient of himself, what are you and I? Where are you? Do you indulge the dream of self-sufficiency? Be ashamed of your folly in the presence of a great man who knew what he said, and who spoke under the direction of the Spirit of God, and wrote deliberately, ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.’” The humility of Paul here sets the pattern for every true servant of Christ.
Paul further explains, “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.” The “letter” refers to the Mosaic law as an external code, holy and good, but powerless to impart life. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The law reveals sin and pronounces death upon transgressors, but it cannot grant righteousness. The Spirit, however, imparts new life, regeneration, and the power to walk in obedience. This reflects Paul’s teaching in Romans: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Spurgeon beautifully illustrates the principle: “Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim.” In this way, the minister of Christ relies daily on God’s sufficiency, pouring out what God continually supplies.
The practical application is profound. Ministers of the New Covenant must avoid two errors: trusting in their own abilities on the one hand, or shrinking back in fear of inadequacy on the other. Neither pride nor paralysis belongs to the servant of Christ. Instead, we confess with Paul that we are insufficient in ourselves but made sufficient by God. The New Covenant ministry is not about human strength but divine life flowing through surrendered vessels.
D. Ministers of the New Covenant
Paul continues, describing the nature of his ministry under the New Covenant:
“Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
c. Ministers of the new covenant
The very concept of a “new covenant” was not an invention of Paul, but a promise prophesied in the Old Testament and inaugurated by Jesus Himself. Jeremiah declared: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). Jesus identified Himself as the mediator of that covenant on the night He was betrayed: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).
The Greek word Paul uses for “covenant” is diathēkē. In common usage, it referred to a last will and testament, not a mutual contract. This distinction is critical, because a testament is not a negotiated settlement but a unilateral declaration. Paul’s language reinforces the sovereignty of God in salvation. The new covenant is not a partnership between equals, but a divine decree offered by God that man can only accept or reject. As Moulton and Milligan describe, it is “an arrangement made by one party with plenary power, which the other party may accept or reject, but cannot alter.” This makes the new covenant fundamentally different from human contracts: it is not subject to revision or renegotiation, because it is grounded in the sovereign will of God and sealed by the blood of Christ.
Therefore, this new covenant presents the terms by which sinners can enter into relationship with a holy God, and those terms are centered entirely on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Unlike the old covenant of law, which exposed guilt but could not remove it, the new covenant provides forgiveness, regeneration, and transformation.
d. Not of the letter but of the Spirit
Paul contrasts “the letter” with “the Spirit.” This is not a contrast between Scripture and spiritual experience, nor between literal interpretation and allegory, as some mistakenly argue. Rather, Paul’s point is the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old.
The “letter” refers to the law as an external code, written on tablets of stone. While the law was holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), it lacked power to produce obedience or change the heart. It commanded righteousness but imparted no strength to fulfill it. Instead, it exposed sin, condemned the sinner, and pronounced death. For this reason Paul says, “the letter kills.” The law reveals God’s standard, but it also reveals man’s inability to meet it.
Paul explains this dynamic in Romans: “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:5-6). The law functioned like a mirror—it showed man his guilt but offered no remedy.
In contrast, “the Spirit gives life.” Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit indwells believers, writing God’s law upon their hearts and empowering them to obey. As promised through Ezekiel, “I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 11:19-20). The Spirit does not replace God’s written Word, but completes and fulfills it within us.
It is therefore dangerous to misinterpret Paul’s statement as a license to disregard Scripture. Some claim that since we have the Spirit, the “letter” of the Bible is unnecessary. This is error. The Spirit and the Word are never in conflict, but in harmony. The Spirit makes the Word alive, applying it personally and powerfully to the heart. Far from negating the Bible, the Spirit fulfills the written Word in the believer’s life, enabling obedience from love rather than legal compulsion.
Thus, the Spirit and the letter are not enemies but companions. The Word of God provides the unchanging standard of truth, while the Spirit empowers us to walk in that truth. To rely only on the letter without the Spirit leads to condemnation and death; to rely only on subjective “spiritual” experiences without the anchor of the Word leads to deception. Together, the Spirit and the Word produce genuine life, truth, and holiness.
B. A Contrast Between the Old and New Covenants
1. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11) The surpassing glory of the new covenant.
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 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.”
a. The ministry of death
Paul calls the old covenant “the ministry of death,” and he does so without hesitation because that is what the law accomplishes in relation to sinful man. The law, holy and just as it is, exposes sin, declares guilt, and brings the sentence of death upon the sinner. As Paul explains, “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death” (Romans 7:5). The law acts as a prosecuting attorney: it presents the evidence, pronounces the verdict, and condemns the guilty. It is not that the law itself is evil—Paul explicitly denies this in Romans 7:12, declaring, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” The problem lies in us, because our sinful nature cannot keep the law.
Trapp makes a striking comparison: “David was the voice of the law awarding death to sin, ‘He shall surely die.’ Nathan was the voice of the gospel awarding life to repentance for sin, ‘Thou shalt not die.’” The law slays, but the gospel makes alive. This is why Paul can speak of the law in such severe terms: it reveals our condition and leaves us guilty before God until the grace of Christ intervenes.
b. Was glorious
Though it condemned, the old covenant still came with glory. The giving of the law at Mount Sinai was accompanied by majesty and awe. Exodus recounts, “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage’” (Exodus 19:16–20:2).
The old covenant was indeed glorious, for it reflected the holiness and majesty of God. This glory was also visibly displayed on the face of Moses after he descended from Mount Sinai with the tablets of the covenant.
As Poole observed, even though the gospel did not enter with thunder, lightning, and earthquakes, it was no less attended by divine signs. Angels foretold the births of both John the Baptist and Christ, a virgin conceived and bore a Son, and heaven itself spoke: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Both covenants were marked by divine glory, though in different ways.
c. The face of Moses
Exodus 34:29-35 describes how Moses’ face shone after he spoke with the Lord, so much so that the Israelites could not gaze at him directly. Moses veiled his face when speaking to the people, removing the veil only when he returned to the presence of the Lord. Paul draws upon this imagery to demonstrate that the old covenant’s glory, though real, was temporary and fading. He writes, “which glory was passing away.” The radiance on Moses’ face symbolized the transient nature of the old covenant—it was never intended to be permanent.
The glory of the new covenant, in contrast, is not fading but enduring. Christ’s glory does not diminish, for He is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). What shone on Moses’ face as a reflected brightness now shines in fullness in Christ, who is the light of the world.
d. How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
Paul’s argument reaches its high point here. If the old covenant—the ministry that condemned and killed—was delivered with such visible glory, then surely the new covenant, which brings life and righteousness, must far exceed it in glory.
He writes, “For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.” Under the old covenant, man stood condemned because of his inability to keep the law. Under the new covenant, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). What greater glory could there be than guilty sinners declared righteous before a holy God?
Paul presses the comparison further: “For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.” The glory of the law fades into insignificance when placed beside the surpassing brilliance of the gospel. The comparison is like the brightness of the moon compared to the sun. The moon may shine in the night sky, but when the sun rises, its light is eclipsed. So it is with the old covenant compared to the new.
Finally, Paul concludes: “For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.” The old covenant, though glorious, was temporary and destined to fade. The new covenant, by contrast, abides forever, because it is founded on the eternal work of Christ and sealed with His blood. Its glory does not diminish but will be revealed in its fullness at Christ’s return, when the glory of God will fill the new heaven and new earth.
C. The Open and Bold Character of the New Covenant
2. (2 Corinthians 3:12-16) The open and bold character of the new covenant.
“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
a. Therefore, since we have such hope
The new covenant not only surpasses the old in glory, but it also brings a living hope that transforms how believers live and minister. Paul declares that this hope enables him and his companions to speak with great boldness of speech. Under the old covenant, access to God was restricted—symbolized by veils, curtains, and boundaries. Under the new covenant, believers have direct access to God through Christ, as Hebrews 4:16 declares: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This hope, rooted in the permanence and superiority of the new covenant, emboldens Paul to proclaim the gospel openly and without fear.
b. Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face
Paul contrasts the openness of the new covenant with the veiled ministry of Moses. The veil over Moses’ face was not an act of boldness but of concealment. It represented the temporary and fading glory of the old covenant. Paul’s point is not to diminish Moses, but to highlight the limitation of the covenant he represented. Whereas Moses’ ministry required a covering, Paul’s ministry in Christ requires no veil. His message is proclaimed openly, reflecting the enduring glory of Christ that does not fade away.
c. So that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away
In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses veiled his radiant face after meeting with God. At first reading, one might assume this was to shield the Israelites from the overwhelming brilliance. Yet Paul clarifies here that the veil’s purpose was to conceal the fading nature of that glory. The light radiating from Moses’ face was temporary, symbolizing the transitory nature of the old covenant. Paul contrasts this fading glory with the enduring and ever-increasing glory of the new covenant in Christ. The gospel is not marked by decline but by permanence and expansion.
d. Could not look
Because of the veil, Israel could not gaze upon the glory reflected on Moses’ face. The contrast, then, is not only between fading glory and lasting glory, but also between concealed glory and revealed glory. The old covenant was marked by distance, concealment, and limitation. The new covenant is characterized by openness, revelation, and access. Christ is the unveiled revelation of God, as John wrote: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18).
e. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted
Paul applies the imagery of the veil to his contemporaries in Israel. Many Jews in his day read the Scriptures with a spiritual veil, unable to perceive that the law pointed to Christ and that its glory was surpassed by the gospel. He says, “For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.” The tragedy is that, though the old covenant has served its preparatory purpose, many continued to cling to it as though it were the final revelation. Because of this veil, they could not see that the law’s glory was temporary and that Christ fulfilled its promises.
Paul’s words echo his own testimony. He once read the Scriptures with veiled eyes, persecuting the church and missing Christ in the very writings that testified of Him. Only when Christ revealed Himself did the veil fall away.
f. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away
The good news is that the veil need not remain. Paul writes with confidence: “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” The blindness that obscures Christ is not permanent. The veil is removed when a person turns in faith to Jesus Christ. This is not a matter of intellectual persuasion alone, but of divine work upon the heart.
This explains why evangelism, particularly among the Jewish people, is often met with resistance. As Paul notes, a veil lies upon the heart. Simply presenting proofs or arguments does not remove it; only the Spirit of God can. Yet when the veil is lifted in Christ, the Scriptures open with breathtaking clarity.
Nor is this veil limited to the Jewish people. Gentiles too may live under veils of pride, unbelief, materialism, or spiritual blindness. In every case, only Christ can remove the veil. This underscores the importance of prayer in evangelism. As has often been said, it is more important to speak to God about men than to speak to men about God. Yet we are called to do both: to pray earnestly that God will remove the veil, and to proclaim boldly the truth of the gospel.
D. The Liberty of the New Covenant
3. (2 Corinthians 3:17) The liberty of the new covenant.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
a. The Lord is the Spirit
Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit.” This does not mean the Spirit and the Son are indistinguishable, but that the Spirit is fully God, just as the Father and the Son are fully God. From the context of Exodus 34:34, Paul recalls how Moses removed the veil when he entered the presence of the Lord. In that presence, there was liberty. Paul now identifies this liberty with the Holy Spirit, affirming His divinity and His role as the one who grants access to God.
This statement reflects the Trinitarian nature of God. The Spirit is distinct in personhood yet fully united in essence with the Father and the Son. To confess that “the Lord is the Spirit” is to affirm that the Spirit shares equally in the glory, majesty, and authority of the Lord. The Spirit is not an impersonal force but the living God indwelling His people.
b. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty
Paul’s reasoning draws from the example of Moses. When Moses entered God’s presence, he removed the veil and enjoyed liberty. Likewise, under the new covenant, believers live in the continual presence of God because the Spirit has been given to them. Just as Moses had liberty in God’s presence, so too do we enjoy liberty in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
This liberty is not license for disorder or disobedience. Paul is not endorsing charismatic excesses or unbiblical practices under the guise of “Spirit-led freedom.” True liberty in the Spirit never contradicts the Word of God. As Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Any claim to spiritual liberty that disregards or violates Scripture is a counterfeit liberty, not a Spirit-led one.
True liberty means freedom to approach God without fear, freedom from the bondage of sin, and freedom to walk in obedience by the Spirit’s enabling power. It is the liberty of access, not the liberty of self-will.
c. There is liberty
Paul’s primary emphasis is on the liberty of access to God. This flows naturally from what he said earlier in verse 12: “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech.” Boldness and liberty are twin concepts. Under the old covenant, access to God was restricted, veiled, and mediated through priests. Under the new covenant, the veil has been removed, and believers have direct access to the Father through the Spirit.
Poole observes: “A liberty from the yoke of the law, from sin, death, hell; but the liberty which seemeth here to be chiefly intended, is a liberty from that blindness and hardness which is upon men’s hearts, until they have received the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit liberates from condemnation, from the tyranny of sin, from the fear of death, and from the blindness of unbelief. Most of all, He gives liberty to see Christ clearly and to live in communion with Him.
This liberty is not only positional but experiential. It transforms prayer, worship, and daily Christian living. Instead of approaching God under fear of judgment, we come as children to a Father, with confidence in His love.
E. The Transforming Glory of the New Covenant
4. (2 Corinthians 3:18) The transforming glory of the new covenant.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
a. We all with unveiled face. Paul extends a clear invitation to every believer, not to a spiritual elite. The relationship and transforming power described here belong to all who turn to the Lord. The veil is not removed by pedigree or performance, it is removed by conversion. Scripture has already said, “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16). In the new covenant, access is universal to all who are in Christ, therefore every Christian stands before God with an unveiled face, welcomed into a nearer sight of His glory and a deeper work of His grace.
b. Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. Paul does not claim that our present sight is perfect. Ancient mirrors were polished metal and their reflections were real yet imperfect. This is why Scripture elsewhere teaches, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The present vision is genuine, yet it is anticipatory, it is substantial, yet not yet consummate. Clarke noted that ancient mirrors in strong light could illumine the face with reflected brightness, which fits Paul’s allusion, believers are lit by the reflected glory of Christ as they look to Him. The verb “beholding as in a mirror” conveys active, attentive regard, not a passing glance. We do not glance at Christ, we gaze upon Him. The chief place of this beholding is the Word, the gospel displays the glory of Christ with saving clarity, as Paul will say in the next chapter, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). James uses the same mirror imagery for Scripture, pressing us to look intently and obey, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:23–25). Beholding therefore includes reverent reading, doctrinally sound meditation, believing prayer, and obedient response.
c. Are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. The verb “are being transformed” renders a passive present, God is the one effecting the change, and He does so continually. The term points to inward metamorphosis, not mere external adjustment. The old covenant could diagnose sin, it could not renew the sinner. The new covenant supplies what the old could not, the Spirit writes upon the heart and conforms believers to Christ. This is true change, change that penetrates motives and affections, change that produces holiness and endurance. Scripture explains the same dynamic in other words, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). The pattern is from glory to glory, indicating real progress under the Spirit’s ministry. The starting point is the glory of justification when a sinner is declared righteous in Christ, the pathway is the increasing glory of sanctification as the Spirit conforms us to Christ’s likeness, the destination is the glory of final conformity when faith becomes sight. Such transformation outlasts change by guilt, willpower, or social coercion. Those methods may restrain behavior for a time, only the Spirit renews the heart for a lifetime.
d. Just as by the Spirit of the Lord. The agent is explicit, the Holy Spirit accomplishes this transforming work. He does not bypass the appointed means, He works through them, through the Scriptures that reveal Christ, through prayer that depends upon Christ, through worship that exalts Christ, through obedience that honors Christ, through fellowship that displays Christ. The Spirit makes Christ known, the Spirit makes the Word effective, the Spirit makes holiness desirable. Therefore our path to durable change is not novelty, but nearness to the Lord in Spirit wrought means of grace. The more clearly we behold the glory of the Lord in the gospel, the more completely we are conformed to His image by the Spirit.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
d. Into the same image
Paul declares that as believers gaze into the mirror of God’s truth, they are “being transformed into the same image.” This means that when we behold the glory of the God who is love, grace, peace, and righteousness, those very qualities begin to take shape in us. We reflect what we behold. This is the essence of sanctification: to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, the perfect image of God.
But much depends upon what we actually “see” in God’s mirror. In this analogy, the mirror does not primarily reflect what we are in the present, but what we will become in Christ. The danger is real—if one holds a distorted view of God, that false image will be reflected back, shaping the soul into error and bondage. A false Christ produces false disciples. If someone views God only as a harsh tyrant, they may grow harsh and legalistic. If someone views Him only as indulgent, they may excuse sin. But when we behold the true Christ revealed in Scripture, we are conformed to His true image.
Paul reminds us that “when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16). The veil prevents people from seeing the Lord clearly, but once removed, the believer sees God’s glory and begins to be reshaped by it.
To illustrate the peril of a false image, we may consider a modern psychological example. Many suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), in which individuals, though outwardly normal, perceive themselves as grotesque or deformed. They live in torment under the power of a false reflection. Some spend hours with mirrors, others undergo endless cosmetic surgeries, yet their problem is not physical but mental and spiritual. The tragedy of BDD is that it convinces people to trust the distorted image rather than reality. Spiritually, the same danger exists. If we accept a false image of God, we will inevitably be reshaped into that distortion, with tragic consequences for both time and eternity.
Yet, thanks be to God, we are not left in bondage to lies or distorted self-images. Scripture assures us of God’s purpose: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Calvin captured this truth when he wrote: “That the image of God, which has been defaced by sin, may be repaired within us… the progress of this restoration is continuous through the whole of life, because it is little by little that God causes His glory to shine forth in us.” Sanctification is God’s steady work of restoring His image in His children, until the day when Christ returns and completes the transformation.
e. Are being transformed
The phrase is present and passive—we “are being transformed.” It is not instant perfection, nor is it self-achieved. It is a process, a divine work that unfolds over the course of life. No one leaves a single moment of prayer, worship, or study perfectly transformed into Christ’s likeness. Instead, the Spirit continually shapes us as we behold the Lord’s glory day by day. This guards us against unrealistic expectations in ourselves or others. Spiritual growth is real, but it is progressive.
f. From glory to glory
Paul describes this transformation as moving “from glory to glory.” This indicates an ongoing progression of spiritual maturity. God’s work in us is not meant to be cyclical backsliding followed by recovery, but continual advancement. Believers may stumble, but the Spirit’s sanctifying work presses forward, building glory upon glory. As Proverbs 4:18 affirms, “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” The Christian life, under the Spirit’s ministry, is not static but dynamic, marked by increasing conformity to Christ.
g. By the Spirit of the Lord
Paul concludes by emphasizing the source of this transformation: “just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This underscores two vital truths. First, this transforming work is a gift of the new covenant. It is the Spirit given under the covenant of grace who accomplishes it. Second, this work is God’s work, not man’s achievement. We cannot earn or engineer transformation through mere willpower. We simply place ourselves in the presence of Christ—through His Word, in prayer, in worship, and in fellowship—and the Spirit does the work.
This removes both pride and despair. Pride, because we cannot claim the glory for our transformation; despair, because we know the Spirit Himself is committed to finishing the work. As Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
