Before reading some remarks on this portion of scripture, let’s read it for ourselves – 2 Corinthians 3:6-18 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
The subject of this chapter is the contrast of the ministration of the old covenant under Moses, with the ministration of the new covenant under Christ. If ever we would correctly understand the Apostle, we must first observe that there is an essential difference between a covenant, or law, and the ministration of that law. The former is the constitution necessary for the government of the people; the latter is the ministry, or the ordained powers to carry its laws into execution. After God had delivered his people from the tyranny and bondage of the Egyptians, he declared unto them his “Royal law,” which he engraved in tables of stone. This was called HIS COVENANT, which he commanded them to perform. Deuteronomy 4:13 “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” This covenant was a primary constitution of righteous principles for all to strictly observe. The ministration of this covenant, under Moses, was the ecclesiastical powers, with all their offices and services connected and their statutes and judgements to enforce the execution of “his covenant,” and their penalties for disobedience, and also their
justification and pardon through the atonements; called “carnal ordinances ” Hebrews 9:10, as was written by the hand of Moses in a book, called “the book of the covenant” Deuteronomy 21: 9-11, 24, 26.
The law of God being first presented to the people written in tables of stone, and
not in the Mind and heart, therefore, they soon forgot and broke it; hence the new
covenant: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-13, was promised and established upon
“better promises.” Paul says, “For if that first covenant had been faultless; then should no place have been sought for the second.” The fault is not in the covenant itself; but in the manner in which it was presented, upon tables of stone, and deposited in the ark, and not in the mind and heart. And because it was not written upon the heart, “they broke my covenant,” verse 32, and “continued not in it.” But in “the time of reformation,” when “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come,” his covenant Was established upon a better foundation, and better promises, “I will PUT MY LAWS into their MINDS, and WRITE them in THEIR HEARTS.” Thus the new covenant is the same laws as the old; the difference is only in the new, and better ministration of it, or the manner in which it is presented to the people, being written by the Spirit of God upon the mind, and the heart. The ministration of the ten commandments under Christ’s ministry is called “the ministration of the Spirit;” for the Spirit of Christ searcheth all things, and knoweth what is in the heart. The dispensation under Moses was called the ‘ministration of death,” and the “ministration of condemnation”, for by the law (through its ministration) was the knowledge of sin, condemnation and the penalty, death. And they all were under the condemnation, or “curse,” until “the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who bath ABOLISHED DEATH, and hath brought LIFE and IMMORTALITY to light through the gospel.”
2 Timothy 1:10.
Christ died for the redemption of the transgressors under the first covenant, that the called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Hebrews. 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” It is evident that no man was justified in the sight of God by the works of the law (the ministration of Moses,) Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”, & Galatians 3:11. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Those sacrifices could never make “the comers thereto perfect.” Hebrews 10:1- 4. Thus the ministration of the covenant under Moses could truly be called “the ministration of DEATH,” and of “CONDEMNATION”; for while it condemned it could not take away sin, either give the redemption—LIFE and IMMORTALITY. ”But the Spirit giveth life; and the Lord is that Spirit.” Through the death and resurrection of Christ, and faith in the blood of the atonement, is this life given. Verses 7-11 speak of the “ministration” of death and “condemnation”, ” which was passing away,” (Whiting’s translation,) and the ministration of the Spirit which was a far more glorious dispensation than that of Moses, and which followed and “remaineth.”
It was not the covenant “engraven in stones,” neither the “glory” that was “abolished”; but it was the ministration of death, that is, the ministration of Moses, that was passing away. Verses 13-16 is the ministration of Moses; for, while the services of Moses were “read,” and continued, “their minds were blinded,” and they could not see, nor understand, nor believe that Jesus Christ was the end of all the typical services. But when they look at the blood of Jesus for the atonement—”the Lamb” of God that “taketh away sin,” then faith is revealed by the Spirit and the “vail” is “taken away.” “Now, the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That is, if they have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them, they are free from the yoke of bondage—Gal. 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”, and they are free from the condemnation which they were under, while under the law of Moses; and while they are beholding the glory of the Lord, they are changed from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. Thus the difference of the two ministrations. One is a “ministration of condemnation,” and of “the letter,” that is, of the hand-writing of Moses; the other is a ministration of LIFE; or JUSTIFICATION by the Spirit of Christ.
OTIS NICHOLS, 1849
Sunday Laws Are Coming 