2 Corinthians 3:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Verses 11-13. Then he adduces yet another inference, showing the superiority of the New Covenant in another way. What inference is this? One drawn from time: "For if what is passing away was glorious, much more what remains is glorious" (v. 11).

The former ministry ceased, but this one abides continually.

He adduces another inference. If the law that ceases and is subject to abolition was given in glory, then much more will the unshakable and eternal law, the New Covenant, be in glory.

For if what is being abolished and passing away, that is, the law which passed away, and Moses who was set aside, appeared through glory, then how much more will what is to remain after the eternal resurrection abound in eternal glory.

Paul does not deny that there was glory in the old law, or that there was glory in the face of Moses. Rather, he points out that the glory in them did not remain, because in Moses there was a symbol of what was to come, not the whole fullness of truth.

Therefore, with the coming of the Savior, the figure passed away, because the truth that always remains appeared. For as great as the difference is between a picture and the true reality, so great is the difference between the glory of Moses' face and the glory of Christ.

The Apostle called the law "what is passing away," because it lost its power with the coming of the Master Christ. He called the gift of grace "what remains," because it is a gift that will have no end.

Therefore, if the law was counted worthy of glory, then the gift of grace will certainly be counted worthy of far greater glory.

“For if what is passing away was glorious,” he says, “much more what remains is in glory” (2 Cor 3:11). He said “passing away” because the glory covered the mortal body of Moses.

But he showed that the immortal glory of the Spirit, revealed to the worthy, now shines without ceasing in the immortal face of the inner man.

For he says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).

By contrast, the Christian revelation itself glorifies its preachers (2 Cor 3:6) as “ministers of the new covenant.” They are ministers “not of the letter that kills,” that is, of the Old Testament Law, which threatened punishment to transgressors, as Chrysostom says.

They are ministers of “the Spirit that gives life,” that is, of grace, which through the mystery of Baptism gives life to those dead in sins, as Chrysostom says.

It glorifies them more than Moses, who covered before the people the radiance received on his face with a veil (2 Cor 3:7-11).

“For,” says the Apostle, “if the ministry of letters that bring death” was glorious. They bring death because they not only threatened death to violators of the Law, but also could not turn them away from it.

The third inference shows the superiority of the New Testament in another way, from time. “For the Old Testament ministry came to an end, but this one abides continually,” says Chrysostom.

“The Apostle called the Law passing away because it lost its force with the coming of Christ the Master. He called the gift of grace abiding, because it will have no end.

Therefore, he says, if the Law was counted worthy of glory, then the gift of grace will certainly be counted worthy of many times greater glory,” says Theodoret.

“If the Law that was to pass away was given with such glory, will not the New Testament, which is always to exist, be much more in glory?” says Theophylact.