2 Corinthians 3:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“Having therefore such hope, we act with great boldness” (v. 12). Since the hearer, having heard so many great things about the New Testament, would also wish to see this glory with his own eyes, observe how he turns him toward the age to come.

For this reason he sets hope before him, saying, “Having therefore such hope.” Such hope of what? That we have been counted worthy of more than Moses, and not only we Apostles, but all believers.

“We act with great boldness.” Before whom, tell me? Before God, or before the disciples?

“Before you,” he says, “to whom we preach.” That is, we preach everywhere with freedom, concealing nothing, without any pretense, fearing nothing, but speaking plainly.

Since he has ascribed extraordinary glory to the New Testament, he speaks to those who, on hearing this, might wish to see its glory sensibly. He says that we have such hope.

What hope? That all we believers have been counted worthy of more than Moses. Therefore we use greater boldness toward those whom we instruct.

We hide nothing and leave nothing out. We do not veil our face from you, as Moses veiled his from the Jews.

For you are not as weak as they were. When Moses received the tablets a second time and came down from the mountain, his face shone so brightly that the Jews could neither approach him nor speak with him until he covered his face with a veil.

Paul points to the history of this event when he says what follows.

Therefore, having such hope in everlasting glory, we use great boldness. That is, we act openly.

The Apostle speaks of our having the glory of vision, not the kind that was on the face of Moses, but the glory that the three Apostles beheld on the mountain, when the transfigured Lord was revealed to them (cf. Mt 17:2).

Here we should infer how much divine meekness has come down upon us. We should see how much more, in this generous gift, we have been counted worthy of grace than what the Lord formerly gave the Jews.

The Jews could not gaze upon the lesser glory of the face of Moses. But we believe that we ourselves shall truly see, not the glory of Moses, which occupies a lower rank, but the beautiful glory of the Savior.

The Jews did not deserve to see even the glory of His servant. But we are destined to behold the universal glory of the Lord.

We know the greatness of the glory and do not doubt in the least, but with boldness we show the superiority of grace.

What hope? The hope that the grace of the Spirit is not abolished like the law, but remains even after the resurrection.

Third, New Testament teaching is both light in itself and illuminating for others (2 Cor 3:12-13).

If the symbol of Moses’ covered, light-bearing face meant that intelligible light was hidden beneath the materiality of the elementary Old Testament ministry, as Bishop Theophan says, then that light was inaccessible to the blinded minds of the Hebrews.

By contrast, the New Testament preachers, “acting with great boldness” (2 Cor 3:12), now proclaim this very light, that is, Christ, without any covering to believers.

If the passing radiance of Moses’ face signified the passing meaning of the whole old covenant, as Chrysostom and Theodoret say, then Moses “put a veil on his face” for this reason.

The most glorious meaning of the Gospel’s proclamation is encouraging not only for the newly converted, but also for the preachers themselves.

They had seen the glory of God revealed in the Only-begotten Son of God. They had tasted the glorious gifts of the Spirit of God.

Therefore they came freely with the Gospel to all, hiding nothing and fearing no one’s gaze. Moses, by contrast, struck the eyes of the Jews and covered his face to avoid this.

According to Blessed Theodoret, “By saying this, the Apostle shows that the divine Moses, foretelling the unbelief of the Jews, placed a veil over his face.

He taught thereby that they would not be able to see the end of the Law, because the end of the Law is Christ, unto justification for everyone who believes.

Hope here is close in meaning to perfect conviction. He called conviction hope because it embraces both the present and the future.

He had spoken of the exceeding glory of the New Testament divine economy. This glory already exists and is present both in those who preach this covenant of grace and in those who enter it.

It is invisible to bodily eyes, but is contemplated by the mind and felt by the heart. It is present in such a way that, once begun, it never ceases.

In the age to come it will appear outwardly in all its splendor. Embracing all this with equal conviction, he called it hope.

Perhaps he also intended to turn the gaze of anyone “who would wish to see this glory with his own eyes toward the age to come,” as Chrysostom says.