2 Corinthians 3:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was so that the children of Israel, who could not yet bear a direct word about the end of the Law, as Bishop Theophan says, “might not look at the end of what was passing away” (2 Cor 3:13).

By contrast, the New Testament preachers have no need at all of a veil, that is, of symbolism and timid hints.

Rather, they speak boldly and directly with believers, who use the ray of intelligible light, as Theodoret says, to understand and receive the preaching about Christ.

The Law is called passing away, and Christ appeared as the end.” Chrysostom, pausing over the words “their minds were blinded,” asks, “But what connection does this blinding have with the veil of that time, someone may say?

The connection is that it prefigured the future. For they not only did not see the Law then, but they do not see it even now.

They themselves are the cause of this, because the blindness depends on their insensible and coarse heart. Only we now see the Law.

From them, not only grace is hidden, but even the Law itself... When they turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away...

He shows the remedy and the means of correction... For Moses, when he spoke with the Jews, covered his face. But when he turned to the Lord, he removed the veil from himself.

This prefigured what was to come afterward, namely, that when we turn to the Lord, we shall behold the glory of the Law.

He shows that one who comes to grace can not only look upon Moses, but himself partakes not merely of the same glory, but of a much better one.”

From this it is clear why neither the heralds of the New Testament had a veil, nor their hearers and followers needed coverings over the glory.

In the words of Blessed Theodoret, the Apostle Paul spoke as though saying: we had no need of a veil, as Moses did, because we converse with believers, and believers make use of the ray of intelligible light.

For you can gaze upon this glory, although it is much greater and higher than that of Moses.” Theodoret writes of this: “We have no need of a veil like Moses, because we speak with believers, and believers enjoy the ray of intelligible light.

In saying this, the Apostle shows that the divine Moses, foretelling the unbelief of the Jews, placed a veil over his face. By this he taught that they would not be able to see the end of the Law, because the end of the Law is Christ, for righteousness to everyone who believes.

This is what the Apostle said: ‘so that the children of Israel might not look to the end of what was passing away.’ For the Law is called that which passes away, that is, loses its power. The end of what passes away is He who was proclaimed under the Law, that is, Christ.”

Our other interpreters explain the chief terms of this text, Moses’ covering of his face and the end of what passes away, in the following way. Oecumenius says: “Why then, as though someone asked the Apostle, do you not preach in a veiled way and shade your word as with some covering?

Why? First, because of confidence in the purity of the preaching, and further because you can see the beauty contained in the preaching. For you are not blind like the Jews.

As much as the New Covenant order is higher, so much more excellent are those taught by it. They could not gaze upon the face of Moses, whose glory was to cease.

Wishing to show the short duration of that glory in comparison with the glory of the New Covenant, which is always to remain, he says that they could not look to the end of what was passing away.

The Israelites could not gaze upon that glory, and Moses covered it. When he covered it, it ceased for the Israelites and was no longer visible to them. This signified that it was passing away.

So short-lived was it that as soon as it began, it immediately ceased, being covered.” Theophylact says: “We have no need of a veil, for you can see the glory of the Gospel, that is, understand its mysteries, the mysteries of God.

We have no need to cover them with obscurity, as with some veil. The Israelites, being coarse, could not see that the Law has an end, and that it must cease. That covering signifies the coarsening of mind and heart.”

Let us gather all that has been said into one whole. The Apostle wants to say that the time of covering has passed. Now one must speak openly.

That the Law would cease lay in its very essence and purpose. But this could not be said directly to the Israelites at its first establishment. Since they could not understand why this had to be so, they could not have borne this word without harm to themselves and to the Law.

Yet it was necessary to signify this. It was signified symbolically in the covering of Moses’ face. This indicated the hiddenness of a certain wondrous light beneath the elementary service of the Law.

It also indicated that, when that light appeared, the Law too would cease. This was not said in words, but an intelligible symbol was presented. Those who were later capable could discern its meaning.

The Apostle lets it be understood that now that light has appeared, and we have no reason to cover it. The former veils, the elementary service, must be torn away. We openly point everyone to the true light.

Therefore Moses used such a symbol because the children of Israel could not bear a direct word about the end of the Law, or about the coming cessation of its power and obligation.

Yet to limit the Apostle’s thought, in speaking of the end of the Law, to this alone would be very insufficient. For the true end of the Law is Christ the Lord.

Whoever speaks of the end of the Law cannot fail to have Christ the Lord in mind. The Israelites could not receive a direct word about the end of the Law because they could not understand who Christ the Lord is, though He was the body corresponding to the Law’s shadow.

If they had been able to understand this, there would have been no need to hide the end of the Law. But they could not understand this because of the coarseness and fleshliness of their mind.

Thus the Israelites could not look to the end of what was passing away because they could not see Christ the Lord in the Law. The following words, “the end of what was passing away,” directly lead the mind to Christ the Lord, the end of the Law, as Theodoret also indicates.