2 Corinthians 3:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After rebuking them sufficiently, the Apostle also shows them the way of correction. What is it? “But when one turns,” he says, “to the Lord,” that is, when one leaves the law, “the veil is taken away” (v. 16).

Do you now see that the veil was not for the face of Moses, but for the eyes of the Jews? It was not placed there to hide Moses’ glory, but to keep them from looking at it, because they were not capable of doing so.

Therefore they themselves were at fault. The veil did not hide anything from Moses, but from the Jews.

Although he did not say openly, “when they leave the law,” he clearly indicated this by saying, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

“But when they turn to the Lord, then this veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit.”

He now speaks of the way in which the Israelites can be corrected. When they turn to the Lord, he says, that is, when they leave the Law and approach the spiritual Gospel, then the veil will be taken away.

For Moses also, as the history relates, removed the veil from himself when he turned to the Lord.

This prefigured what was to come afterward. When someone turns to the Spirit, for He is Lord, then he will see the unveiled face of the lawgiver.

More than this, he himself will stand alongside Moses and enjoy a glory surpassing, as has been said, the glory of the Law.

For the Spirit will give it, as Lord and Almighty.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

In the Law there were yoke and slavery. But in the law of the Spirit and in the Gospel there is freedom, so that the glory of the Lord is contemplated unhindered and freely.

The Old Covenant, from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage (Gal 4:24), brings no other benefit than that it serves as witness to the New Covenant.

Otherwise, when they read Moses, the veil lies upon their heart. But when one of them turns to Christ, then this veil is removed.

In those who turn, the very desire is changed from old to new, so that each one strives no longer to attain fleshly happiness, but spiritual happiness.

It will be removed from their eyes when they turn to the Lord. As Moses removed the veil from his face when he directed his gaze toward God, so it will be removed from their mind when they turn to faith in the Lord.

When Moses spoke with the people, he had the veil placed upon him. But when he approached God, he removed the veil from himself.

Therefore you also, if you wish to lift your gaze to God, will be delivered from the veil of unbelief. Who, then, is the One to whom the gaze must be lifted? See Ex 34:33.

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away," that is, the veil is removed from the face. "Now the Lord is the Spirit."

From this it is clear that he showed and presented the existence of the "veil" of the darkness of evil. Having entered human nature through Adam's transgression, it covered the human soul.

Now, by the power of heavenly light that comes from the illumination of the Spirit, it is "removed" from believing and worthy souls. For this reason the Lord came to earth, so that those who truly believe might attain such a high degree of holiness.

The sectarians deny the necessity of ecclesial guidance for the right understanding of Holy Scripture, and among other things they appeal to these words in their defense.

But "turning to the Lord" must be understood as turning to the faith of Christ. When it is said that the veil is removed by Christ, this does not mean only Christ's immediate action.

He removes the veil from the Old Covenant through the New Testament writings, through apostolic tradition, and through the instructive and guiding counsels and actions of the pastors of the Church (1 Tim 4:12-13).

Only among the most obstinate hearers of the apostolic preaching does “the same veil” of incomprehension remain to this day, untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, because “it is taken away in Christ” (2 Cor 3:14).

As Chrysostom explains, those who have not accepted Christ, Who abolished the Law, how can they know that this Law has been abolished?

“To this day, when they,” that is, the obstinate and morally corrupted Hebrews, “read Moses, a veil” of unbelief “lies on their heart.

But when they turn to the Lord,” Christ, “this veil will be taken away,” and their intellectual blindness passes (2 Cor 3:15-16).

Thus, Chrysostom notes, the Apostle has sustained the history to the end. For Moses, when he spoke with the Jews, covered his face.

But when he turned to the Lord, he removed the veil from himself.

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.

“But when they turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” He also shows the remedy, or the means of correction.

Although he did not say directly, “when they leave the Law,” he clearly indicated this by saying, “when they turn to the Lord.”

Thus he sustains the history to the end. 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, then we shall see the glory of the Law.

Do you see how strongly he draws the Jew toward faith? He shows that one who comes to grace can not only look upon Moses, but can stand on the same level as this lawgiver.