THE JOY OF STUDYING THE DETAILS AND NUANCES OF THE TEXT OF THE BIBLE

 JESUS CHRIST GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DETAILS IN THE TEXT OF THE BIBLE 

The members of the New World Bible Translation Committee started their translation work in the late 1940s, and they completed the translation of the whole Bible in 1960. They believed that all the words in the Bible were inspired by God, that all accounts were included with a particular purpose, and that the details and nuances of the text were important. Therefore, the New World Translation, slightly revised in 1984 (NWT84), is the most accurate Bible translation in the English language.

 However, the translators of the NWT13, which is said to be a revision of NWT84, rejected the basic translation principles that made the NWT1950-1960, 1984, such an outstanding translation, and the translators did not convey the small details and nuances to their English readers. Therefore, NWT13 is not an accurate translation where we can find the details and nuances of the original text of the Bible.

When the translators of the original NWT put so much stress in conveying the details and nuances of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek text into English, they followed the example of Jesus Christ, as we see in Luke 20:37:

³⁷ But that the dead are raised up even Moses disclosed, in the account about the thornbush, when he calls Jehovah ‘the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.’ ³⁸ He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him.”

The text Jesus referred to is Exodus 3:2-6 that I quote below:

² Then Jehovah’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire in the midst of a thornbush. As he kept looking, why, here the thornbush was burning with the fire and yet the thornbush was not consumed. ³ At this Moses said: “Let me just turn aside that I may inspect this great phenomenon, as to why the thornbush is not burnt up.” ⁴ When Jehovah saw that he turned aside to inspect, God at once called to him out of the midst of the thornbush and said: “Moses! Moses!” to which he said: “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he said: “Do not come near here. Draw your sandals from off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

⁶ And he went on to say: “I am (‘ānōkhi) the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

The detail that Jesus refers to as evidence for the resurrection is one of the smallest details possible. Jesus concludes that Moses says that Jehova is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and this is evidence of a future resurrection of these. However, there is no verb “am,” only the pronoun “I” (‘ānōkhi) in Exodus 3:6.

Literally, the text says, “I god of your fathers god of Abraham god of Isaac and god of Jakob.” A Hebrew clause without a verb is called a nominal clause, and in such clauses, a form of the verb “to be” is implied. Usually, the present form of to be (“is, am”) is implied. But a nominal clause can refer to the past or the future as well. In the context, the natural conclusion is that the present form to be “am” is implied. Jesus was aware of the lack of a verb in the Hebrew text, and therefore, he does not use the Greek verb “am.” But he says that Moses “calls” Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The point is that the nuance in the Hebrew text that Jesus says proves that a resurrection will occur is not even written in the text, but it is only implied. This shows how important the details and nuances in the text are, even those that only are implied.

I will now make a detailed analysis of 2. Corinthians 2:12 to 4:18. In this text we find a dramatic illustration and a prophetic type in the life of Moses that gets an antitypical fulfillment on Christians.

The letters and epistles in the Christian Greek Scriptures may contain different themes. When we are studying such a letter or epistle, it is good to read several verses that belong to each other as a unit and having one theme. By reading these verses several times, we will be able to find the theme. After that, we can study different verses individually and see how they relate to the theme.

The unit of 2 Corinthians 2:12-4:18 has the theme Qualified as ministers of the new covenant. In order to have the right background for understanding the fulfillment of the prophetic type of Moses coming down from the mountain with rays emitting from his face, which is what Paul discusses in detail, we need to understand the prophecy about the seed of Abraham.

THE PROPHECY OF THE SEED OF ABRAHAM AND THE NEW COVENANT

One purpose of parts of the law of Moses was to serve as prophetic types of events that would come in connection with Jesus Christ. We read in Romans 10:1 (above) and Colossians 2:16, 17 (below):

¹ For since the Law has a shadow (skia) of the good things to come, but not the very substance (eikōn) of the things, [men] can never with the same sacrifices from year to year which they offer continually make those who approach perfect.

¹⁶ Therefore let no man judge YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; ¹⁷ for those things are a shadow (skia) of the things to come, but the reality (sōma) belongs to the Christ.

Hebrews 10:1 shows that different parts of the law of Moses are shadows (skia) or prophetic types, and these foreshadow an image (eikōn), an antitype, or a reality. Colossians 2:16, 17 shows that laws regarding eating and drinking, regarding festivals, such as new moon festivals and sabbaths were shadows, and the body (sōma), the antitype, the reality, that was casting the shadow would come with the Christ.

One of the situations that was a prophetic type of a future reality is what happened with Moses when he came down from the mountain with the tablets of the ten commandments. In 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4, Paul outlines the antitypical fulfillment of this situation.

As a background for the understanding of this fulfillment we should consider the prophecy regarding the seed of Abraham that should bless all nations of the earth. We read in Genesis 22:17, 18:

¹⁷ I shall surely bless you and I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore; and your seed will take possession of the gate of his enemies. ¹⁸ And by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.’”

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul discusses this prophecy, and in 3:16, 26-29 he says:

¹⁶ Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “and to your descendants,” in the sense of many. Rather, it says, “and to your offspring,” in the sense of one, who is Christ.

²⁶ You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. ²⁹ Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise.

The seed of Abraham that should bless the nations was Jesus Christ, who bought all Adam’s descendants with his ransom sacrifice. While he was the primary seed of Abraham, there was a secondary seed, consisting of those who were new creations and who had been adopted as sons of God. They would bless all the nations of the earth by preaching the good news about the kingdom and helping sincere persons to understand how they could get everlasting life.

There is another prophecy that is related to the prophecy about the blessings by Abraham’s seed. That is the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:31-33 about a new covenant:

³¹ “Look! There are days coming,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; ³² not one like the covenant that I concluded with their forefathers in the day of my taking hold of their hand to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, ‘which covenant of mine they themselves broke, although I myself had husbandly ownership of them,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”

³³ “For this is the covenant that I shall conclude with the house of Israel after those days,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I shall write it. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people.”

The prophecy of Abraham’s seed points to blessings related to everlasting life, and the prophecy of the new covenant points to the blessings of having God’s laws written in their heart and being the people of Jehovah. This  points to future blessings as well.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul discusses both of these prophecies. We have seen his words about Abraham’s seed, and in 4:21-31 he discusses the new covenant as a contrast to the old covenant, the law of Moses:

²¹ Tell me, YOU who want to be under law, Do YOU not hear the Law? ²² For example, it is written that Abraham acquired two sons, one by the servant girl and one by the free woman; ²³ but the one by the servant girl was actually born in the manner of flesh, the other by the free woman through a promise. ²⁴ These things stand as a symbolic drama (allēgorēō); for these [women] mean two covenants, the one from Mount Siʹnai, which brings forth children for slavery, and which is Haʹgar. ²⁵ Now this Haʹgar means Siʹnai, a mountain in Arabia, and she corresponds with the Jerusalem today, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁷ For it is written: “Be glad, you barren woman who does not give birth; break out and cry aloud, you woman who does not have childbirth pains; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than [those] of her who has the husband.” ²⁸ Now we, brothers, are children belonging to the promise the same as Isaac was. ²⁹ But just as then the one born in the manner of flesh began persecuting the one born in the manner of spirit, so also now. ³⁰ Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the servant girl and her son, for by no means shall the son of the servant girl be an heir with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ Wherefore, brothers, we are children, not of a servant girl, but of the free woman.

The account of the two wives of Abraham, Sarah and Hager, is a prophetic drama (allēgorēō), which means a prophetic type. Hagar pictures the old covenant, the law of Moses, and Sarah pictures the new covenant. The children of Hagar picture the individual members of the nation of Israel, and Isaac pictures the members of the new covenant, spiritual Israel, as we read in verse 31: “We are children, not of a servant girl, but of the free woman.” So, the Christians who had been adopted as God’s sons and had become new creations both were the seed of Abraham and the antitype of Israel and Judah that got the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31). Paul names this new spiritual Israel, the Israel of God, in 6:15, 16:

¹⁵ For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation [is something]. ¹⁶ And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.

To be a member of the new Israel, “God’s Israel,” one had to be a new creation, being adopted as a son of God, as Paul shows. Now we have a good background for understanding the prophetic drama that is discussed in 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4.

THE TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION OF THE MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT 

The first part of the sequence of verses we are discussing is a dramatic illustration. We read 2 Corinthians 2:14-16:

¹⁴ But thanks be to God who always leads us in a triumphal procession (thriambeuō)  in company with the Christ and makes the odor of the knowledge of him perceptible through us in every place! ¹⁵ For to God we are a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; ¹⁶ to the latter ones an odor issuing from death to death, to the former ones an odor issuing from life to life.

The victories of different nations were celebrated by processions in the capitals of these nations. This was also the case in the Roman Empire. Such a procession was in Greek described with the word thriambos (“triumphal procession”), and the verb which indicated that a person was taking part in a triumphal procession was thriambeuō. Paul uses this verb in 2 Corinthians 2:14. Insight on the Scriptures, volume 2, page 1128, has a detailed description of a Roman triumphal procession:

The Roman procession moved slowly along Via Triumphalis and up the winding ascent to the temple of Jupiter atop the Capitoline Hill. Musicians playing and singing songs of victory were at the front, followed by young men leading the sacrificial cattle. Then came open carts loaded with booty, and tremendous floats illustrating battle scenes or the destruction of cities and temples, and perhaps topped with a figure of the vanquished commander. The captive kings, princes, and generals taken in the war, with their children and attendants, were led along in chains, often stripped naked, to their humiliation and shame.

Next came the general’s chariot, decorated in ivory and gold, wreathed with laurel, and drawn by four white horses or, on occasion, by elephants, lions, tigers, or deer. The conqueror’s children sat at his feet or rode in a separate chariot behind him. Roman consuls and magistrates followed on foot, then the lieutenants and military tribunes with the victorious army​—all bedecked with garlands of laurel and gifts, and singing songs of praise to their leader. In the vanguard were the priests and their attendants bringing along the chief victim for sacrifice, a white ox.

As the procession passed through the city, the populace threw flowers before the victor’s chariot, and burning incense on temple altars perfumed the way. This sweet odor signified honors, promotion, wealth, and a more secure life for the victorious soldiers, but it signified death to the unpardoned captives who would be executed at the end of the procession. This fact throws light on Paul’s spiritual application of the illustration at 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

Let us see how Paul applies this picture in connection with the Christians:

¹⁴ leads us in a triumphal procession (thriambeuō) in company with the Christ.

Christ has the same function as the victorious general because he is the leader of the triumphal procession. Paul uses the word “us,” which refers to those who were “in company with Christ.” They are depicted as the victorious officers, soldiers and the children of the general who rode in a chariot behind his chariot.

Who is pictured by the enemies that are conquered and who are led in the procession naked and in chains? Paul answers this question in Colossians 2:15:

¹⁵ Stripping the governments and the authorities bare, he exhibited them in open public as conquered, leading them in a triumphal procession (thriambeuō) by means of it.

The governments and authorities in the wicked system of things under Satan are depicted as prisoners of war who are led chained and naked, and exhibited to the public by means of the triumphal procession. How were these conquered? “By means of it.” The pronoun “it” is masculine singular dative, and its antecedent must be the Greek word stauros (“stake”) on which Jesus was hanged because this noun is also masculine singular dative and is the last word in verse 14.

In the time of Jesus, a document was made invalid by being pierced. And according to Colossians 2:14, the document of the old covenant was made invalid, symbolically speaking by Jesus, by being nailed to the stake on which he died. The old covenant and any other authority were now conquered, and the new covenant of which those “in company with Christ” were ministers, could be introduced. I return to 2 Corinthians chapter 2.

¹⁴ makes the odor of the knowledge of him perceptible through us in every place.

As the procession proceeded along Via Triumphalis (“The street of Triumph”), the people threw flowers before the chariot of the conquering general, and perfumed incense was burned on the altars of the temples. The air was filled with the sweet odor of the flowers and the incense, and this pictured the knowledge of Christ that was preached by Paul and other Christians. But the reaction to the sweet odor was different.

¹⁶ to the latter ones an odor issuing from death to death, to the former ones an odor issuing from life to life.

Why was the reaction to the sweet odor different? When the people who stood on both sides of Via Triumphalis smelled the sweet odor and saw the triumphal procession, it reminded them that their enemies had been conquered and that they now could look forward to a peaceful life in prosperity —from life to life. But for the captives who were led naked in chains the sweet odor reminded them that when the triumphal procession was over, they would lose their lives by being executed — from death to death.

 In a similar way, the knowledge of Christ that Paul and others preached could be compared to a sweet odor. For those who accepted this message, the sweet odor reminded them that they now were serving God with everlasting life in view. But those who did not accept the message did not have any hope for the future. But they knew that in time they all would die.[1]

It is clear that a person who reads the Bible will not immediately understand the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:12-16. He needs to understand the background of the illustration Paul used, and he needs to make a careful study of the details of the verses in order to see these in the light of the situation that Paul refers to.

We will also see the need for a thorough study of the details of the text of the Bible in connection with chapters 3 and 4 in 2 Corinthians.

[1]. The purpose of the preaching of the good news in the first century was to find sincere persons who could be adopted by God as his sons and who would reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. The purpose was not to separate all humans into two groups, those who would get everlasting life and those who would be eternally destroyed. All persons except the few who have sinned against the holy spirit will get a resurrection because of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. During the thousand-year-long Judgment Day, they will get the opportunity to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. This includes most of those for whom the message of the knowledge of Christ was a remainder of “death to death.” See my book, The Atonement Between God and Man.

THE QUALIFICATION OF THE MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT 

I start with a reference to the triumphal position mentioned by Paul, and I quote the last part of 2:16, and verse 17:

¹⁶ And who is adequately qualified for these things? ¹⁷ [We are;] for we are not peddlers (katēpleuō) of the word of God as many men are, but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God’s view, in company with Christ, we are speaking.

Paul asks at the end of verse 16, who is adequately qualified for “these things.” The word “these” is a demonstrative pronoun, and it refers back to something. It must refer to going in a triumphal procession with Christ and giving the sweet odor of the knowledge of Christ. Paul points out first that he and his co-workers are not “peddlers of the word of God.” The word katēpleuō means “to engage in retail business, with the implication of deceptiveness and greedy motives.” (Louw and Nida) So, they are not like those who are selling products in order to make money from the word of God. Then Paul points out why they are adequately qualified.

In Paul’s day, there were both honest and dishonest people. In order to show that a person who was sent to a place was an honest person, he would get a letter of recommendation. The slave Onesimus got a recommendation from Paul (Philemon 10-12), and Demetrius got a recommendation from John. (3 John 12).

On this background, Paul discusses the qualifications of the ministers of the new covenant in 2 Corinthians 3:1-6:

¹ Are we starting again to recommend (synistemi) ourselves? Or do we, perhaps, like some men, need letters of recommendation (synstatikos) to YOU or from YOU? ² YOU yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts and known and being read by all mankind. ³ For YOU are shown to be a letter of Christ written by us as ministers, inscribed not with ink but with spirit of a living God, not on stone tablets, but on fleshly tablets, on hearts.

⁴  Now through the Christ we have this sort of confidence toward God. ⁵ Not that we of ourselves are adequately qualified to reckon anything as issuing from ourselves, but our being adequately qualified issues from God, ⁶ who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not of a written code, but of spirit; for the written code condemns to death, but the spirit makes alive.

The argument of Paul is clear. He points to the fact that he and his co-workers have made disciples. And these disciples are letters of recommendation that all can see. These disciples show that Paul and his co-workers had made a “sweet odor” that had appealed to these disciples. And because they made these disciples they are “adequately qualified to be ministers of a new covenant”.

THE SHINING FACE OF MOSES — TYPES AND ANTITYPES 

The account of Moses coming down from the mountain with rays emitting from his face is found in Exodus 34:27-35:

²⁷ And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “Write down for yourself these words, because it is in accordance with these words that I do conclude a covenant with you and Israel.” ²⁸ And he continued there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights. He ate no bread and he drank no water. And he proceeded to write upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words

²⁹ Now it came about when Moses came down from Mount Siʹnai that the two tablets of the Testimony were in the hand of Moses when he came down from the mountain, and Moses did not know that the skin of his face emitted rays because of his having spoken with him. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the sons of Israel got to see Moses, why, look! the skin of his face emitted rays and they grew afraid of coming near to him.

³¹ And Moses proceeded to call them. So Aaron and all the chieftains among the assembly came back to him, and Moses began to speak to them. ³² First after that all the sons of Israel came near to him, and he began commanding them all that Jehovah had spoken with him on Mount Siʹnai. ³³ When Moses would finish speaking with them, he would put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But when Moses would go in before Jehovah to speak with him, he would take away the veil until his going out. And he went out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he would be commanded. ³⁵ And the sons of Israel saw Moses’ face, that the skin of Moses’ face emitted rays; and Moses put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him. [1]

Moses first spoke to Aron and the Israelites. But they were afraid because of his shining face. Therefore, Moses put a veil over his face after he had spoken to them.

Just as Paul did in Galatians 4:21-31, he compares the old and the new covenant, and he shows how much better the new covenant is compared to the old one. He connects his comparison of the two covenants with the prophetic type of the shining face of Moses. We read 2 Corinthians 3:6-11:

⁶ who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers (diakonos) of a new covenant, not of a written code, but of spirit; for the written code condemns to death, but the spirit makes alive. ⁷ Moreover, if the code which administers [ministry][2] (diakonia) death and which was engraved in letters in stones came about in a glory (doksa), so that the sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses because of the glory (doksa) of his face, [a glory] that was to be done away with, ⁸ why should not the administering [ministry](diakonia) of the spirit be much more with glory (doksa)? ⁹ For if the code administering [ministry] (diakonia) condemnation was glorious (doksa), much more does the administering [ministry] (diakonia) of righteousness abound with glory (doksa).¹⁰ In fact, even that which has once been made glorious (doksa) has been stripped of glory in this respect, because of the glory (doksa) that excels it. ¹¹ For if that which was to be done away with was brought in with glory (doksa), much more would that which remains be with glory (doksa).

I have marked similar words with similar colors.

I start with the yellow words that refer to the law of Moses:

the written code condemns to death.

the code which administers [ministry][3] (diakonia) death.

the code administering [ministry] (diakonia) condemnation.

that which was to be done away with.

These expressions refer to that which “was engraved in letters in stone” — the two tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain, which represented the law covenant.

I continue with the words written in green that are related to the new covenant:

a new covenant, not of a written code, but of spirit.

the spirit makes alive.

the administering [ministry] (diakonia) of the spirit.

the administering [ministry] (diakonia) of righteousness. 

that which remains.

The law code, including the ten commandments,  is what “was to be done away with” (verses 7 and 11). But the new covenant is “that which remains” (verse 11).

The word doksa is used nine times in 3:6-11, and this word can have several meanings and references. In this context, the meaning must be “the state of brightness or shining” (Louw and Nida) because the face of Moses emitted rays. The point of Paul is that the law was connected with the glory of God because the face of Moses shone when he came down with the two tablets. However, the old covenant could only lead to death, and if this covenant was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant that can lead to life.

There is another idea in these verses that is important for whole second letter to the Corinthians. This is the Greek word diakonos in verse 6, which is translated as “ministers.” Paul and his co-workers were ministers of the new covenant of spirit, and they had “a ministry of the spirit” and “a ministry of righteousness.”

On the background of Paul and the Corinthians as ministers of a new covenant, we read 3:12-16:

¹² Therefore, as we have such a hope, we are using great freeness of speech (parrēsia),  ¹³ and not doing as when Moses would put a veil upon his face, that the sons of Israel might not gaze intently at the end of that which was to be done away with. ¹⁴ But their mental powers were dulled. For to this present day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the old covenant, because it is done away with by means of Christ. ¹⁵ In fact, down till today whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts. ¹⁶ But when there is a turning to Jehovah, the veil is taken away.

In verse 12, Paul says that “we have such a hope.” These words refer to a hope that is known by Paul and Corinthians, and which Paul refers back to. This must be the words in verse 6 “that the spirit makes alive,” and this refers back to 1:9, where Paul says that God raises up the dead.

Paul shows that the situation with the shining face of Moses is a prophetic type, and the question is who is the antitype. Verse 14 says regarding the old covenant, that the law of Moses “it is done away by means of Christ.” Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, and according to Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses said:

A prophet from your own midst, from your brothers, like me, is what Jehovah your God will raise up for you—to him YOU people should listen.

Jesus was this prophet, and in a similar way as Moses, Jesus was the mediator of the new covenant, which was what Paul wrote in 1. Corinthians 11:25 and 1. Timothy 2:5. So, when Moses came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the law covenant, he was a picture of Jesus Christ who instituted the new covenant.

However, when Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthians, Jesus was in heaven. Therefore, those who were new creations, who were adopted as sons of God, represented Jesus on the earth, just as Jesus was the primary seed of Abraham, and his brothers were the secondary seed of Abraham.

These brothers of Jesus, Paul and the Corinthians, were “ministers of a new covenant,” according to 2 Corinthians 3:6. What did this mean in practical work? The answer is found in 3:12, “we are using great freeness of speech.” The Greek word is parrēsia with the meaning, “freedom in speech; boldness in speech.” (Mounce) The point is that they were not holding themselves back as far as speech is concerned. But to the contrary, they were bold, and they spoke about the new covenant as often they could. Paul connects this with the situation with the shining face of Moses.

The situation is the preaching of the new covenant to those who still believe in the old covenant, the law of Moses, as we see in 3:12-16. The Israelites became afraid when they saw the rays emitting from the face of Moses, and he put a veil over his face. He did this, either because the people asked for it, or because he did not want the people to be afraid.

The point of Paul is that when the Corinthians use their freeness of speech (verse 12) and preach to those who believe in the old covenant, there is a veil over the heart of those who stick to the old covenant (verse 15) because their mental powers are dulled (verse 14). The Jews believed in the old covenant and did not understand that it had been replaced by a new covenant by means of Christ. But some persons realized this, and when they turned to Jehovah, the veil was taken away (verse 16). Now Paul reaches the high point of his argument in verse 17-20:

¹⁷ Now Jehovah is the Spirit (pneuma); and where the spirit (pneuma) of Jehovah is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect (katoptrizõ) like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah [the] Spirit (pneuma).

Paul’s argument has been that he and the Corinthians are ministers of the new Covenant, which is called “the covenant of spirit,” and their function is also called “the ministry of the spirit” (verse 8). Paul shows that the law “condemns to death” (verse 6), and in verses 14-16 Paul shows that many people are slaves to the law because they do not understand that the law is done away with. In contrast to this, the new covenant is connected with the spirit, and there is freedom, according to verse 17.

Then Paul returns to the situation with Moses and his shining face in 3:18. In order to see the whole picture, I start with the words of Paul that “all of us…are transformed into the same image.” What is this image (eikōn)? The article and pronoun tēn autēn before eikōn mean “the same.” This shows that “the image” has already been mentioned and is known. This means that Paul is referring to the fulfillment of the prophetic type of Moses and his shining face. Moses pictures Jesus, so, the “image” must refer to Jesus Christ. So, Paul is saying that “all of us” are transformed and becoming like Jesus Christ. This understanding is confirmed in 4:4-6:

⁴ among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image (eikōn) of God, might not shine through. ⁵ For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as ⁶ For God is he who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate [them] with the glorious (doksa) knowledge of God by the face (prosōpon) of Christ.

Here we have the same word as in 3:18, namely, eikōn (image) in verse 4. Jesus is “the image of God,” and this must be «the same image” to which “all of us” are transformed. And now we can see the whole antitype. The words in 4:6 show that the rays that shone from the face of Moses picture “the glorious (doksa) good news about the Christ.” This glorious knowledge shines “by the face of Christ” just as the glory shone from the face of Moses. And now we go back to 3:18. The glory of Jehovah is reflected in the face of the Christ. And this glory is again reflected by the faces of “all of us.” Therefore, “we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah.”

The glory is Jehovah’s glory. This glory is reflected by the shining face of Jesus, just as Moses reflected Jehovah’s glory by his shining face. Then the faces of the ministers of the new covenant reflect the shining glory in the face of Jesus. Those who see this glory can either put a veil over their faces, as did Moses, or they can themselves reflect the glory in the face of Jesus by becoming ministers of the new covenant.

This is exactly the same situation as with the seed of Abraham. Jesus is the primary seed, and those who are adopted as the sons of God is the secondary seed by which all the families of the earth will be blessed. Jesus reflects the glory of Jehovah, and those who are adopted as sons reflect the glory in the face of Jesus by their own faces.

But what about all the persons to whom they preached and who did not believe the good news about the Christ? Would these be negative letters of recommendation, questioning the qualifications of Paul and other Christians as ministers? In 4:1-6 he takes his previous discussion of the antitype of the shining face of Moses as a point of departure and discusses this issue.

¹ That is why, since we have this ministry according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up;  ² but we have renounced the underhanded [secret] things (kryptos) of which to be ashamed, not walking with cunning [trickery involving evil cunning] (panourgia), neither adulterating [falsify, deceive] (doloō) the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending (synistemi) ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. ³ If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴ among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.

⁵ For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as YOUR slaves for Jesus’ sake.  ⁶ For God is he who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate [them] with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.

I will compare the different words:

Recommending

In 3:1, Paul uses the word recommend (synistemi) ourselves and letters of recommendation (synstatikos). In 4:2, he again uses the expression recommending ourselves (synistemi)

Adequately qualified

In 3:2, Paul shows that “YOU yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts and known and being read by all mankind.” The disciples showed that Paul and the others were adequately qualified.

In 4:1-5 the recommendation showing that they are qualified consists of two things, what they do not do and what they do.

There are three things they do not do:

     the underhanded [secret] things (kryptos).

     walking with cunning [trickery involving evil cunning] (panourgia).

     adulterating [falsifying] (doloō) the word of God.

There are three things they do:

     making the truth manifest  [bringing to light] (fanerōsis).

     illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ.., shine through. (literally:  causingto be seen (sygazō) the illumination (fōtismos) of the glory (doksa) of the Christ.

     illuminate (fōtismos) [hearts] with the glorious (doxa) knowledge of God by the face of Christ.

Connecting with the antitype of the shining face of Moses

I will consider the verses of 4:1-6 one time more from the point of view of the antitype that the face of Jesus reflected the glory of Jehovah, and the faces of the ministers of the new covenant reflected the glory in the face of Jesus. Paul continues to refer to the antitype in his arguments. I copy 4:1-6 again, and I mark in red the words that relate to the antitype.

¹ That is why, since we have this ministry according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up;  ² but we have renounced the underhanded [secret] things (kryptos) of which to be ashamed, not walking withcunning [trickery involving evil cunning] (panourgia), neither adulterating [falsify, deceive] (doloō) the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending (synistemi) ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. ³ If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴ among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination (fōtismos) of the glorious (doksa) good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through (sygazō).  ⁵ For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as YOUR slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God is he who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone (lampō) on our hearts to illuminate (lampō) [them] with the glorious (doksa) knowledge of God by the face of Christ.

In the first verses of chapter 3, Paul shows that he and his fellow servants are adequately qualified to be ministers of the new covenant. In verses 7 to 11 he shows that many Jews did not become a member of the new covenant because they believed that the old covenant was still valid. In verses 12-18, Paul refers to the situation with the shining face of Moses who put a veil over his face. Paul says that because the Jews believed that the old covenant was valid, their mental powers were dulled, and they had a veil over their hearts.

In 4:1-6, Paul again argues that they are qualified because they refrain from bad things and do the good things. Now his attention has shifted from the unbelieving Jews in 3:7-11, and he speaks about the unbelieving people of the nations.

The glorious light that comes from Jehovah, that is reflected in the face of Jesus, and then is reflected in the faces of the ministers of the new covenant, is “the glorious good news about the Christ” (verse 4) and the glorious knowledge of God (verse 6). This is what the ministers of the new covenant is preaching, and which is the glorious light that is reflected by their faces.

Because these ministers are adequately qualified, why cannot more people see this glorious light? The reason is that the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers (verse 4). Paul refers to the situation with Moses, saying that these unbelieves are veiled.

The origin is the glory (doksa) of Jehovah. This glory was reflected in the face of Moses. Moses put a veil over his face so the people should not be afraid of the glory of Jehovah. The glory of Jehovah is reflected in the face of Jesus. The glory in the face of Jesus is reflected by the faces of the ministers of the new covenant. The reflected glory pictures “the glorious good news about the Christ” and “the glorious knowledge of God.” The ministers of the new covenant are preaching this glorious good news about the Christ and the glorious knowledge of God. The mental powers of the Jews were dulled because they did not understand that the old covenant was abolished. This means that they had a veil over their faces. The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. This means that they have a veil over their faces. For Paul and the Corinthians, the ministry of the new covenant is “a treasure in earthen vessels.” And their faces continue to reflect the glory of Jehovah.

THE TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS  I will now discuss Paul’s evaluation of the value of the Christian ministry. We read in 4:7 7 However, we have this treasure (thēsauros) in earthen vessels, that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves. The principal words in the verse are “this treasure,” and the question is how this relates to the theme of the unit, which is “Qualified as ministers of the new covenant.” Because the demonstrative pronoun “this” stands before “treasure”, the word “treasure” must refer back to something that has been mentioned. The word “treasure” is not found elsewhere in the two letters to the Corinthians. This means that either a synonym word or a different word referring to the same thing must be the antecedent. This antecedent must be a noun, and there are no synonyms for “treasure” in the unit. So, we must look for a word that can be viewed as a treasure. There is such a word in 4:1:  1 That is why, since we have this ministry (diakonia) according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up. A ministry can be a valuable thing, and therefore, it can be called “a treasure.” We note that the word ministry also has a demonstrative pronoun. So, this word must refer to another word that previously is mentioned. In 3:7-9 the words “ministry” is mentioned four times: 7 Moreover, if the code which administers [ministry] (diakonia) death and which was engraved in letters in stones came about in a glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, [a glory] that was to be done away with,  8 why should not the administering [ministry] (diakonia) of the spirit be much more with glory? 9 For if the code administering [ministry] (diakonia) condemnation was glorious, much more does the administering (diakonia) [ministry] of righteousness abound with glory. What is called “a ministry of the spirit” and “a ministry of righteousness” is a valuable ministry and can be said to be “a treasure.” What this ministry is all about is expressed in plain words in 2:12: 12 Now when I arrived in Troʹas to declare the good news about the Christ, and a door was opened to me in [the] Lord. Declaring the good news about Christ is what is expressed by the fulfillment of the shining face of Moses that we have discussed. The face of Jesus reflects the glory of Jehovah, and the faces of the ministers of the new covenant reflect to glory in the face of Jesus. What does it mean that the treasure is in “earthen vessels”? In the days of Paul, vessels of baked clay were used as receptacles that could contain different things. If a treasure was placed in a jar of clay, the treasure was valuable but the jar had little value. So, the point of Paul is that their ministry of the new covenant is valuable. But as humans, they have little value. And to drive that home, Paul says that “the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves”. What is driving the ministers is not their own power but the spirit of God. Therefore, their work is called “the ministry of the spirit.” And the spirit as a support is mentioned five times in the verses between 2:12 and 4:8

In verses 8 to 11 in chapter 4, Paul describes the many hardships the ministers of the new covenant have experienced because of the god of this system of things. But in verses 12 to 18 he shows that the god of this system of things will not come out victorious.

Everything goes back to the glory of God, which is expressed by the Greek word doksa. In the verses between 2 Corinthians 2:12 and 4:18 the word doksa is used 15 times, including in 4:15, 17 that are quoted below. The whole fulfillment of the prophetic type of the shining face of Moses leads to the glory (doksa) of God (verse 15). The purpose of the glory that God has sent out has now has been accomplished, and this glory returns to him, and this glory (doksa) has even become bigger than before (verse 15). This also influences the ministers of the new covenant, and they experience the glory (doksa) that is eternal through a resurrection from the dead (verses 17 and 14):

¹² Consequently death is at work in us, but life in YOU. ¹³ Now because we have the same spirit of faith as that of which it is written: “I exercised faith, therefore I spoke,” we too exercise faith and therefore we speak, ¹⁴ knowing that he who raised Jesus up will raise us up also together with Jesus and will present us together with YOU.

¹⁵ For all things are for YOUR sakes, in order that the undeserved kindness which was multiplied should abound because of the thanksgiving of many more to the glory (doksa) of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day. ¹⁷ For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory (doksa) that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting; ¹⁸ while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.

The heading of this article is, “The joy of studying the details and nuances of the text of the Bible.” The details and nuances of 2 Corinthians 2:12 -4:18 have been considered in this article. I hope that the readers have felt joy by reading this study. Perhaps even some have had an aha experience. In any case, we agree with Paul’s word in 4:16 that Jehovah’s undeserved kindness has multiplied because many more have been enlightened by the ministers of the new covenant, and this has both led to the glory of Jehovah and to the everlasting glory of the ministers of the new covenant, as we read in verse 16.

[1]. The words “emitted rays” in 34:35 are translated from the Hebrew verb kāran, with the meaning “to shine, be radiant.” The verb is made from the noun kæræn whose basic meaning is “horn.” The rays of the sun at sunrise may be seen as big horns, and therefore, the verb and noun have the meaning “shine, shining.” When Jerome translated the Vulgate, he misunderstood the Hebrew verb kāran, and instead of taking it in the sense of “emitting rays” he took it in its original meaning of “horn.” Therefore, he used the Latin noun kornū in the  Vulgate. About thousand years later, Michelangelo read the text of Exodus 34:35 in the Vulgate, which is why he made the famous statue of Moses with horns.

[2]. As a translation of diakonia I use “ministry” rather than “ministering.” Both words are good translations of diakonia.

[3]. As a translation of diakonia I use “ministry” rather than “ministering.” Both words are good translations of diakonia.

CONCLUDING REMARKS 

When we read a portion of the Bible, we only get a superficial overview. In order to ascertain the important nuances of the text, we need to compare the use of the same words, understand their references, and connect this understanding with the theme of the portion.

In this article, I have compared the different Greek words with each other. But comparing similar English words in a concordant (literal) translation, such as NWT84, will also give a good result. One important reason why the translators of the NWT84 used one English word for each Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word whenever possible was that the reader should be able to compare similar words and in this way, get an accurate understanding of the text.

The account of the triumphal procession is a dramatic illustration helping the reader to read the text with joy. There are also several other dramatic illustrations in the Bible that deserve to be studied. Understanding the type and antitype of the shining face of Moses also gives us joy. Because Hebrews 10:1 says that the law consists of many types, there are great numbers of types that deserve to be studied. Understanding the details and nuances of the text of the Bible give us satisfaction and great joy.