2 Corinthians 3:15
Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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2 Corinthians 3:15
Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's not just about hearing Moses read; it's about the heart's readiness to truly receive the message. This "veil" isn't a physical barrier, but a deep-seated resistance that keeps people from grasping the transformative power of God's Word, even when they encounter it.
Paul is contrasting the enduring glory of the new covenant in Christ with the fading glory of the old covenant. He's explaining why many Jews still struggle to understand the Gospel, attributing it to a spiritual "veil" that hinders their full reception of Moses' message as pointing to Jesus. This veil, Paul implies, will be removed when they turn to the Lord.
Why does Paul say a veil is still over hearts when Moses is read? It points to a deeper issue with how the Old Covenant was understood.
Paul is talking about the reading of the Law of Moses. For many Jewish people, even when they heard the Law read, they didn't grasp its ultimate purpose or its fulfillment in Christ. The Law revealed God's standard and humanity's inability to meet it, pointing towards a need for a savior.
A Glimpse, Not the Full Picture
The Law was glorious, given by God. But without the Spirit to illuminate its meaning and connect it to Jesus, it could be perceived as just a set of rules. The veil represents a spiritual blindness that prevents full comprehension and reception of God's truth as revealed in the Old Testament scriptures.
A veil isn't just a physical covering; it's a spiritual obstruction. What does this tell us about the human heart's condition?
The veil isn't on the scrolls of Moses, nor is it solely on the reader. Paul specifies it's 'over their hearts.' This is crucial. It indicates an internal blockage, a resistance within the human heart that prevents the full truth of God's Word from penetrating.
More Than Intellectual Disagreement
This isn't just about not understanding; it's about a heart that is unwilling or unable to receive. It's a spiritual condition that, without God's intervention, keeps people from seeing the glory of God revealed in Christ, even when confronted with the Old Testament scriptures that testify about Him.
If the Old Covenant reading still leaves a veil, what provides the solution? Paul hints at a glorious transformation.
Paul contrasts this veiled understanding with the freedom and clarity brought by the New Covenant in Christ. While the Law of Moses, read without the Spirit, can obscure, the New Covenant through the Holy Spirit the veil. This is the essence of the transformation Paul describes in the preceding verses (2 Corinthians 3:12-14).
Understand the original words
kardia · Greek Noun
The center of human personality, encompassing the intellect, will, and emotions. In this context, it refers to the seat of spiritual understanding and the primary place where one accepts or rejects God's truth.
The 'veil' Paul speaks of represents a spiritual blindness to the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in Christ. Even when the Law of Moses is read, its true meaning—pointing to Jesus—is missed by those whose hearts are hardened, a common struggle in the early church as they grappled with the transition from the Old Covenant to the New.
c. 13th Century BC
Exodus from Egypt
Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Law from God on Mount Sinai.
c. 540 BC
Completion of the Septuagint
The Hebrew Scriptures are translated into Greek, making them accessible to a wider Hellenistic audience.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus' death and resurrection mark the inauguration of the New Covenant, offering a new way to relate to God.
c. AD 50-60
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
The Apostle Paul establishes and ministers to the church in Corinth, facing opposition and theological challenges.
c. AD 65
This passage describes Moses’ face shining after speaking with God, yet the people were afraid to approach him, showing a spiritual blindness to God's glory revealed through Moses.
Isaiah 25:7This prophetic vision speaks of God destroying the veil that covers all peoples and the thick cloud that covers the nations, pointing to a future lifting of spiritual blindness.
John 12:40Jesus himself quotes Isaiah, explaining that the people's hearts were hardened and their eyes blinded, so they could not see or understand, a spiritual state that hinders belief.
Acts 28:27Paul echoes Isaiah's prophecy when addressing the Jewish leaders in Rome, highlighting their persistent refusal to believe and see, even after hearing the Gospel.
It's not just about hearing Moses read; it's about the heart's readiness to truly receive the message. This "veil" isn't a physical barrier, but a deep-seated resistance that keeps people from grasping the transformative power of God's Word, even when they encounter it.
Paul is contrasting the enduring glory of the new covenant in Christ with the fading glory of the old covenant. He's explaining why many Jews still struggle to understand the Gospel, attributing it to a spiritual "veil" that hinders their full reception of Moses' message as pointing to Jesus. This veil, Paul implies, will be removed when they turn to the Lord.
Paul is contrasting the enduring glory of the new covenant in Christ with the fading glory of the old covenant. He's explaining why many Jews still struggle to understand the Gospel, attributing it to a spiritual "veil" that hinders their full reception of Moses' message as pointing to Jesus. This veil, Paul implies, will be removed when they turn to the Lord.
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Seeing Clearly in Christ
When a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. This means the Holy Spirit opens the heart to truly understand the Scriptures and, most importantly, to see the glorious reality of Jesus Christ. The New Covenant empowers believers to see God's Word with unveiled eyes, experiencing its life-giving power directly.
Writing of 2 Corinthians
Paul writes this letter to the Corinthian church, addressing issues of his apostleship and the nature of the new covenant.
"Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts." — It's not just about hearing Moses read; it's about the heart's readiness to truly receive the message. This "veil" isn't a physical barrier, but a deep-seated resistance that keeps people from gr…