In 3:3 a letter of Christ does not mean a letter written by Christ; rather, this letter is a composition that uses Christ as the alphabet and conveys Christ as the contents. A letter of Christ is one composed of Christ as the contents to convey Christ and express Him.
A letter of Christ is composed using Christ as the words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. From first to last, Christ is every part of such a letter. Therefore, a letter of Christ speaks Christ, for every part of the letter expresses Him. We all should be such living letters of Christ so that others may read and know Christ in our being.
Finally, the believers as letters of Christ are read by all men (3:2). We are living letters of Christ, living epistles, and others can read the Christ who has been inscribed into us. We need to exhibit to others the Christ who has been written into us. The more Christ is written into our being, the more others will be able to read Him in us.
In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the believers are symbolized by mirrors: “We all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.” In this verse “we” denotes the apostles, who, as examples and representatives of all believers, are ministers of Christ. Because the apostles are our examples and representatives, what they are we should be also. Therefore, this verse is related to us and reveals that we are mirrors. First, the heart turns to the Lord so that the veil may be taken away (v. 16); second, the Lord as the Spirit frees us from the bondage of the law (v. 17); and last, with unveiled face we, as a mirror, behold and reflect the glory of the Lord and thus are transformed into His image from glory to glory.
According to verse 18, we behold and reflect as a mirror the glory of the Lord. The words “beholding and reflecting as a mirror” translate a single word in Greek. Here we have the beholding, the reflecting, and a mirror. Beholding is to see the Lord for ourselves; reflecting is for others to see Him through us. A mirror reflects what it beholds. As a mirror beholds, it reflects what it beholds. We are mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord.
The glory in 3:18 is the glory of the Lord as the resurrected and ascended One, who is both God and man, passing through incarnation, human living, and crucifixion, accomplishing full redemption, entering into resurrection, and becoming a life-giving Spirit. This Spirit dwells in us to make Christ and all He has accomplished, obtained, and attained real to us so that we may be one with Him and be transformed into His image from glory to glory.
In our experience we all should be mirrors looking at the Lord and reflecting Him. However, if we would be mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord, we need to be unveiled. There must not be any veils covering us. Suppose a mirror is proper in every way. It is in the right position with respect to the object it is to behold and reflect. But the mirror is covered with a veil. As long as a mirror is covered with cloth, veiled, it loses its function. The veil keeps the mirror both from beholding and from reflecting. Likewise, if we are veiled, we cannot behold and reflect the Lord’s glory. But if, by the mercy and grace of the Lord, all the veils are removed, we shall be mirrors beholding and reflecting the Lord with unveiled face.
If we want to be unveiled, we need to pray, “Lord, take away anything that is covering me. Lord, remove my veils. I want to be completely open and absolutely unveiled so that I may behold and reflect You.” Then with an unveiled face we shall behold and reflect the glory of the Lord, and we shall be transformed into His image from glory to glory.
Home | First | Prev | Next