Now we must go on to see certain terminology related to the ministry of the new covenant. In 3:7 Paul speaks of the ministry of death, and in verse 8, of the ministry of the Spirit. Thus, in these verses we have a comparison between the ministry of death and the ministry of the Spirit. The ministry of death refers to the old covenant ministry, the Mosaic ministry. Paul was bold in speaking of the ministry of death. No wonder the Jews were offended because of him. Then Paul goes on to compare the ministry of death with the ministry of the Spirit.
Most of us would not contrast death with the Spirit, for death is always versus life. For us, the issue is a matter of life or death, death or life. But instead of using the word life in 3:8, Paul speaks of the Spirit. This indicates that the Spirit here is related to life, since life is what stands in contrast to death. In 3:6 Paul has already said that the Spirit gives life. Therefore, the Spirit here points to the Spirit who gives life and also to the life given by the Spirit. The old covenant ministry was a ministry of death; the new covenant ministry is a ministry of life embodied in the Spirit.
The essence of the Spirit inscribed into us is life. Life here is not an instrument, person, power, strength, ability, talent, or gift. If we realize that the Spirit here is of life, then we shall understand what is the nature of the essence with which we are inscribed through the new covenant ministry.
Often Christians refer to the Spirit as an instrument, power, or gift. Under the influence of tradition, we also may not pay adequate attention to the Spirit as the essence inscribed into us. For this reason, I want to emphasize the fact that the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3 does not denote a power or instrument—it denotes an essence.
This understanding is confirmed by verse 18: “And 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.” Glory here is not an instrument, power, ability, or gift. Glory also is an essence. As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, we are being transformed with glory as an essence. In a previous message we pointed out that “from glory to glory” in verse 18 means from the Lord Spirit to the Lord Spirit, for in this verse the glory and the Spirit are synonyms. Therefore, to be transformed from glory to glory is to be transformed from the Spirit to the Spirit.
The Amplified New Testament renders the Greek words translated from glory to glory as “from one degree of glory to another.” It is correct to say that we are transformed from one degree of glory to another degree of glory. But we still must find out what glory is. The glory in 3:18 is actually the Spirit. This glory also refers to the resurrected Christ, or to Christ in resurrection. The Lord Jesus was glorified by resurrection (Luke 24:26). Hence, the glory, the Spirit, and resurrection all refer to the same thing. Today the Spirit within us is glory and also the reality of resurrection. Therefore, once again we see that the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3 is an essence, not an instrument or power.
In 3:9 Paul goes on to say, “For if the ministry of condemnation came in glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.” The phrase “the ministry of condemnation” also refers to the Mosaic ministry of the old covenant. That ministry was both a ministry of death and a ministry of condemnation. Paul was bold to declare the fact that the ministry of Moses was a ministry of death and condemnation. But, as verse 9 indicates, even this ministry came in glory.
As the old covenant ministry was of death and condemnation, so the new covenant ministry is of the Spirit and of righteousness. Death is versus life, which is embodied in the Spirit, and condemnation is versus righteousness.
We may have expected Paul to use the word justification instead of righteousness. But here Paul speaks of righteousness, not of justification. Based upon the principle that the Spirit in this chapter is an essence, righteousness here should also be regarded as an essence. Hence, the new covenant ministry has an essence in two aspects: the first aspect is of the Spirit, and the second aspect is of righteousness.
We have pointed out that the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3 is related to life. The Spirit in this chapter refers to life. But to what does righteousness refer? If we would answer this question, we need to realize that Paul places righteousness in the same category as the Spirit. Both righteousness and the Spirit are on the same level. The new covenant ministry is a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness, both of which are aspects of the essence of this ministry. Just as a table may be constituted of wood and of paint, so the new covenant ministry is constituted of the Spirit and of righteousness. Suppose a certain table made of wood is painted. Wood is the substance of the table, and the paint gives the table a particular appearance. Therefore, with the table there are both substance and appearance. The principle is the same with the new covenant ministry. This ministry has a substance, and it also has an appearance, an expression. The substance of the new covenant ministry is the Spirit, and the expression, the appearance, is righteousness.