2 Corinthians 3:14

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:14 (KJV)

Context

The Apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth. In this passage, he contrasts the glory of the New Covenant with the fading glory of the Old Covenant. He speaks of the transformation that takes place in the hearts and minds of believers through Christ.

Meaning

Paul refers to a “veil” that remains untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, Moses had to wear a veil to cover his face after encountering God on Mount Sinai because the Israelites could not look directly at the glory of God (Exodus 34:29-35). The veil symbolized the spiritual blindness and separation between God and humanity due to sin.

Paul states that their minds were blinded, indicating that the Jewish people at that time failed to see the true meaning and fulfilment of the Old Testament Scriptures. They could not understand that the law and rituals of the Old Covenant pointed to the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant. This blindness is not merely intellectual; it is spiritual. As Paul explains elsewhere, spiritual truths are discerned by spiritual persons, not by natural reasoning (1 Corinthians 2:14-15).

Paul declares that the veil is done away in Christ. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, the barrier between God and humanity was removed. Jesus’ work of redemption allows believers to have direct access to God’s presence without the need for a veil or mediator. Christ’s atonement enables believers to have a personal relationship with God and receive the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical connections

The veil Paul describes connects directly to the account of Moses in Exodus 34:29-35, where Moses covered his face after speaking with God. That physical veil foreshadowed the spiritual blindness that would persist until Christ. The same veil that prevented Israel from seeing the glory of God’s face also prevented them from seeing the glory of God’s plan fulfilled in the Messiah.

Application

As Christians, we have the privilege of living under the New Covenant, where the veil is removed. We can intimately know and experience God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit now dwells within us, empowering us to understand the Scriptures and enabling us to walk in the freedom and fullness of God’s grace.

In light of this passage, we are called to approach the Scriptures with a renewed understanding. The Old Testament is not merely a collection of historical accounts and regulations but a testimony to God’s redemptive plan and the foreshadowing of Christ. Through the revelation of Jesus, we can now read and interpret the Old Testament with spiritual insight and recognize how it all points to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Reflection

2 Corinthians 3:14 highlights the spiritual blindness that existed among the Jewish people regarding the true meaning of the Old Testament. However, through Christ, the veil of separation has been removed, allowing believers to have a personal and transformative relationship with God. This passage calls us to embrace the New Covenant and approach the Scriptures with the understanding that they testify of Jesus Christ.