2 Corinthians 3:16

16 But when a person changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away.

2 Corinthians 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 3:16

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord
The heart, upon which the veil now is; or the body of the Jewish nation, as in the latter day; when they "shall turn", or "be turned", by the Spirit, power, and grace of God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, and look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and embrace him as the true Messiah and only Saviour:

the veil shall be taken away;
the veil of blindness and ignorance, respecting themselves, case, state, and condition, and the way of salvation by Christ; the veil of unbelief, with regard to his person, offices, and grace, and of error in points of the greatest moment and importance; then all the darkness and obscurity that is upon the books of Moses and the prophets, and which is now upon their hearts in reading them, will be gone. The prophecies of the Old Testament will be seen in their proper light, and to be evidently fulfilled in Christ; the true nature, use, and end of the law, will be discovered; and both they and that will be freed from all darkness that now attends them. The Jews themselves acknowledge, that though the law is light, yet there is an obscurity in it, by reason of the several ways of interpreting it; and therefore,

``he that studies in it, has need to remove, (hwom rxa hwom) , "veil after veil", which is upon the face of it, in order to come at the light of it F7:''

and intimate, that the veil on Moses's face was an emblem of this obscurity, which agrees with what the apostle hints in this context; and also own, that there is now upon them a veil of ignorance; and, say they F8, God has promised to remove, (wnlkv lem twlkoh Kom) , perhaps it should be (hwom) , "the veil of folly off of our understanding", referring, as is thought, to ( Isaiah 25:7 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F7 R. Abraham Seba in Tzeror Hammor, fol. 90. 2.
F8 Chobat Halebabot, par. 1. c. 3. apud L. Capell. in loc.

2 Corinthians 3:16 In-Context

14 But their minds were closed, and even today that same covering hides the meaning when they read the old agreement. That covering is taken away only through Christ.
15 Even today, when they read the law of Moses, there is a covering over their minds.
16 But when a person changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away.
17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.