Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 3:6-11

"who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written, [and] engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which [glory] was passing away: how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory? For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth. For if that which passeth away [was] with glory, much more that which remaineth [is] in glory." — 2 Corinthians 3:6-11 (ASV)

Having commended the ministry of the New Testament, the Apostle then commends its ministers. He first stipulates two things that correspond to the words above. He had mentioned a gift received from God when he said, our competence is from God, and the confidence born of this gift when he said, such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Therefore, he first addresses matters pertaining to the gift received, and secondly, those pertaining to the confidence arising from it (see 2 Corinthians 3:12). Regarding the first point, he does three things: first, he reveals the gift received from God, namely, the ministry of the New Testament; second, he describes the New Testament (see 2 Corinthians 3:6b); and third, from the dignity of the New Testament, he shows the dignity of its ministers (see 2 Corinthians 3:9).

He says, therefore: I say that our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant: “Men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6). In this, we hold the place of angels: “Who make angels your messengers, fire and flame your ministers” (Psalms 104:4). But God not only made us ministers, but competent ones.

For God gives to each being the things through which it can attain the perfection of its nature. Therefore, because God established ministers of the New Testament, He made them competent to exercise this office, unless it was hindered by the receivers. As the Apostle asks, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16)—namely, those like the Apostles, who were appointed by God.

He describes what this New Testament is when he continues, not in a written code but in the Spirit. He describes it in two ways: what it consists of, and the reason it was given, for the written code kills. Regarding the first point, it should be noted that the Apostle speaks profoundly. For it is stated in Jeremiah 31:31: “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers.” Later, in verse 33, it says: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

The Old Testament, therefore, is written in a book and later sprinkled with blood, as it says in Hebrews 9:19: “He took the blood of calves and goats and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying: ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’” It is clear, then, that the Old Law is a covenant of words. The New Covenant, however, is a covenant of the Holy Spirit, by whom the love of God is poured into our hearts, as it says in Romans 5:5.

Consequently, when the Holy Spirit produces love in us, which is the fullness of the Law, it is a New Covenant. It is not in a written code—that is, not written down—but in the Spirit, that is, through the Spirit who gives life: “The law of the Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2), which is life-giving.

The reason the New Testament was given by the Spirit is indicated when he says, for the written code kills—not as a direct cause, but as an occasion. For the written Law only provides knowledge of sin: “For through the Law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). From merely knowing sin, two things follow.

First, although sin is known through the Law, the Law does not restrain sinful desire. Instead, it becomes an occasion for increasing it, since desire is all the more inflamed by what is forbidden. Therefore, when the root of sinful desire has not yet been destroyed, such knowledge kills, and as a result, it adds to the sin. For it is more serious to sin against both the written and natural law than against the natural law alone: “But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of concupiscence” (Romans 7:8).

Although the Law is an occasion for death—since it increases sinful desire and adds to the sin—it is not evil, because it at least forbids evil. Nevertheless, it is imperfect, since it does not remove the cause of sin. Therefore, the Law without the Spirit inwardly impressing it on the heart is an occasion of death. For this reason, it was necessary to give the Law of the Spirit, who gives life by producing love in the heart: “It is the Spirit that gives life” (John 6:63).

From these points, he shows the dignity of his ministry. He does two things in this regard. First, he shows that the ministry of the New Testament is superior to the Old. Second, he shows that it is not only superior, but that in comparison, the Old Testament has, as it were, no glory at all (see 2 Corinthians 3:10). Regarding the first point, he again does two things: first, he shows that the ministry of the New Testament is superior to the Old, and second, he gives the reason for this (see 2 Corinthians 3:9).

Regarding the first of these, it should be noted that the Apostle argues from a statement in Exodus 34:24, where our text says that Moses’ face was “horned,” so that the people of Israel could not come near. Another version says that his face shone, and this is better. For it should not be supposed that he literally had horns, as some depict him, but he is described as “horned” because of rays of light that appeared like horns. He argues from this by similarity, reasoning from the lesser to the greater. For it is obvious that if a lesser thing has glory, then a greater thing must have much more. But the Old Testament is lesser than the New. Therefore, since the former was glorious, so much so that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face, it follows that the New is much more glorious.

He proves that the Old Testament is lesser than the New in three ways.

1. From its effect: the former is a covenant of death, while the latter is one of life, as has been said. Regarding this, he refers to the Old Testament as the dispensation of death, which is the occasion of death. This corresponds to his earlier statement that the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2. From the way it was delivered: the Old was delivered carved in letters on stone (that is, on stone tablets), but the New was impressed by the Spirit on human hearts. This corresponds to his statement, not in a written code but in the Spirit.
3. From its perfection: the glory of the Old Testament is without assurance, because the Law brought no one to perfection. But in the New, there is glory with the hope of a better, eternal glory: “My salvation will be forever” (Isaiah 51:6). This is suggested when he says its glory was fading, and elsewhere, “If you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you” (Galatians 5:2).

He states the conclusion as a rhetorical question: will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater glory? The answer is clear.

Then he gives the reason for all this when he says, For if there was glory in the dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of justice must far exceed it in glory. His reasoning is this: Glory is due more to justice than to condemnation. The ministry of the New Testament is a ministry of justice because it justifies by giving life within. The ministry of the Old Testament is a ministry of condemnation, as it is the occasion for it: the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Therefore, since the dispensation of condemnation (that is, the ministry of the Old Testament, which is the occasional cause of condemnation) was glorious, as seen on the face of Moses, it is obvious that the dispensation of justice (that is, the New Testament) is much more abundant in glory. It gives an abundance of glory to its ministers, for through it the Spirit is given, who grants justice and the fullness of the virtues: “The wise shall possess glory” (Proverbs 3:35).

It is customary here to compare Moses and Paul, but if the Apostle’s words are considered carefully, this is not necessary, because ministries, not persons, are being compared.

The false apostles, however, could argue that even though the ministry of the New Covenant is greater than that of the Old, it is not much greater. They might claim it is good to continue in the old ministry, as they did by observing the ceremonies of the Law along with the Gospel. The Apostle rejects this when he says, indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. In this regard, he does two things: first, he shows that the ministry of the New Testament exceeds that of the Old beyond all comparison, and second, he gives the reason for this (see 2 Corinthians 3:11).

He says, therefore, that the ministry of justice abounds in glory to such a degree that the glory of the Old Testament should not even be called glorious, for what once had glory has come to have no glory at all by reason of the glory that surpasses it. This is explained in two ways.

1. The glory of the Old Testament is nothing in comparison to that of the New. This is because such glory was not given to all its ministers, but to Moses alone, and it did not shine from Moses entirely, but only in part—that is, on his face alone. Therefore, it has come to have no glory at all (meaning, it should not be glorified) because of the glory that surpasses it. This refers to the excelling glory of the New Testament, which so abounds in grace that people purified by it see not the glory of a man, but the glory of God.
2. The phrase can be punctuated differently to mean: that which was glorious in this part has come to have no glory. This is as if to say, “in this respect”—that is, regarding our nature as servants—that which shone in the Old Testament was not truly glorious. And this is by reason of the glory that surpasses it, which is in the New Covenant, because it is the glory of God the Father.

Finally, he gives the cause for this when he says, For if what faded away came with glory, what is permanent must have much more glory. His reasoning is as follows: what was given to pass away is nothing in comparison to what was given to remain forever. The Old Testament was given to fade away and be made void: “But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:10). Yet the ministry of Moses came with glory, at least with a particular glory.

It is obvious that the New Testament remains, because it begins here on earth and is completed in heaven: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Luke 21:33). It will exist much more in eternal glory, where it will be perfected. This glory, I say, will be for us who are its ministers.