Does 2 Corinthians 3:17 Open the Doors to Expressive Worship?
A Church that will remain unnamed advertises their worship service this
way:
Someone else quipped: " A Sunday ago, we sang a
song about freedom. It was a moving song that said, “Where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom.” But the worship leader kept saying, “God we need
your freedom, please bring your freedom. Bring down the walls so freedom can
come.”Over and over we pleaded for God to bring His freedom . . ..” [1]
Another Church (unnamed) exults: " The most common expression I heard from new people coming to _______________ about the worship service was “such freedom, yet safe.” Paul declared, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Is
Paul teaching us in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that when the Spirit manifests Himself
in a corporate worship service that expressions of worship can suddenly be set
free, unencumbered, uninhibited and gloriously animated? Let's see.
2 Corinthians
Paul is anxious about the Church in Corinth. He has been waiting to hear how it's doing
from his colleague, Titus. He's had to
deal with them in some difficult ways and like any of us, he is concerned about
their reaction. He meets with Titus
in Macedonia and then sends him back to Corinth with this letter. In the letter he explains why he has not visited them a
third time and shares with them the sense of
fulfillment he has in both his ministry and in them personally. At the end of his letter, Paul’s tone changes
abruptly as he once again defends his apostleship and personal character. This
letter also includes a reminder to the church at Corinth about their promise to
help brothers and sisters in Judea who have experienced a famine.
Context
Chapters 1:12 to 7:16 are regarding Paul's ministry. After his
opening greeting, Paul begins to defend himself against the criticisms he
faces. In this passage, he makes a general defense of his integrity and ministry. Chapter 3 is a continuing defense of his
apostolic ministry but within this chapter Paul transitions into a discussion
of the New Covenant aspect to his ministry. He does so by comparing the Old
Covenant ministry of Moses to his own.
We note that in 2 Corinthians 3:4–18 (ESV),
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward
God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything
as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6
who has made
us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7
Now if the
ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the
Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being
brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation,
the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10
Indeed, in
this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the
glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory,
much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 Since we have such a hope,
we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so
that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to
an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they
read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through
Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over
their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17
Now the Lord
is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18
And we all,
with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into
the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the
Lord who is the Spirit.
Immediate
Context
In
this passage Paul outlines the glory of the New Covenant and then the permanence
of the New Covenant. He does this by
providing an illustration from Exodus 34:29–35.
Moses wore a veil to hide the glory of God. Paul explains that even today Jews who do not
believe in Christ have a veil over their hearts and they miss seeing the glory
of God in Christ Jesus. But if one turns
to the Lord, the veil is removed. It is here that Paul abruptly writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV).
Paul's
point is that by looking to the Spirit of Christ, not the Law of Moses, the
veil of God's glory is removed and a person is set free – free from what? Twice previously Paul compared the Old and
the New in terms of death and life ("6 . . . ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter
but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry
of death, carved in letters on stone, . . .."[2]). We are certain contextually that the freedom must have something to do with freedom from death; death that results in trying find life through the Law. Paul argues in Romans 7 that because of our sin nature that law-keeping produces death (v13).
Summary
So clearly
the freedom that the Spirit brings is a freedom from death. As this Expositor notes, "Not only does
he remove the veil; he also sets a person free from bondage to sin, to death,
and to the law as a means of acquiring righteousness."[3] " The bondage was to death, sin, and
hopeless effort to obey the law by our own power."[4] It is by beholding this glory of the Lord
(not in subjection to the Law) that the believer is changed (Greek: metamorphoōg)
into an ever-increasing “glory” (v. 18).
What a wonder this new found freedom brings. A freedom from "condemnation, guilt,
sin, death, the old covenant, and blindness to the gospel, as well as freedom
that gives access to the loving presence of God."[5]
Conclusion
This liberty in one sentence is the freedom we have in the New Covenant "from
the futile attempts to earn salvation by keeping the Law."[6] And this Holy Spirit power is inherent grace
that transforms the believer progressively in increments. Paul's letter to the Galatians follows the
same theme, as Dr. Thomas Schreiner points out:
"Paul’s
argument here is illuminating and fits with what he says in Romans 6 as well.
Those who are directed by the Spirit are no longer under the law, and therefore
they no longer live in the old era of redemptive history under the reign of
sin. Freedom from law does not, according to Paul, mean freedom to sin; it
means freedom from sin. Conversely, those who are under the law live under the
dominion of the sin. Hence, for the Galatians to subjugate themselves to the
message of the Judaizers would be a disaster, for it would open the floodgates
for the power of sin to be unleashed in the Galatian community. The answer to the dominion of sin is the
cross of Christ and the gift of the Spirit. If the Galatians follow the Spirit,
they will not live under the tyranny of sin and the law." [7]
[Emphasis mine.]
The Holy Spirit frees us to see God's glory and be changed by it. Something the Law could never do apart from the New Birth. We are free to obey.
[2] The
Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (2 Co 3:6–7). Wheaton: Standard
Bible Society.
[3] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:2 Corinthians/Exposition of 2
Corinthians/I. Paul's Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry (2 Cor
1:1-7:16)/C. Major Digression-the Apostolic Ministry Described (2:14-7:4)/1.
Its grandeur and superiority (2:14-4:6)/e. Veiling and unveiling (3:12-18),
Book Version: 4.0.2
[4] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B.
K., & Silva, M. (1995). The
Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture:
New King James Version (2 Co 3:17). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[5] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2227). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2003). 2 Corinthians. MacArthur New Testament
Commentary (113). Chicago: Moody Publishers.
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