11. That which is done away (70 xatapyovpevor). Lit., which is being done away ; im course of abolition through the preaching of the Gospel. Both the A. V., and Rev. passeth fail to bring out the idea of process.
Vou. III.—20
306 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. IIL
Was glorious (dia d0&s). Lit., through glory. Rev., with glory.*
12. Plainness (appnola). Rev., boldness. See on openly, John vii. 13; confidence, 1 John ii. 28; freely; Acts ii. 29. The contrast is with the dissembling with which his adversaries charged him.
13. Could not steadfastly look. Rev., should not. See Exod. xxxiv. 30-35, where the A. V., by the use of ¢2d/, gives the wrong impression that Moses wore the veil while speaking to the people, in order to hide the glory of his face. The true sense of the Hebrew is given by the Sept.: ‘“ When he ceased speaking he put a veil on his face;” not because the Israelites could not endure the radiance, but that they should not see it fade away. Whenever Moses went into the presence of God he removed the veil, and his face was again illumined, and shone while he delivered God’s message to the people. Then, after the delivery of the message, and during his ordinary assoc- iation with the people, he kept his face covered.+
To the end (eis 76 TéXos). Rev., on the end. The termin- ation.
* Meyer’s remark, that Paul is fond of varying the prepositions in desig- nating the same relation, must not be pressed too far. A study of the pas- sages which he cites in illustration, Rom. iii. 830; v. 10; xv. 2; Gal. ii. 16 ; Philem. 5, will, I think, show a difference in the force of the prepositions. That the nicer distinctions between the prepositions were measurably oblit- erated in later Greek, is, of course, true (see Winer, N. T. Grammar, sec. xlvii., Moulton’s eighth edition) ; but Hllicott’s remark (note on Gal. i. 1) nevertheless remains true, that ‘“‘there are few points more characteristic of the apostle’s style than his varied but accurate use of prepositions, especially of two or more in the same or in immediately contiguous clauses.” See Rom. xi. 36; Eph. iv. 6; Col. iii. 16. And Winer: “It is an especial peculiarity of Paul's style to use different prepositions in reference to one noun, that by means of these prepositions collectively the idea may be defined on every side.” Iam inclined, therefore, to hold the distinction between the prepositions here as implying the transient nature of the glory which attached to the law, and its permanency as attached to the Gospel. The law which passes away was through glory as a temporary medium; the Gospel which remains abides in glory.
+ See the exegesis of Exod. xxxiv. 29-35, by Professor Charles A. Briggs, ‘Presbyterian Review,” i., p. 565.
Cx. HI.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 307
Of that which is abolished (tod xatapyoupévov). See ver. 11. The temporarily glorified ministration of Moses. The end of this, which the veil prevented the Israelites from seeing, was the disappearance of the glory—the type of the termina- tion of Moses’ ministry. Paul’s comparison is between the ministry of Moses, interrupted by intervals of concealment, and _ the gospel ministry, which is marked by frank and full proclam- ation. ‘The opposition is twofold: 1. Between the veiled and the unveiled ministry, as regards the mere fact of conceal- ment in the one case, and openness in the other. 2. Between the ministry which was suspended by the veiling that its end might not be seen, and that which proceeds ‘from glory to glory,’ having no termination” (Alford). The face of Moses needed a continually renewed illumination: in the face of Christ the glory abides forever.
14. Minds (vonuara). Originally, things which proceed out of the mind. Compare hearts and minds, Philip. iv. 7, and devices, 2 Cor. ii. 11. Hence, derivatively, the minds them- selves. The word occurs but once outside of this epistle, Philip. iy. 7. Some render here thoughts. So Rev., in margin.