with the.t which prevented them o.lso from tnrn? Ta the Lor1l. " Bnt tte Lord ie the seeing the transitory character of hie Lo.w. Spirit." The w.ord "Rpirit" could not be It had been as it were taken from hie face introduced thus abruptly and vaguely; it and laid on their hearts (see Acts xiii. mnet refer to something already said, aml 27-29; Rom. xi.). Many commentators have therefore to the le.st mention of the word seen in this verse a reference to the J ewieh "spirit" in ver. 8. The Lord is the Spirit, cnetom of covering the head with the taUifh, who giveth life e.nd freedom, in antithesis four-cornered veil, when they were in the to the spirit of dee.th and legal bondage synagogues. But this ie doubtful, since the (see ver. 6; and comp. 1 Cor. xv. 45). Tho tallith did not cover the eyes. More pro- best comment on the verse ie Rom. viii. 2, bably hie metaphor may have been sug- "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ gested by Isa. x.xv. 7, "And he will destroy in Jes'U8 he.th made me free from the law of sin this mountain the face of the covering cast e.nd death." All life e.nd all religion had over all people, and the 'lleil that is spread over become to St. Paul o. vision of all things in all nations." Untaken away, There are two Christ. He he.s just said that the spirit nther ways of rendering this verse: (1)" For giveth life, and, e.fter the digression about until this very day at the reading of the old the moro.l blindness which prevented the J ewe covenant the same veil remaineth unlifted ; from being emancipe.ted from the bondage wllich veil is done away in Christ," ae in of the letter, it wo.s quite natural for him to the Revised Version; or (2) "The same veil add, "Now the Lord ii the Spirit to which remaineth, it not being revealed the.t it ie I alluded." The connection in which the done awe.y in Christ," e.s it is taken by verse stands excludes a hoet of untenable Ohryeoetom e.nd many others, and in the meanings which he.ve been attached to it. margin of the Revised Version. The latter There is liberty. The liberty of confidence seems to be the better view. It is not the (ver. 4), and of frank epccch (ver. 12), and of veil, but the old covenant, which ie being sonship (Gal. iv. 6, 7), and of freedom from done e.way in Christ. To the Jews the.t guilt (John viii. 36); so that the LfLw itself, truth still reme.ined under e. veil. The obeyed no longer in the mere letter but nlso present tense, "is in course of annulment," in the spirit, becomes e. roye.l lo.w of liberty, might ue.tnre.lly be need until the utter and not a yoke which gendereth to bondage abrogation of even the possible fulfilment of (Je.s. i. 25; ii. 12)-o. service, indeed, but the Mosaic Le.w e.t the fe.11 of Jeruso.lem. one whioh is perfect freedom (Rom. v. 1- •21; In the reading of the old testament ; rather, l Pet. ii. 16). the old covenant. There is no e.llusion to Ver. 18.-But we all. An o.ppee.l to pcr- the Old Testament e.s e. book, but the phrase eone.l experience in evidence of the freedom. is equivu.lent to" Moses is read" in the next With open fa.oe; rather, toith u,1vciled face; verse. (On this obdumoy of the Jews, see e.e Moses himself spoke with God, whcro1\s Rom. xi. 7, 8, 25.) the Jews could not see even the ,·eflected. Ver. 15.-When llllo1ea ia read (Acts xv. splendour on the face of Moses till ho had 21). The veil; rather, a 'IJetl; a veil of more.I shrouded it with o. veil. Beholding e.s in a obstinacy, which prevents them from seeing gle.sa. This ie at least as likely to be the the disappearonce of the old covene.nt, as true meaning o.e " reflecting o.s II mirror," effectue.lly 11s the veil on the fe.oe of Moses which the Revised Version (following Chry- prevented them from seeing (e.s St. Pe.ul eostom and others) !ms eubetituted for it. viewed the mutter) the disuppee.ronce of No other instance occurs in which the verb the transitory lustre on the fe.ce of Moses. in the middle voice has the meaning of" re- Ver. 16.-When it she.11 tum to the Lord. flecting,'' and the words, "with unveiled The nomine.tive of the verb is not expressed. fa.cc," imply the imngo of "beliohling." Obviously the most no.turn.I word to supply They 11re, in fact, a description of" tl10 beatific is the one last e.11 uded to, namely, " the vision." An additional renson for rotnining hen.rt of Israel." The verb mny have been tho tronelo.tion of our Authorized Ver,iinn is suggested by Exod. xxxiv. 31. Shall be that the verb is ueo<l in thi~ eenso by I' hilo to.ken away; literally, ii in course of re- (' Leg. Alleg.,' iii. 83). The glory of the moool. The tenses imply thnt "the moment Lord. N11mely, him who ie ·• tho Effulgonce the heart of Iere.el shall he.ve turned to of God's glory" (Heh. i. 2), the true Sho- the Lord, the remove.I of the veil begins." ohine.h, "the I1nago of the invisib\o God" 'fhen "they eho.11 look on him whom they (Col. i. 15). Are ohe.nged i.Q.to the same pierced " (Zech. xii. 10); " He will destroy ime.ge. 'rho prcsout tense implies ~ aradual in this mountain the face of the covoring tmnsfigurotion, o. mysticnl and spiritual co.et over o.11 people, and the voil that is cho.ngo whioh is produced in us while wo spread over all nations'' (Ise.. xxv. 7). oontemplnto Christ. From glory to glory. Ver. 17.-Now the Lord i1 that Spirit. Our spiritu~l nssimiltition to Christ comes 'l'he "but" (Authorized Version,'' now") in- from hie glory and issues in o. glory liko his troduces e.n e;i:plo.ne.tion. To wham eho.11 they (1 Cor. xv. 51 ; comp. " from Htrength to 62 THE SECOND EPISTLI!: TO THE CORINTHIANS. [on. Ill. 1-18.
sh"cngth," Ps. lxxxiv. 7). (For the thought, his minu as thin ot tho "hypostatio uniqn:' comp. 1 John iii. 2.) Aa by the Spirit of of the Son and the Holy Spil"it. He is still the Lord. This rendering (which is that of referring to the contrnst between the letter: the Vulgate also) can hardly be correct. and the spirit, and bis identification of this· The natural meaning of the Greek is "as "spirit" in its highest .sense. with the by the [or, from] the Lord the Spirit." Our quickeni1;1~ life whio!1, by the gift of the change into glory comes from the Lord, who, Holy Spmt, we receive from Christ, and as St. Paul has already explained, is the which is indeed identical mth "the Spirit Spirit of which he has been speaking. No of Christ." •• • such ab~tract theologir,~I thought is here in