Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)1
In this verse we see the phrase, “Now the Lord is the Spirit.” The word Lord here refers to the Lord Jesus Christ.2 We know that the Lord is One God and wherever the Lord is mentioned, we see the Trinity; however, in the context of 2 Corinthians 3, we see that the veil of condemnation of the law is removed when we see JESUS. Paul contrasted the liberty that we now have in Christ with the bondage that came from the being under the law. He contrasted the boldness of speech that we now have through the unveiling of the hidden mystery of Christ in the Old Testament with the lack of understanding that people had of the Old Testament scriptures when they could only see the law. In other words, when the veil is taken away, the Old Testament in unlocked, and we can begin to see God’s plan of redemption throughout the Bible. We can see Jesus in every story, type, shadow, and prophecy. We’ll see that Jesus is the center of it all!
In the context of 2 Corinthians 3, Paul is speaking of two different ways of seeing the scriptures: one is when Moses is read; the other is when one turns to Jesus. When you read your Bible, who do you see? Do you see Moses who is giving you a list of instructions on how to be a better Christian? Or do you see Jesus who wants to reveal Himself to you by showing you His heart of grace and love?
If we read the Old Testament with man-centered Old Covenant lenses, we will miss the primary teachings about Jesus and mistakenly think it’s all about us. If we read the Old Testament with New Covenant lenses, the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus on every page!
When you read your Bible, who do you see? Do you see Moses who is giving you a list of instructions on how to be a better Christian? Or do you see Jesus who wants to reveal Himself to you by showing you His heart of grace and love? In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul spoke of two different ways of seeing the scriptures: one is when Moses is read; the other is when one turns to Jesus.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)3
In this verse we see the phrase, “Now the Lord is the Spirit.” The word “Lord” here refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the Lord is One God and wherever the Lord is mentioned, we see the Trinity; however, in the context of 2 Corinthians 3, we see that the veil of condemnation of the law is removed when we see JESUS. Paul contrasted the liberty that we now have in Christ with the bondage that came from the being under the law. He contrasted the boldness of speech that we now have through the unveiling of the hidden mystery of Christ in the Old Testament with the lack of understanding that people had of the Old Testament scriptures when they could only see the law. In other words, when the veil is taken away, the Old Testament in unlocked, and we can begin to see God’s plan of redemption throughout the Bible. We can see Jesus in every story, type, shadow, and prophecy.
If we read the Old Testament with man-centered, Old Covenant lenses, we will miss the primary teachings about Jesus and mistakenly think that it’s just a good book of instructions on how to be a better Christian. We’ll be the central figure of the Bible. However, if we read the Old Testament with New Covenant lenses, the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus on every page. We’ll see that Jesus is the center of it all!
(from pages 197-198 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2Albert Barnes, “2 Corinthians 3:17,” (see note on verse 17), Barnes’ Notes, Bible Hub, website: http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_corinthians/3.htm, accessed on 5-26-14
3Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.”
