These small group study notes on the book of 2nd Corinthians contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications. Feel free to print them, copy them, or share them. I only ask that you remember these are are personal study notes and are only meant as a supplement to your own study, not a replacement. May God be glorified! Visit our inductive Bible study main page for more studies on this and other books of the Bible. See the bottom of the page for the rest of the study on 2 Corinthians 3.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Inductive Bible Study - Outline, Key Words, Cross References, and Discussion Questions
The Veil
Chapter 3:12-18
2 Cor 3:12-18
12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israelwould not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Key Words
· Veil 5
· Lord 5
· Spirit 3
· Glory 3
· Face 2
· Moses 2
· Away 2
Title
The Unveiling
Unfading Glory
Outline
I. The Purpose of the Veil 12-15
II. The Lifting of the Veil 16
III. The Unveiled Face 17-18
Cross References
12. Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
Heb 6:17-19
17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise theunchangeableness of His purpose,interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
1 Peter 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:13
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Heb 7:19
19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Rom 15:13
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Eph 1:18
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
2 Cor 4:13
13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, " I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak,
John 16:29
29 His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech.
Acts 4:13
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Acts 9:27
27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
Eph 6:19
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Being a bold witness is a direct result of our hope. Since the apostles had great hope, they were very bold and so should we be.
What hope is it that Paul is referring to?
What is “Hope”?
What are some reasons we don’t speak boldly for Christ?
13. and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
Ex 33:20
20 But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"
Ex 34:32-35
32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.
Col 2:17
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Heb 10:1
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
God often does things in a progressive manner. Revelation, Tribulation, Glory, Languages, Human Development,
What is the veil?
What is the purpose of the Veil?
How is the Law like a shadow of the grace to come?
14. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
Isa 6:10
10 " Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed."
Luke 24:45
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
John 9:39
39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
John 12:46
46 " I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
Acts 16:14
A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.
The Jews were blind to the New Covenant because they thought they could be saved by the Law Old Covenant).
The problem wasn’t so much with the Old Covenant as it was with the people’s hearts.
Why would God want to place a veil over people’s eyes and hearts?
What immediate change would you expect to see in the life of one in which the veil had been lifted?
How does Christ remove the veil?
15. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
Deut 29:4
4 "Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.
Rom 11:8
8 just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
The Jews for the most part today still reject Christ.
What is the relationship between the veil over Moses face and the veil over the Israelites heart?
What is the difference between their minds being hardened and having a veil over their heart?
16. but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Deut 4:30
30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.
Hos 3:5
5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
Rom 11:25-27
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
"THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
What happens when the veil is taken away?
17. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Isa 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
Rom 8:2
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Gal 4:6-7
6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
John 8:36
36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
Rom 6:22
22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
From what does the liberty set us free?
What does the liberty have to do with the veil?
18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
1 Cor 13:12
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
James 1:23
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Rom 8:29
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
1 Cor 15:49
49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
When Moses beheld the Lord, he reflected His glory. In the same way, as we behold the Lord, we also reflect His glory.
What is this process in V18 called?
Why don’t we wear a veil?
What does the phrase “just as from the Lord, the Spirit” mean?
Key Verse
18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Central Teaching
The New Covenant is superior to the Old in its clarity, permanence, deliverer, power, and transforming nature.
Application - Make Your Own
Focus my relationships on glorifying the Lord.
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