Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 07 September anno domini 2025 Holy Communion
The Epistle. 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 The Gospel. St. Mark 7:31-37
Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more
ready to hear than we are to pray, and art wont to
give more than to either we desire or deserve: Pour down
upon us the abundance of thy mercy, forgiving us those
things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us
those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but
through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy
Son, our Lord. Amen.
# 544, 156, 362
SUCH trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteous ness exceed in glory.
In this passage, St. Paul is explaining to the Church at Corinth the major difference between the Old and New Testament. The law is a condemnation of man, it kills. ‘...for the letter killeth...’
And yet even in this capacity to condemn, the children of Israel could not look at the face of Moses because he had beheld the glory of the Lord.
When Moses had received the law on Mt Sinai, he saw God, he saw his hand as he scribed out the law on the tablets of stone, that vision of God left a ‘shining’ on Moses face.
When he returned to the people, they could not look on his face because it was so shiny. It was reflecting the glory of God, his righteousness. They were afraid to look at Moses because the Glory of God was shining from Moses face. This Shekinah glory was so strong that its’ reflection persisted long after Moses came down from the Mount. It was so bright, Moses covered his face with a veil to not frighten the Hebrew people he led. Throughout the Bible we can read of this Glorious light that reveals to us God’s eternal Holiness. Humans are very visual oriented, we many times need to see the manifestation of God’s Glory in order to have at least a smidgen of understanding of his Holiness.
Let us look at the commentary of Matthew Henry and see the compare and contrast of the Old
and New Testament as it relates to this difference of our sinfulness and God’s holiness.
II. He shows the difference between the Old Testament and the New, and the excellency of the gospel above the law. For, 1. The Old-Testament dispensation was the ministration of death
(1. 2 Cor. 3:7), whereas that of the New Testament is the ministration of life. The law discovered sin, and the wrath and curse of God. This showed us a God above us and a God against us; but the gospel discovers grace, and Emmanuel, God with us. Upon this account the gospel is more glorious than the law; and yet that had a glory in it, witness the shining of Moses’s face (an indication thereof) when he came down from the mount with the tables in his hand, that reflected rays of brightness upon his countenance.
2. The law was the ministration of condemnation, for that condemned and cursed every one who continued not in all things written therein to do them; but the gospel is the ministration of righteousness: therein the righteousness of God by faith is revealed.
This shows us that the just shall live by his faith.
This reveals the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ, for obtaining the remission of sins and eternal life.
The gospel therefore so much exceeds in glory that in a manner it eclipses the glory of the legal dispensation, 2 Cor. 3:10.
As the shining of a burning lamp is lost, or not regarded, when the sun arises and goes forth in his strength; so there was no glory in the Old Testament, in comparison with that of the New.
3. The law is done away, but the gospel does and shall remain, 2 Cor. 3:11. Not only did the glory of Moses’s face go away, but the glory of Moses’s law is done away also; yea, the law of Moses itself is now abolished.
That dispensation was only to continue for a time, and then to vanish away; whereas the gospel shall remain to the end of the world, and is always fresh and flourishing and remains glorious.
And so we see the gospel message come forth in the work of Jesus Christ. His gospel outshines all the foreshadowing of the Old Testament. His gospel continues to point the way to heaven, even to this day.
We recite the Ten Commandments when we come to the Lord’s Table. In this time of remembrance we are reminded that we can not keep the Law. It is impossible for us to keep the Law, for if we break one commandment, we have broken them all. So in this monthly reminder we are pointed to the Savior, because it is only by him are we saved from our sin. The law discovers sin, the gospel offers grace and Immanuel , God with us. Let us be ever mindful of the gift of God to us, his creation. He sent his only Son to save us from our sins.
Let us pray:
GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O ALMIGHTY Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that, through thy most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be pre served in body and soul; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
