Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Corinthians 3:8
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
8. How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?] Literally, how shall not the ministration of the spirit rather be in glory, i.e. if the brightness which was actually fading was so glorious that the Israelites could not bear to look at it, how much more shall the ministration of the spirit, which is not destined to be transitory, be and remain glorious. The preposition denotes the permanency of the glory, the future tense of the verb indicates that whatever the glory of the Gospel dispensation now, there are greater glories in store. All this glory proceeds from the fact that it is the spirit of a Living God that the new dispensation ministers. See 2Co 3:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
How shall not the ministration of the Spirit – This is an argument from the less to the greater. Several things in it are worthy of notice:
(1) The proper contrast to the ministration of death 2Co 3:7, would have been ministration of life. But Paul chose rather to call it the ministration of the spirit; as the source of life; or as conferring higher dignity on the gospel than to have called it simply the ministration of life.
(2) By the Spirit here is manifestly meant the Holy Spirit; and the whole phrase denotes the gospel, or the preaching of the gospel, by which eminently the Holy Spirit is imparted.
(3) It is the high honor of the gospel ministry, that it is the means by which the Holy Spirit is imparted to human beings. It is designed to secure the salvation of people by his agency; and it is through the ministry that the Holy Spirit is imparted, the heart renewed, and the soul saved. The work of the ministry is, therefore, the most important and honorable in which man can engage.
Be rather glorious –
(1) Because that of Moses tended to death; this to life.
(2) Because that was engraved on stone; this is engraved on the heart.
(3) Because that was the mere giving of a law; this is connected with the renovating influences of the Holy Spirit.
(4) Because that was soon to pass away. All the magnificence of the scene was soon to vanish. But this is to remain. Its influence and effect are to he everlasting. It is to stretch into eternity; and its main glory is to be witnessed in souls renewed and saved; and amidst the splendors of heaven. The work of the Spirit of God on the heart of a rational being, is much more important than any dead characters which can be engraved on insensible stones – Doddridge.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. The ministration of the Spirit] The Gospel dispensation, which gives the true spiritual sense of the law.
Be rather glorious?] Forasmuch as the thing signified is of infinitely more consequence than that by which it is signified. The THING bread will preserve a man alive; the WORD bread can give life to nothing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
How shall not that ministration, which is more spiritual, and the effects of which are much more spiritual, be accounted much more glorious? Thus the apostle doth not only magnify the gospel above the law, but he also magnifieth his offices in the ministration of the gospel; which ministration he reasonably concludeth to be a more glorious ministration than that which Moses had, in whom the Jews so much gloried.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. be rather gloriousliterally,”be rather (that is, still more, invested) in glory.””Shall be,” that is, shall be found to be in part now, butfully when the glory of Christ and His saints shall be revealed.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How shall not the ministration of the Spirit,…. By “the ministration of the Spirit”, is meant the Gospel; so called not only because it ministers spiritual things, as peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation, spiritual joy and comfort, and even spiritual life; but because it ministers the Spirit of God himself, by whom it is not only dictated, and by him at first confirmed, and who qualities persons for the preaching of it; but by it he conveys himself into the hearts of men, and makes it powerful for illumination, consolation, edification, and an increase of every grace; and therefore must be rather glorious, or much more glorious than the law, the ministration of death.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
How shall not rather? ( ?). Argumentum a minore ad majus (from the less to the greater).
Of the spirit ( ). Marked by the spirit. Picture of the Christian ministry now.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Glorious [ ] . As in ver. 7, with glory.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “How shall not – be rather glorious.” (pos ouchi estai mallon en dokse) “how will not be rather in a state of glory?” It is as if Paul were saying, “Is it not therefore more reasonable to accept the greater glory of Jesus Christ and His coming and church program of worship and work to which the glory of the former Law of Moses pointed?” For He came to fulfill the Law and the prophets, Mat 5:19; Luk 16:16; Luk 24:44; and establish His exceeding glory, Mat 17:1-5.
2) “The ministration of the Spirit,” (hediakonia tou pneumatos) “The common ministry (ministration of) the spirit”; Joh 16:13; Gal 3:5. The Holy Spirit came, as a special empowering person, to and upon the church on Pentecost, to abide within and upon her forever, never to “pass away,” as the Law did; Joh 14:16-17; Luk 24:49; Act 1:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?Better, be more in glory. The ministration of the spiritthat which has spirit for its characteristic attribute, and proceeds from the Spirit and imparts it to othersis that which St. Paul claims as his ministry. The glory of the new covenant, must be as much above the glory of the old, as the living, life-giving Spirit is above the dead and death-bringing code which he speaks of as the letter.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Co 3:8 . The ministry dedicated to the Holy Spirit, i.e . forming the medium of His operation (the teaching ministry of the gospel), is as such the specific opposite of the . , 2Co 3:7 . In are contained the elements of contrast. See 2Co 3:6 .
] is not the future of the inference (Billroth, Hofmann, and the older commentators); nor does it refer to the advancing steady development (Osiander), but rather to the gloria futuri seculi . Comp. on 2Co 3:12 , where the which is therefore not to be understood, as it usually is, of inner elevation and dignity appears as the object of the . We cannot therefore say with Bengel: “loquitur ex prospectu V. T. in Novum,” but: loquitur ex prospectu praesentis seculi in futurum .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
Ver. 8. Be rather glorious ] Let this comfort the ministers of the gospel under the contempts cast upon them by the mad world, ever beside itself in point of salvation. See Isa 49:5 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Co 3:8-9 . . . .: how shall not rather the Ministration of the Spirit be with glory? For if the Ministration of Condemnation be glory (if we read we must render, with the American Revisers, “ has glory”), much rather doth the Ministration of Righteousness exceed in glory. Cf. Rom 5:16 , , , and Rom 8:1 , . . The phrase is used again at 2Co 11:15 , as descriptive of the ministers of the New Covenant; it is an essential point of Pauline theology that “righteousness” is not of the “law” (Gal 3:21 ). The argument is a minori ad majus .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
not. Greek. ouchi. App-105.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Co 3:8. ) shall be. He speaks as looking from the Old Testament point of view to the New. Add, hope, 2Co 3:12 [which similarly looks from the Old Testament stand-point to the New].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
2Co 3:8
2Co 3:8
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?-[The ministration of the Spirit is the service performed by the apostles in bringing in the new covenant. The argument is from the less to the greater, from the ministry of death to that of the life-giving Spirit. The glory of the ministration of death was a glory of sight. It was intended to influence the Israelites from without, being addressed to their outward senses, whilst the glory of the ministration of the Spirit is within, from within, unseen for the most part by the eye of man, and yet its glory is infinitely greater, for it is the glory of the spirit rather than of the flesh. It is conformity to that which is the highest glory of God, even his loving and righteous character, and as great as the difference between life and death, so great is the difference between the glory of the new covenant and that of the old.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the ministration: 2Co 3:6, 2Co 3:17, 2Co 11:4, Isa 11:2, Isa 44:3, Isa 59:21, Joe 2:28, Joe 2:29, Joh 1:17, Joh 7:39, Act 2:17, Act 2:18, Act 2:32, Act 2:33, Rom 8:9-16, 1Co 3:16, 1Co 12:4-11, Gal 3:2-5, Gal 3:14, Gal 5:5, Gal 5:22, Gal 5:23, Eph 2:18, 2Th 2:13, 1Pe 1:2, Jud 1:19, Jud 1:20
Reciprocal: Exo 31:18 – the finger Isa 32:15 – the spirit Jer 31:33 – I will Act 6:15 – saw 2Co 4:4 – lest Gal 3:5 – that Eph 4:12 – the work 1Ti 1:11 – glorious Heb 8:10 – I will put
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Co 3:8. The original word for rather is defined by Thayer, “to a greater degree.” Paul justifies his contrast by the fact that the first covenant (though glorious) was written on stone and also it “was to be done away,” while the second was a ministration of the Spirit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2Co 3:8. How shall not rather the ministration of the Spiritof that which is spirit and life,be with glory?
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 8
The ministration of the Spirit, that is, of the gospel promulgated by the agency of the Spirit.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
3:8 How shall not the {i} ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
(i) By which God offers, indeed, and gives the Spirit, not as a dead thing, but a living Spirit, working life.