2 Corinthians 3:18

Context

In chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his ministry to the church at Corinth. Confronted by those who relied on letters of commendation, Paul tells the Corinthian believers that they themselves are "the epistle of Christ" (3:1-3). He contrasts the old covenant, engraved on tablets of stone, with the new covenant, written on the heart, and he contrasts "the letter" (the written code of the law) with "the spirit." He then draws on Exodus 34:29-35, where Moses, after meeting with God, covered the radiance of his face with a veil. Paul goes on to say that a veil still lies over the hearts of those who read the old covenant, but that it is taken away when one turns to the Lord (3:14-16). Verse 18 concludes the section that follows the statement "Now the Lord is that Spirit" (3:17). The central contrast is that, whereas Moses alone beheld the glory, "we all"—that is, all believers—behold the glory without a veil.

Interpretation

• As a text on sanctification: Many interpreters read "are changed" (Greek metamorphoumetha, present passive) as describing an ongoing process of becoming like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Reformed tradition reads it as a basis for progressive sanctification (growth in holiness) accomplished through the Word and the Spirit. Traditions shaped by Wesleyan theology, such as the Methodist and Holiness churches, connect it with the process of growing into a life of holiness.
• As a text on the restoration of the image of God: "The same image" (Greek eikōn) is linked to 4:4, where Christ is called "the image of God." For this reason the verse is read as teaching that the marred image of God is restored in Christ.
• The Orthodox reading: The Eastern Orthodox Church cites this verse as one of the texts supporting its understanding of theosis (deification), in which human beings participate in the divine life and come to resemble God.
• A reading oriented toward consummation: The transformation "from glory to glory" is understood to have begun now but to be completed when Christ returns, and the verse is therefore read together with 1 John 3:2.

Debates and Issues

• "Beholding as in a glass": The Greek katoptrizomenoi can be rendered either "beholding as in a mirror" or "reflecting as a mirror." Many translations, including those in the Korean Revised Version tradition, follow the former sense, while some English translations have adopted the latter.
• "The Spirit of the Lord": The original can be rendered either "from the Lord, who is the Spirit" or "from the Spirit of the Lord." Together with verse 17, this raises the question of the relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit. The major denominations generally do not interpret the two persons as identical. They read the verse as meaning that, within the new covenant, the Lord works through the Spirit, and for this reason they caution against a modalist reading.
• Quotation out of context: Some point out that using this verse merely as a slogan for individual spiritual growth obscures its original line of thought, namely the contrast between the old and new covenants. It is also noted that "we all" refers to the community as a whole.

In the Korean Church

The verse is frequently cited in sermons and Bible studies on sanctification and growth in faith, and the phrase "from glory to glory" (as rendered in the New Korean Revised Version) is sometimes used as a sermon title or motto.

Related Passages

• Exodus 34:29-35
• 2 Corinthians 3:3-6
• 2 Corinthians 4:4-6
• Romans 8:29
• Colossians 3:10