2 Corinthians 3:11 kjv
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
2 Corinthians 3:11 nkjv
For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
2 Corinthians 3:11 niv
And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
2 Corinthians 3:11 esv
For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
2 Corinthians 3:11 nlt
So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
2 Corinthians 3 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Old Covenant: Glory, Transience, and Purpose | ||
| Ex 34:29-35 | ...Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone... Moses put a veil over his face. | Moses' fading glory signified the Old Covenant's transient nature. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel... not like the covenant that I made with their fathers..." | Prophecy of a New Covenant, explicitly replacing the Old. |
| Gal 3:19, 23-25 | The law was added because of transgressions... a guardian until Christ came... no longer under a guardian. | Law's temporary role as a guardian, indicating its transient function. |
| Heb 7:18-19 | For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)... | The Law's inability to perfect highlighted its provisional nature. |
| Heb 8:7-13 | For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second... In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. | Declares the obsolescence of the first covenant, foreshadowing its end. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices... make perfect those who draw near. | The Law's limitations and shadowy nature. |
| Rom 7:4-6 | ...you also have died to the law through the body of Christ... you are released from the law... to serve in the new way of the Spirit. | Believers freed from the law's binding power. |
| Gal 4:21-31 | ...these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery... the other... is free, and she is our mother. | Allegory contrasting the covenants of bondage and freedom. |
| New Covenant: Greater, Enduring Glory and Superiority | ||
| Jn 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Direct contrast emphasizing the superior revelation through Christ. |
| Rom 3:21-22 | But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law... through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. | Highlights the New Covenant's provision for righteousness through faith. |
| Rom 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. | The New Covenant's power to grant life and freedom. |
| 1 Cor 15:22 | For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. | Relates to the enduring spiritual life brought through Christ. |
| 2 Cor 3:18 | And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another... | The New Covenant's transformative and increasing glory for believers. |
| Acts 13:38-39 | Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. | New Covenant's effective absolution where Law could not justify. |
| Eph 3:6 | ...that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. | Permanent and inclusive nature of the New Covenant's promise. |
| Heb 7:23-25 | The former priests were many... but he holds his priesthood permanently... He is able to save to the uttermost... | Christ's permanent and eternal priesthood under the New Covenant. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | ...Christ appeared as a high priest... through his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. | New Covenant secures eternal redemption, unlike transient Old Covenant sacrifices. |
| Heb 12:28 | Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken... | The permanent and unshakeable nature of the New Covenant kingdom. |
| 1 Pet 1:23-25 | ...you have been born again... through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass... but the word of the Lord remains forever." | New birth and the enduring nature of God's Word in the New Covenant. |
| "Much More" (A Fortiori Arguments) | ||
| Rom 5:9-10 | Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God... | Argument from lesser (justified while sinners) to greater (saved from wrath). |
| Rom 11:12 | Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! | Argument from a present reality to a far greater future outcome. |
2 Corinthians 3 verses
2 Corinthians 3 11 Meaning
The verse 2 Corinthians 3:11 declares the surpassing and enduring glory of the New Covenant in Christ, contrasting it sharply with the temporary, yet glorious, Old Covenant of the Mosaic Law. It posits that if a covenant designed to be superseded had undeniable divine radiance, then the covenant that is permanent and eternal possesses a far greater and more magnificent glory. This passage emphasizes the transition from a provisional arrangement to a lasting and superior divine provision for humanity.
2 Corinthians 3 11 Context
2 Corinthians 3 forms the core of Paul's defense of his apostolic ministry and the New Covenant, particularly in contrast to the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law). Paul's ministry was being challenged, possibly by those who boasted in the Law and external achievements. Chapter 3 begins by asserting that the Corinthians themselves are Paul's letter of recommendation, written by the Spirit, not on tablets of stone but on human hearts. This sets up the direct comparison of the two covenants. Paul refers to the Mosaic Law as a "ministry of death" and a "ministry of condemnation" (v.7-9), acknowledging that even this temporary ministry came with "glory" – notably the shining face of Moses (Ex 34). However, this glory was veiled and fading. Paul uses this transient glory to highlight the far greater, abiding glory of the "ministry of the Spirit" and the "ministry of righteousness" (v.8-9), which removes the veil and offers true transformation through the Spirit of the Lord. Verse 11 specifically summarizes this contrast, building on the idea that something temporary and fading, if glorious, implies an even greater glory for that which is permanent.
2 Corinthians 3 11 Word analysis
- For if (εἰ γὰρ - ei gar): This Greek conjunction and particle combination introduces a logical inference or "if-then" statement. It establishes a powerful argumentative premise, linking the current point to prior assertions about the nature of the Old Covenant's glory (vv. 7-10) as a basis for the upcoming conclusion.
- what was being brought to an end (τὸ καταργούμενον - to katargoumenon): This is a crucial Greek term. Katargeō means to make idle, abolish, render inoperative, nullify, put out of use, or deprive of force. It doesn't mean something was inherently bad or destroyed, but that its functional purpose or validity as the primary means of salvation/righteousness was completed and superseded. The present passive participle emphasizes that it was in the process or state of being made ineffective, having served its purpose. Here it refers directly to the Old Covenant or the Mosaic Law.
- came with glory (διὰ δόξης - dia doxēs): This phrase highlights the divine splendor, majesty, or radiance associated with the giving of the Old Covenant. Doxa signifies glory. It acknowledges the historical and divine reality of the glory visible on Moses' face (Ex 34) and surrounding the revelation at Sinai, thereby recognizing the Old Covenant's undeniable origin and significance, even while pointing to its end.
- much more (πολλῷ μᾶλλον - pollō mallon): An emphatic comparative phrase. This serves as an a fortiori (from the stronger/greater) argument. It asserts that if the lesser case (the transient Old Covenant) had a certain degree of glory, then the greater case (the permanent New Covenant) must inherently possess an even higher, transcendent glory.
- will what is permanent (τὸ μένον - to menon): This refers to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. Menō means to remain, abide, endure, stay, be permanent or lasting. This term stands in direct, deliberate contrast to katargoumenon, emphasizing the New Covenant's unchanging, eternal, and non-provisional nature.
- have glory (ἐν δόξῃ - en doxē): This final phrase attributes the same attribute of glory (doxa) to the permanent New Covenant, but implicitly signifies a qualitatively and quantitatively greater and unending glory. This glory is inherent to its nature and superior efficacy.
- "For if what was being brought to an end came with glory" (εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης): This segment sets the logical baseline. Paul acknowledges the divine glory that undeniably accompanied the temporary Old Covenant. This wasn't a discrediting of the Law itself but a sober recognition of its divinely intended finite purpose, which, nevertheless, shone with God's presence.
- "much more will what is permanent have glory" (πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ): This is the conclusion of Paul's a fortiori argument. The inherent, greater glory of the New Covenant is directly linked to its enduring and eternal nature, standing in powerful opposition to the transience of the Old. The shift in prepositions from dia (through) to en (in) can subtly imply an internal, essential glory for the new versus a glory manifest through an external (and fading) revelation for the old.
2 Corinthians 3 11 Bonus section
The concept of "glory" here extends beyond mere outward radiance; it speaks to the intrinsic power, majesty, and divine presence associated with each covenant. The glory of the New Covenant, though not visibly manifested on a prophet's face in the same way, is superior because it directly points to Christ and is imparted through the Holy Spirit to believers, transforming them from within. This glory is dynamic and increasing (as implied in 2 Cor 3:18), unlike the fading glory of Moses' face. The "abolishing" of the Old Covenant does not mean it was evil or that its moral commands are discarded, but that its role as a covenant for justification and life has been fulfilled and replaced by a superior way in Christ. The Old Testament serves as a foundational witness to Christ, whose arrival signifies the "end of the law for righteousness" (Rom 10:4).
2 Corinthians 3 11 Commentary
2 Corinthians 3:11 encapsulates Paul's theological argument for the supremacy of the New Covenant in Christ over the Old Covenant, particularly the Mosaic Law. It's a statement of radical qualitative and quantitative difference in glory. The Old Covenant, while divinely ordained and accompanied by real glory (like the radiant face of Moses), was destined to be superseded – "brought to an end" (katargoumenon). It served its purpose but was not meant to be ultimate. Conversely, the New Covenant is "permanent" (menon), not temporary or provisional. Therefore, Paul concludes, the glory inherent in this permanent, definitive covenant far surpasses the glory of that which was transient. This surpassing glory is rooted in its ability to offer an enduring relationship with God, transformative power through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:18), and true righteousness that the Old Law, as a "ministry of death," could not fully achieve. It shifts the focus from external observance to internal spiritual renewal.