2 Corinthians 3 14

2 Corinthians 3:14 kjv

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:14 nkjv

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:14 niv

But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

2 Corinthians 3:14 esv

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

2 Corinthians 3:14 nlt

But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3 verses

2 Corinthians 3 14 Meaning

The verse asserts that the minds of many among the Israelites remained spiritually unresponsive, effectively "blinded," hindering their true understanding of the Old Covenant scriptures. This blindness is symbolized by the unlifted "veil" from Moses' face, which continues to obscure the glory and ultimate purpose of the Law when read without Christ. The underlying reason for this spiritual obfuscation is that this very "veil"—representing the temporary, letter-based administration of the Law—is divinely removed and rendered powerless only through faith in Christ, revealing the spiritual essence of the Old Covenant and its fulfillment in Him.

2 Corinthians 3 14 Context

2 Corinthians 3 is a powerful defense of Paul's apostleship and a theological exposition on the superiority of the New Covenant (ministry of the Spirit and righteousness) over the Old Covenant (ministry of the letter and condemnation). Paul contrasts his ministry with false apostles in Corinth who perhaps relied on a literal interpretation of the Mosaic Law. He uses the narrative of Moses' veiled face from Exodus 34:29-35 as a central metaphor. Moses veiled his face because the glory of God was too intense for the Israelites to bear, but also, as Paul reinterprets, to hide the fading nature of that glory. The glory of the New Covenant, brought by the Spirit, is far more enduring and transforming. Verse 14 specifically addresses why many Jews in Paul's time, when reading their own Scriptures, failed to grasp this distinction and therefore did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

2 Corinthians 3 14 Word analysis

• But (ἀλλά - alla): A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a sharp contrast with the previous statement (the fading glory of Moses' ministry).
• their minds (οἱ νοήματα - hoi noēmata): Refers to their understanding, thoughts, intellectual faculty, or their capacity for spiritual comprehension. This indicates the seat of perception.
• were blinded (ἐπωρώθησαν - epōrōthēsan): From πωρόω (pōroō), meaning to make hard, callous, dull, or imperceptive, as if a hard crust formed over an organ. This is a divine passive, implying God's allowance or action in hardening, akin to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. It speaks of an inherent spiritual insensitivity.
• for until this day (ἄχρι γὰρ σήμερον - achri gar sēmeron): Emphasizes the ongoing, contemporary nature of this spiritual condition. It was not just an ancient problem but persisted in Paul's time and, implicitly, beyond.
• the same veil (τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα - to auto kalymma): Direct reference to Moses' physical veil (Ex 34:33-35). Here, it is used metaphorically to represent spiritual obfuscation or a barrier preventing spiritual insight into the true meaning of the Old Testament. "The same" highlights the continuity with the previous imagery.
• remains unlifted (μένει ἀνακαλυπτόμενον - menei anakalyptomenon): Menei (remains) denotes persistence. Anakalyptomenon is the present participle, literally "being unveiled." The nuance here, in conjunction with the previous statements and the verse 15 context ("a veil lies over their heart"), implies the lack of unveiling, or it not being removed.
• in the reading of the Old Covenant (ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης - epi tē anagnōsei tēs palaias diathēkēs): Anagnōsei means the act of public or private reading, specifically of Scripture. Palaias diathēkēs refers to the collection of writings of the Law and the Prophets—the Mosaic covenant, not simply the written document but its entire administration and significance prior to Christ. The issue is not the text itself, but the interpretative lens through which it is read.
• because the veil is taken away in Christ (ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται - hoti en Christō katargeitai): Hoti (because/that) provides the crucial reason. En Christō (in Christ) signifies that salvation and understanding are exclusively found through Him. Katargeitai is a powerful verb (passive voice), meaning to be nullified, abolished, made ineffective, rendered void, or done away with. It's the counteraction to the veil; Christ's advent effectively negates the need and power of the old veil to blind, thereby making it truly removable for those who turn to Him.

2 Corinthians 3 14 Bonus section

The passive voice of "were blinded" (ἐπωρώθησαν - epōrōthēsan) indicates that this state occurred to them, rather than being solely their own active choice. While humanity has responsibility for turning away from God, scripture also often portrays God as hardening hearts as a judicial act in response to persistent disobedience. This divine action (or allowance) serves a larger purpose in God's redemptive plan, as seen in Romans 11 concerning Israel's partial hardening and future restoration. Paul is not denying human agency but acknowledging the profound spiritual depth of this inability to see Christ in the Law. Furthermore, the emphasis on Old Covenant (παλαιᾶς διαθήκης) points to the Law and its administration, rather than implying the Old Testament scriptures are irrelevant. Indeed, for Paul, these scriptures, rightly interpreted through Christ, are powerful and foundational, but only if read unveiled by the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3 14 Commentary

This verse serves as a critical theological hinge, explaining why those adhering strictly to the Old Covenant without acknowledging Christ fail to grasp its true essence. The "blinding" isn't merely an intellectual failure but a spiritual state, an inability to perceive the spiritual glory that pointed to Christ. The physical veil Moses wore becomes a metaphor for this spiritual opacity that obscures the fleeting glory of the Mosaic covenant and its foreshadowing of a greater reality in Christ. This "veil" isn't intrinsic to the Old Covenant text itself, but rather it lies upon the heart of the reader who interprets it through a legalistic lens or fails to see its telos (goal) in Jesus. The profound truth revealed is that this spiritual impediment is only removed "in Christ," whose life, death, and resurrection fulfilled and superseded the Law, making its temporary administration null and void for those who embrace Him. Thus, Christ becomes the only means through which the full spiritual wisdom and purpose of the Old Testament scriptures can be genuinely apprehended.