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The Pastoral Epistles of Saint Paul
Talk by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), part 14, II Corinthians 3 & 4
February 15, 2022

Topics include: 
(1) Paul's ministry centered on God's grace and work, not his own sufficiency in preaching; 
(2) Paul's argument against the Covenant of Moses: The Spirit gives Life, as contrasted with obedience to the Law. The Law does not give the Spirit, it does not quicken but produces fearfulness and condemnation, not righteousness. The New Covenant is permanent, Moses was temporary till Christ. This is a strong argument against the Jews and the Old Covenant with Moses, which has been abrogated and has been replaced in Christ. Orthodox Christians do not validate Judaism. The Law is useful, in that it was given to expose sin, but not to heal it, but it was veiled and ineffective to the Jewish legalists ... its spiritual meaning was veiled. We do not put our trust in a literal interpretation of the Law, but in the Spirit, the source of the Law and our new relationship with Christ. This brings true freedom, not enslavement to the Law; 
(3) God's glory: Moses uncovered his veil before God ... we Christians are able to learn from God, unveiled, by the Spirit. We can behold His glory and be transformed and deified, as on Mt Tabor. We can change, step by step, for the better, towards perfection, from glory to Glory (Gregory of Nyssa), and this growth is itself the gift of the Spirit. God's glory shines in God by nature, and in us by grace; 
(4) Christ the Icon of God: The bible has multiple Christologies: e.g., Christ the Word of God, and here, Christ the Image (icon) of God. Against the nominalist error, an icon participates in the reality of what it depicts and allows participation in that reality; 
(5) Persecution: we can be persecuted for righteousness sake, which God uses to train us and develop perseverance and reliance on Him ... or we can be persecuted for our own ego. The Martyrs reveal Christ and His resurrection. Christians are not afraid to die because they have faith that God will resurrect us into His presence. Paul as a model for our perseverance: never losing hope, or falling into despair, never feeling forsaken. "Given over to death for Jesus' sake" ... they can kill our bodies but not our witness. Persecution reveals the life of Christ within us because that life gives us the ability to persevere. We are not looking for earthly glory or vindication ... but to share in the glory of Christ in the heavens.