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#4.
The veil that keeps in bondage (II Cor. 4: 3, 4).
pp. 190 - 193
We have now made three brief studies of the subject that it is the truth that makes free.
We now turn attention to a passage which discloses still further the methods of the god of
this age in his attempts to enslave and ensnare the child of God:--
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not: but
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling
the word of God deceitfully: but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to
every man's conscience in the sight of God" (II Cor. 4: 1, 2).
The stress here is not upon preaching the truth, but upon the manifestation of the truth;
something in contrast to the "hidden things of dishonesty" and the veiling of the truth
from the eyes. To appreciate fully the apostle's attitude it is necessary to take a wider
view than can be obtained by limiting ourselves to verses 1 and 2 of this fourth chapter.
Chapter 3: is largely occupied with a series of comparisons which are intended to
show the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old. This can be seen by the
following structure taken from The Companion Bible, p. 1731:--
II Corinthians 3: 7-11.
A1 | 7. The OLD COVENANT came with glory, but Israel could not look upon it.
B1 | 8. The NEW COVENANT also comes with glory.
A2 | 9. The OLD COVENANT, which brought condemnation, came with glory.
B2 | 9. The NEW COVENANT, which ministers righteousness, exceeds it in glory.
A3 | 10. The OLD COVENANT had no glory in inflicting death.
B3 | 10. The NEW COVENANT has surpassing glory in giving life.
A4 | 11. The OLD COVENANT, which is annulled, was with glory.
B4 | 11. The NEW COVENANT, which abides, will abide in glory.
When the subject of II Corinthians is before us as a whole, certain adjustments and
modifications in the above structure may be necessary. For our present purpose,
however, it will be sufficient to state the teaching that was in the apostle's mind when he
spoke of the "manifestation" of the truth. Manifesting the truth, or "speaking plainly", is
in contrast with "veiling" the truth, as symbolized by the veiling of the face of Moses and
the veiling of the heart of Israel.
Had we had no preparation, we should have expected II Cor. 3: 17 to have placed
illumination in contrast with the veil, but, instead, the apostle uses the word liberty,
for the veil will be seen to be error fabricated out of the truth that belongs to the
Old Covenant, and so, now, undispensational, while the removal of the veil is equivalent
to that freedom wherewith the truth makes free: "and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty."