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12 The Lord Is the Spirit.[a] Therefore, since we have such hope, we can act with complete confidence, 13 and not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not observe the radiance that was fading away. 14 However, their minds were hardened. Even to this very day, the same veil remains unlifted during the reading of the old covenant,[b] since only in Christ is it set aside.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:12 Paul continues to comment in rabbinical fashion on the veil of Moses. The veil is now over the faces of the Jews. He makes clear that they refuse to accept the provisional character of the Old Covenant—they do not truly understand either Moses or the Old Testament, for Christ is the key to both. It is he who established a new and definitive Covenant, which leads to life and is the power of liberation, the source of freedom. The light of the risen Christ is reflected in the life of believers by their transformation in an ever more profound manner.
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Old covenant, i.e., “Old Testament”: this is the first time that this expression, referring to a collection of Scriptures, appears in a Christian text.

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope,(A) we are very bold.(B) 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face(C) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull,(D) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant(E) is read.(F) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

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