Reading for Today:

• Isaiah 13:1 Chapter 13 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. –14:32
• Psalms 106:19-23 19 They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image. 20 Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. 21 They forgat God their Saviour, Who had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, `And' terrible things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy `them'.
• Proverbs 25:6-7 6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen.
• 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 Chapter 3 1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you? 2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; 3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables `that are' hearts of flesh. 4 And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written, `and' engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which `glory' was passing away: 8 how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth. 11 For if that which passeth away `was' with glory, much more that which remaineth `is' in glory. 12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, 13 and `are' not as Moses, `who' put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: 14 but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed `to them' that it is done away in Christ. 15 But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. 16 But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, `there' is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Notes:

Isaiah 14:12 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! –14 fallen from heaven,…be like the Most High. Jesus’ use of v. 12 to describe Satan’s fall ( Luke 10:18 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. ; Rev. 12:8–10) has led many to see more than a reference to the king of Babylon. Just as the Lord addressed Satan in His words to the serpent (Gen. 3:14, 15), this inspired dirge speaks to the king of Babylon and to the devil who energized him. See Ezekiel 28:12 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. –17 for similar language to the king of Tyre and Satan behind him.

Isaiah 14:12 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! heaven. The scene suddenly shifts from the underworld to heaven to emphasize the unbridled pride of the king and Satan energizing him. Lucifer, son of the morning. Literally, “Lucifer” means “shining one,” but translators have often rendered it “morning star.” Tradition of the time saw the stars as representing gods battling among themselves for places of preeminence.

Isaiah 14:13 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; , 14 I will. Five “I wills” emphasize the arrogance of the king of Babylon and of Satan from whom he takes his cue.

Proverbs 25:6 6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: , 7 In the royal court, as in all of life, self-seeking and pride bring one down. Do not intrude into such a place, for the elevating of the humble is honorable, but the humbling of the proud is disgraceful ( Luke 14:8 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, –10; James 4:7 7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. –10).

2 Corinthians 3:18 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. we all. Not just Moses, or prophets, apostles, and preachers, but all believers. with unveiled face. Believers in the New Covenant have nothing obstructing their vision of Christ and His glory as revealed in the Scripture. beholding as in a mirror. Paul’s emphasis here is not so much on the reflective capabilities of the mirror as it is on the intimacy of it. A person can bring a mirror right up to his face and get an unobstructed view. Mirrors in Paul’s day were polished metal, and thus offered a far from perfect reflection. Though the vision is unobstructed and intimate, believers do not see a perfect representation of God’s glory now, but will one day (1 Cor. 13:12). being transformed. A continual, progressive transformation. into the same image. As they gaze at the glory of the Lord, believers are continually being transformed into Christlikeness. The ultimate goal of the believer is to be like Christ (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:12–14; 1 John 3:2 2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. ), and by continually focusing on Him the Spirit transforms the believer more and more into His image. from glory to glory. From one level of glory to another level of glory—from one level of manifesting Christ to another. This verse describes progressive sanctification. The more believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, the more He is revealed in their lives (Phil. 3:12–14).

DAY 11: What credentials of his apostleship did Paul give to the Corinthians?

Because Paul did not want to allow the false teachers to accuse him of being proud, he began his defense in 2 Corinthians 3:1 Chapter 3 1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you? by posing two questions rather than making any overt claims. “Do we begin again to commend ourselves?” The Greek word for “commend” means “to introduce.” Thus Paul was asking the Corinthians if he needed to reintroduce himself, as if they had never met, and prove himself once more. The form of the question demanded a negative answer. “Or do we need, as some others,…letters of commendation from you?” The false teachers also accused Paul of not possessing the appropriate documents to prove his legitimacy. Such letters were often used to introduce and authenticate someone to the first-century churches (1 Cor. 16:3, 10, 11). The false teachers undoubtedly arrived in Corinth with such letters, which they may have forged ( Acts 15:1 Chapter 15 1 And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, `saying', Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. , 5) or obtained under false pretenses from prominent members of the Jerusalem church. Paul’s point was that he did not need secondhand testimony when the Corinthians had firsthand proof of his sincere and godly character, as well as the truth of his message that regenerated them.

“You are our epistle written in our hearts” (v. 2). An affirmation of Paul’s affection for the believers in Corinth—he held them close to his heart. “Known and read by all men.” The transformed lives of the Corinthians were Paul’s most eloquent testimonial, better than any secondhand letter. Their changed lives were like an open letter that could be seen and read by all men as a testimony to Paul’s faithfulness and the truth of his message.

“You are an epistle of Christ” (v. 3). The false teachers did not have a letter of commendation signed by Christ, but Paul had the Corinthian believers’ changed lives as proof that Christ had transformed them. “Written not with ink.” Paul’s letter was no human document written with ink that can fade. It was a living one. “Spirit of the living God.” Paul’s letter was alive, written by Christ’s divine, supernatural power through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:4, 5; 1 Thess. 1:5). “Tablets of stone.” A reference to the Ten Commandments. “Tablets of flesh…of the heart.” More than just writing His Law on stone, God was writing His Law on the hearts of those people He transformed. The false teachers claimed external adherence to the Mosaic Law as the basis of salvation, but the transformed lives of the Corinthians proved that salvation was an internal change wrought by God in the heart.

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.

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