2 Corinthians 3:14

ἀλλὰ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. But their minds were blinded. This suits those whose power of perception is covered with a veil, whose ‘minds the god of this world has blinded’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The R.V. here substitutes ‘hardened’ for ‘blinded,’ in accordance with the original meaning of πῶρος and πωρόω. But ‘blinded’ is perhaps closer to the later meanings. To speak of ‘minds’ or ‘thoughts’ being ‘hardened’ is a curious expression. Comp. Romans 11:7; Romans 11:25; Ephesians 4:18. For νοήματα see on 2 Corinthians 2:11. By the πώρωσις of these is meant moral obtuseness, not wilful obstinacy. Their understandings lost their sensibility towards spiritual truths. In order to distinguish πωρόω from τυφλόω (2 Corinthians 4:4) ‘dulled’ might be used here. The ἀλλά refers to 2 Corinthians 3:13. They were not allowed to see the fading of the glory, which might have taught them that their dispensation was to pass away; but, on the contrary, their perceptions were paralysed, and to this day cannot grasp the situation. See a valuable note on this and kindred passages in the Journal of Theological Studies, Oct. 1901, pp. 81 ff. Lightfoot (on 2 Thessalonians 2:8) points out that S. Paul sometimes uses καταργεῖν in opposition to ‘light’ as if with a sense of ‘darkening,’ ‘eclipsing’; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:10. The use of it here (2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 3:14) confirms the meaning ‘blinded’ for ἐπωρώθη.

ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας. This is to justify so strong an expression as ἐπωρώθη. It can have been nothing less than πώρωσις, for it has lasted so long. See Chrysostom.

ἐπὶ τῇ�. δ. This takes us to the public reading in the synagogue (τὴν�, Acts 13:15); and the synagogue, as in Acts, is the centre of unbelief.

τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης. “Nothing more strongly expresses the Apostle’s conviction of the extinction of the Jewish system than this expression of the ‘Old Covenant,’ applied to the Jewish Scriptures within thirty years after the Crucifixion” (Stanley). See Westcott on Hebrews 8:13. The direct opposite of καινός is ἀρχαῖος, as is shown 2 Corinthians 5:17. But παλαιός, as meaning what has existed for a long time, may be opposed to either νέος (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22) or καινός (Luke 5:36). ‘The same veil’ is not understood literally. It is the symbolical meaning which is the same in both cases, viz. the inability to see the vanishing of the glory of the Law.

μὴ�. The construction and translation of these words is doubtful. They may refer to τὸ κάλυμμα which precedes; or they may be taken absolutely and refer to what follows. Either, at the reading of the old covenant the same veil abideth without being lifted, because it is done away in Christ; or, at the reading of the old covenant the same veil abideth, the revelation not being made that it is done away in Christ (Chrysostom). In the first rendering it is the veil that is done away in Christ; and this has two difficulties: (1) that it does not fit the context, for the veil abides unlifted, not because it is done away in Christ, but because of the πώρωσις of their hearts: (2) that throughout the passage (2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 3:11; 2 Corinthians 3:13-14) it is the glory of the Law which καταργεῖται. When S. Paul speaks of the veil being removed, he says περιαιρεῖται (2 Corinthians 3:16). Therefore the second rendering is preferable, according to which it is the Law which ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται. This absolute use of a participle or adjective is found elsewhere: comp. καθαρίζον πάντα τὰ βρώματα (Rec. of Mark 7:19); εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον (2 Timothy 2:14). The A.V. spoils the repetition of ‘done away’ (comp. 1 Corinthians 8:8) by substituting ‘abolished’ in 2 Corinthians 3:13. The R.V. does the like by substituting ‘pass away’ in 2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 3:11; but it has ‘done away’ in the margin. There are many places in the N.T. in which it is doubtful whether ὄτι is ‘that’ or ‘because’ (2 Corinthians 1:14; Luke 1:45; Luke 7:16; Luke 7:39; Luke 9:22; Luke 10:21; Luke 11:38; Luke 22:70; 1 John 2:12-14, &c.).