Exploring the Scripture

2 Corinthians is a canonized letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian saints. It is, however, a collection of writings from several letters he wrote to this community, many of which have not survived.

Paul starts this part of his letter asserting that because they have hope, he and his listeners “act with great boldness (v. 12) in contrast to Moses and his followers whose faces were covered with a veil (v. 13). He asserts that “only in Christ is [the veil] set aside” (v. 14), and “when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed” (v. 16). After referencing Christ, Paul declares “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (v. 17). He continues by asserting that with unveiled faces we can be transformed into the image of Christ through the power of the glory of God.

We must be sure to understand what Paul means by freedom in verse 17. It is not a license to do as we please. Rather it is freedom from that which keeps us from seeing and experiencing the truth about God because our faces are veiled. The world in which we live includes many voices, many attractions that keep us from the freedom that allows us to hear God’s voice and follow it firmly.

So much emphasis is placed on personal achievement, status, and possessions. We are told what we must have and do to be acceptable to other people. Comparison with and judgment of others dominate where love and inclusion should reign.

God invites us to receive the Divine’s love for us and claim our identity as God’s beloved. By copying the words and actions of Jesus, we gain the freedom to love others as we love ourselves. We always will remember that “since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

This text from 2 Corinthians fits well with the main theme of Transfiguration Sunday that we follow today: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (Mark 9:7). In the company of Moses and Elijah, who represent the law and prophets of the Hebrew tradition, Jesus’s disciples are told to listen to him. Jesus is the one who takes away the veil and allows one to see the truth. The truth is that all persons and features of God’s creation are of equal and unlimited worth.

In hearing today’s text, we need to be alert to the temptation to judge the Hebrew faith or tradition as inferior to Christianity and avoid the lessons they have to teach us. Jesus was a Jew, and it was from this background that he learned and listened to the Spirit’s call to teach and practice a gospel that went beyond what previously had been available.

The Hebrew Bible that we refer to as the Old Testament contains riches that support and inspire the identity and witness of Community of Christ to this day.

We live in God’s mercy (4:1) in which we find forgiveness and the freedom to respond fully to what God wishes for us and all creation.

Project Zion Podcast

Hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith consider how this week's scripture connects to our lives today.

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Central Ideas

1. Christ enables the veil to be lifted from our faces enabling us to see our calling.
2. Christ’s mission, for Community of Christ, is our mission.
3. Where the Lord’s Spirit is, freedom is found.

Questions to Consider

1. What veils prevent you from seeing and acting with God-given freedom?
2. How has Christ enabled you to seek God’s will more faithfully?
3. How have you experienced God’s mercy?