God’s Servant (3.1-6)
In the closing verses of chapter 2, Paul had felt the need to defend his reputation and therefore the reliability of his teaching. He fears lest his ‘competence’/adequacy (3.4-6) be ascribed to himself, whereas everything we have really comes from God through the working of his Spirit. His use of the same word for ‘adequacy’ in Colossians 1.12 underlines our total dependence on the gracious working of God for and in us. Our eternal life and the “inheritance of the saints” obviously come by God’s grace alone. Likewise, everything positive in our service stems from the grace of God and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Playing down any claims he has as an apostle, Paul prefers to write of his ‘ministry’ – the Greek word from which we get our English ‘deacon/diaconate’, a humble form of ministry. This fits his constant emphasis in his letters on service as a “slave of Jesus Christ” (e.g. Romans 1.1). Although he is an apostle, he doesn’t claim authority or particular rights.
Paul asserts that he has no need of any letter of commendation. Proof of his faith and ministry is evidenced by the Christian life of the Corinthian Christians, “the result of our ministry” (3.3). Their faith is not written with ink as in a letter; nor on stone as with the Mosaic Law/Torah. It is “of Christ, by our ministry, written by the Spirit of the living God” (3.3).
Letters of commendation were normally carried by Christians travelling or moving to another place. This assured them of a warm welcome and hospitality. It would also inform the travellers’ new church of what ministry gifts they could exercise. Perhaps, in our modern mobile societies, we should again give such letters of commendation. At present, many Christians stop practising their gifts with young people, children or social service for their final six months, in order to hand their work over to other members. Then, on arrival at their new church, they may not take up service for at least another six months. The new church needs to discover their gifts and feel confident of them. And they themselves feel the need to settle in their new church. As a result, many Christians are inactive for quite a few years in the course of their lives. Our churches can ill afford inactive members.
Glory (3.7-18)
Paul should be accepted and trusted because of the very existence of the church in Corinth, which was the fruit of his apostolic ministry. Now he goes on to affirm that they all (himself included) “reflect the Lord’s glory, and are being transformed into God’s likeness with ever-increasing glory” (3.18). What an amazing assertion! It challenges us too with serious questions.
When God had brought Israel out from Egypt, he called Moses to Mount Sinai to receive his covenant with Israel. God revealed his glory to Moses (Exodus 33.19-22) and then he gave him the Law/Torah. As Moses had those forty days in the presence of God, Moses’ face reflected the glory of God. When he returned to his people Israel, they couldn’t bear the brilliance of God’s glory on Moses’ face, so he covered his face with a veil (3.13; Exodus 34.29-35). Tragically, that veil still conceals God’s glory from those who don’t yet know the Messiah/Christ Jesus. (3.14). But the prophet Isaiah foresaw the day when the Servant of God would come and ‘the glory of the Lord will rise upon you’ (Isaiah 60.1). In and through the Messiah Jesus, “the veil is taken away” and the glory of the Lord is revealed by God’s Spirit. As ‘the Lord rises upon the people of Israel’ and ‘his glory appears over them’, “nations will come to your light” despite the thick darkness which envelops them beforehand (Isaiah 60.2/3). The coming of the Messiah Jesus to the Jews spills over to all the world’s peoples. The evangelisation of Jews has vital significance for all Christians.
The consequence of the revelation of God’s glory to his messianic people is that we should be “transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (3.18). For this we depend entirely on the Lord’s Spirit who lives in us and works in us. May each one of us experience this!
Martin Goldsmith 
Thank you for this post.