2 Corinthians 3:16 But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Here is the key of the gospel given in the context of the Old Testament illustration Paul has been using in this chapter. The key interpretive issue in this verse is the meaning of “veil.” What is this veil? It includes many things in Paul’s thinking. At its very core is human effort to be righteous (especially for the Jews; Romans 2) or proving self to be sufficient without God (the problem of the Gentiles; Romans 1). This veil covers the human spirit or heart so that we cannot experience God’s gracious salvation. The veil appears in futile legalism or frenetic libertinism, with various degrees in between these two extremes. For ancient Israel, it appeared in idolatry and rejection of God’s laws. For the Corinthians, it may have been in idolatry or immorality, two issues Paul takes up in 1 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians, the issues are more subtle. The problem of the veil appears through the deception of the false apostles and the Corinthians’ attacks of Paul.
The only way any of these problems can be resolved is by turning to the Lord. The idea of turning to the Lord is a key theme in the Old Testament prophets and is bound up in the concept of repentance. Only by turning from sin in repentance and turning in faith to the Lord Jesus can this veil be removed. It will be replaced with experiencing the glory of God, being able to be in God’s presence, and experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This is the power of the gospel that can be applied in any situation of life. Its essence is applicable to whatever walk of life a person has or whatever problems a person has had. The verb “is removed” is passive, showing that this is all a matter of God’s grace. God removes the veil. We just need to turn to God and ask. This is good news!
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