2 Corinthians 3:17

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Corinthians 3:17

The spirit of liberty. If there are two words especially dear to St. Paul, they are these—the spirit as distinguished from the form and the letter, and liberty as distinguished from religious bondage. I. MAN 'S NEED OF LIBERATION . 1 . Sin is bondage, however he may confuse between liberty and licence. There is no slave so crippled and so pitiable as is the bondman of sin. 2 . Man's happiness and well being depend upon his deliverance from this spiritual serfdom. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Corinthians 3:17

The liberty of the Spirit. "The apostle assumes, almost as an axiom of the spiritual life, that the presence of the Spirit gives freedom, as contrasted with the bondage of the letter—freedom from slavish fear, freedom from the guilt and burden of sin, freedom from the tyranny of the Law." Distinguish carefully between liberty and licence. Whether a man can have and use liberty depends entirely upon what a man is . Some men are better in bonds; they must be in bonds; their fancied... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is that Spirit - The word “Lord” here evidently refers to the Lord Jesus; see 2 Corinthians 3:16. It may be observed in general in regard to this word, that where it occurs in the New Testament unless the connection require us to understand it of God, it refers to the Lord Jesus. It was the common name by which he was known; see John 20:13; John 21:7, John 21:12; Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:5. The design of Paul in this verse seems to be to account for the “liberty” which he and the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

2 Corinthians 3:17-18. Now the Lord Christ is that Spirit Of the law of which I spake before, to whom the letter of it was intended to lead; and it is the office of the Spirit of God, as the great agent in his kingdom, to direct the minds of men to it. And where the Spirit of the Lord is Enlightening and renewing men’s minds; there is liberty Not the veil, the emblem of slavery. There is liberty from servile fear, liberty from the guilt and power of sin, liberty to behold with open... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 3:1-18

3:1-6:13 TRUE CHRISTIAN SERVICEThe servant and the message (3:1-18)Some of the teachers who came to Corinth brought with them letters of recommendation from their home churches, and claimed that these letters gave them authority to teach. Paul carried no such letters, with the result that his opponents suggested he had no right to teach. Paul replies that pieces of paper do not guarantee the truth of people’s ministry. A better means of judging is by the fruit of their work. The Corinthian... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Lord . App-98 . that = the. Spirit. App-101 . Compare 2 Corinthians 3:6 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.Paul does not here fuse the persons of the Lord and the Holy Spirit; for it is Christ who sends the Spirit.There is liberty ... When a Christian is converted, receiving the Holy Spirit as an earnest of redemption, there is bestowed at the same time freedom: (1) from the law (Galatians 4:18); (2) from fear (Romans 8:13); (3) from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2); (4) from sin (Romans 6:18); and (5) from... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 2 Corinthians 3:17

2 Corinthians 3:17. Now the Lord is that Spirit:— Now where the Lord is, the Spirit is. Le Clerc. Now the Spirit is the Lord; and where that Spirit is, there is the liberty of the Lord. Wells. These words, according to Mr. Locke, relate to 2Co 3:6 where St. Paul says, he is a minister, not of the law, nor of the outside and literal sense, but of the mystical and spiritual meaning of it; which here he tells us is Christ. And he adds, there is liberty, because the Spirit is given only to sons, or... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 2 Corinthians 3:17

17. the Lord—Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 4:5). is that Spirit—is THE Spirit, namely, that Spirit spoken of in 2 Corinthians 4:5- :, and here resumed after the parenthesis (2 Corinthians 4:5- :): Christ is the Spirit and "end" of the Old Testament, who giveth life to it, whereas "the letter killeth" (1 Corinthians 15:45; Revelation 19:10, end). where the Spirit of the Lord is—in a man's "heart" (2 Corinthians 3:15; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:10). there is liberty—... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

The openness of Christian ministry 3:12-18"If the keyword in 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 is ’glory,’ the keyword for 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, of which 2 Corinthians 3:12-15 form the first part, is ’veil’; ’veil’-related words occur six times in these verses." [Note: Barnett, p. 188.] read more

Group of Brands