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 corruption (Romans 8:21).

Filson's understanding of what Paul meant here is:

Christ and the Spirit are one in nature and share in the guidance of the church ... Here, in saying that the Lord is the Spirit, he means especially that as Spirit the Lord can be with his people everywhere.[28]

As Kelcy said, "Christ and the Spirit are separate personalities; but, because of the closeness of their work, there is a practical identity; and to turn to either is to turn to the other"[29]

The thou shalt and thou shalt not of the Old Testament disappear in the presence of the Spirit of adoption (Galatians 4:7) through which we become imitators of God as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1), walking in love.[30]

The above comment from Russell is typical of many false deductions based upon Paul's teaching in this chapter. Jesus our Lord gave many negative commandments which may not be ignored by any Christian who hopes to be received in heaven. See Matthew 5:19. There are seven negative commandments in the first twenty verses of Matthew 6. It is simply not true that "in Christ" we are freed from any "thou shalt" or "thou shalt not" commands. Liberty in Christ does not grant license.

[28] Floyd V. Filson, The Interpreter's Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1953), Vol. X, p. 312.

[29] Raymond C. Kelcy, Second Corinthians (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1967), p. 24.

[30] John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 443.