[B-Greek] 2Cor 3:15-16 hHNIKA ... AN
Elizabeth Kline
kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Sun Feb 7 12:11:26 EST 2010
Brian,
On Feb 5, 2010, at 6:28 AM, Brian Abasciano wrote:
>
> As for my statement that "Apart from the reading, there would be no experience of the veil", I think that is one sound way of expressing what the text itself says. It only links the veil with the reading of Moses: "Until today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart" (2 Cor 3:15). The text itself only gives us information about the veil in connection with the reading of Moses/the Old Covenant. The same is true of 3:14 as well. If anything is "going beyond the text", it would be to make conclusions about the veil that concern it apart from the reading of Moses (or tunring to the Lord). I am not saying it is invalid to do so, but it is more of a theological exercise than is stating that that the text only presents the veil as active in connection with the reading of Moses. This latter point seems undeniable based on the wording of the text itself, *precisely due to the **temporal** expression we are discussing.* The text does not concern itself with the veil other than its relationship to the reading of Moses (and of course, its removal upon turning to the Lord). There might be other things to discern validly about it theologically etc., but that is not specifically mentioned by the text as is the veil's relationship to the reading of Moses.
>
> "Apart from the reading, there would be no experience of the veil"
How about "apart from Moses there is no experience of the veil" so reading the prophets they understood them clearly but when they read Moses and just didn't get it. Is this valid?
It seems to me that Paul's though on spiritual blindness of both Jews and Gentiles in his other letters is a valid cognitive framework to be applied to the veil metaphor in this passage. You are making the metaphor "walk on all four". You are claiming that Paul is affirming a negative proposition "no spiritual blindness except when they read Torah". Paul isn't affirming that. He wouldn't affirm that.
Your are correct that the text under discussion does not address spiritual blindness in general, but focuses only on the the reading of Moses. But if we used your logic, we might state that this metaphor implies that while reading the Prophets the veil was lifted because it is only stated in this text that they were under veil while reading Moses.
Once again, I agree with Donald Cobb's analysis, point by point.
I think we have pretty well exhausted this question. Once again, thanks to everyone who participated.
Elizabeth Kline
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