Ministration of Life

by Terry Wane Benton

An interesting contrast between the Old and New Testaments, according to II Corinthians 3, is that the Old is a ministration of death, while the New is a ministration of life. The old prepared the way for Jesus by pointing out sin and displaying a sentence of death, thus our need for a Savior. The new presents the Savior, the giver of life.

At Sinai, when the Law of Moses was given, we see the Israelites shaking in fear at the awesome presence of God, and soon after 3,000 were killed (ministration of death). "And about three thousand men of the people fell that day" (Exodus 32:28-29 NKJV). But, in contrast, at the beginning of the New Covenant established in Acts 2, we see 3,000 people who were dead in sin, baptized into Christ, and raised to spiritual life. "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. NKJV Here we see that the New Testament was/is a ministration of spiritual life that works to guarantee our eternal life in heaven" (Acts 2:41-42).

The Old Testament was glorious, but in comparison to the New Testament, it had not nearly the same glory.

"But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious" (II Corinthians 3:7-11 NKJV).

The old was designed to serve a temporal position of preparing the way for the Savior and then “passing away” as a binding law. The New is what “remains” and it provides all the needs of sinners to bring about their spiritual and eternal life.