Yesterday, we saw Paul talking about our sufficiency in Christ. He follows immediately with a meditation on glory. [Caution: Paul has a lot of “stream of consciousness” communication in 2 Corinthians!]

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory…Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3.7 – 11, 17, 18, ESV, emphasis mine)

We’re not just sufficient, we’re participating in a ministry of glory! “Sufficient” is good – recall Ian Thomas’ story about the Rolls Royce. Will it go up the mountain OK? The Rolls Royce people said: “It’s adequate.” Paul wraps it up:

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. (2 Corinthians 3.12, ESV)