2 Corinthians 3:17

Commentary on 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Exegetical Context (2 Corinthians 3)

Paul’s third chapter contrasts the fading glory of the Old Covenant with the surpassing glory of the New Covenant. He begins by showing that the Corinthians themselves are his “living letter,” written by the Spirit on human hearts rather than ink on stone (vv 1–3). He then highlights how the law, though glorious, brought condemnation and veiled hearts (vv 7–16), before culminating in the revelation that true freedom comes by the Spirit (v 17) and leads to ongoing transformation into Christ’s likeness (v 18).

Clause-by-Clause Exegesis

“Now the Lord is the Spirit”

• God is one essence in three persons. Here “Lord” (Greek Kyrios, a messianic title) and “Spirit” emphasise the unity of Christ and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing covenant renewal.
• The phrase echoes John 4:24, teaching that the divine nature is spiritual and life-giving. The Lord Jesus, though ascended, continues His ministry through the indwelling Spirit (John 15:26; 16:13).

“…and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”

• “Liberty” (Greek eleutheria) refers to freedom from the condemnation, guilt and power of sin that characterised life under the law (Galatians 5:1; Romans 7:6).
• Covenant theology holds that the New Covenant promise—“I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33)—is fulfilled in believers by the Spirit’s regenerating and sanctifying work. In Christ, the believer moves from a burdensome code to a Spirit empowered walk.

Theological Teaching

1. Covenantal Freedom
   Under the Old Covenant, the law revealed sin but offered no power to overcome it. The New Covenant, mediated by the Spirit, brings both pardon and power. Christian confessions call this “freedom of the children of God”.
2. Sanctification by the Spirit
   Freedom is not licence but the Spirit’s enabling grace to obey God’s law from the heart (Romans 8:3–4). As believers behold Christ with unveiled faces (v 18), the Spirit progressively transforms them “from glory to glory.”
3. Union with Christ
   In soteriology, the believer’s union with Christ is the ground for Spirit-wrought liberty. Because Christ fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf, no condemnation remains (Romans 8:1), and the Spirit applies that victory to our lives.

Application to Modern Christian Living

• Cultivate daily dependence on the Spirit through prayer and meditating on Scripture, recognising that self-effort leads only to bondage.
• Replace legalism with grace-driven obedience: evaluate motives by asking, “Am I driven by law-keeping or by love empowered by the Spirit?”
• Champion gospel-centred preaching and discipleship in church life, emphasising transformation over mere rule-following.
• Encourage one another with testimonies of Spirit-enabled freedom, modelling the liberty that comes from Christ alone.

Teaching from 2 Corinthians 3:17

The core teaching of 2 Corinthians 3:17 is that genuine liberty before God—and liberation from the guilt and power of sin—is found only where the Lord’s Spirit dwells. Believers under the New Covenant are set free from the condemnation inherent in the law and are empowered by the Spirit to pursue true holiness from the heart.