Does 2 Corinthians 3:7, 8, teach the Ten Commandments passed away?

The Bible is clear that God’s Ten Commandments stand forever. King David stated, “The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness” (Psalm 111:7, 8). The apostle Paul affirmed, “Do we make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).

So what “passed away”? This passage is speaking of the glory of the countenance on Moses’ face after he had been with the Lord. Being in the divine presence of God caused his face to shine so much that, at times, he wore a veil to cover this brightness. This glow was temporary and would fade. The fact that it passed away did not mean it was fake or bad.

Paul uses this glory on Moses’ face as an illustration of the Jewish system that God established through Moses to point people to Christ. It was not a bad system. But when Jesus came, this system passed away. The ultimate purpose of the sanctuary, the feasts, and all the ceremonial laws was to direct people to the Messiah. It was glorious in its purpose, but it was not the aim to keep people tied to rituals. God’s desire is that His law would be written into the hearts of people.

The passage says the ministry of the Spirit would be “more glorious.” When you read the whole passage (2 Corinthians 3:3–9), you will see that the subject is not doing away with God’s law, but the location of the law from “tables of stone” to the “tables of the heart.” Under Moses’ leadership, the law was given on stone. But under the work of the Holy Spirit, it will be written on the heart.

Key Bible Texts

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: (2 Corinthians 3:7 KJV)