And not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly see the end of that which is abolished:
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
It is not the Old Testament that is done away with in Christ but the concealing veil, so that it may be understood through Christ. That is, as it were, laid bare, which without Christ is hidden and obscure. The same apostle adds immediately: “When you shall turn to Christ, the veil shall be taken away.” He does not say: “The law or the Old Testament will be taken away.” It is not the case, therefore, that by the grace of the Lord that which was covered has been abolished as useless; rather the covering has been removed which concealed useful truth. This is what happens to those who earnestly and piously, not proudly and wickedly, seek the sense of the Scriptures. To them is carefully demonstrated the order of events, the reasons for words and deeds and the agreement of the Old Testament with the New, so that not a point remains where there is not complete harmony; and such secret truths are conveyed in figures. When they are brought to light by interpretation, they compel those who wis...
Doubtless, there is a veil in the Old Testament, which will be removed as soon as one comes to Christ. At his crucifixion, “the veil of the temple was torn,” to signify what the apostle said about the veil of the Old Testament, “Because in Christ it is made void.” Letter , To Honoratus
The truth is that the Old Testament of Mount Sinai, “producing children of slavery,” now serves no purpose but to bear witness to the New. Otherwise, the words of St. Paul would not be true: “Yes, down to this very day when Moses is read, the veil covers their hearts”; but when any of them turn from the Old Testament to Christ, “the veil shall be taken away.” What happens is that the deepest aspirations of those who make the change are shifted from the Old Testament to the New, whereupon they begin to look for spiritual—rather than earthly—happiness.
And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face. Moses veiled his face, but we do not veil the face of Christ, but with great freedom bid all gaze upon it. From Exodus 24:33 we gather that Moses in his first interview with the people spoke to them with unveiled face because of the reverence due to the majesty of the law, but that he afterwards veiled his face that he might with the greater freedom speak to them. But when he entered the tabernacle ( Exodus 33:8), to converse with God, he took away the veil. In this and the next three verses, S. Paul gives the allegorical meaning of this veiling; for to the Jews the Old Testament is covered with a veil, so that they do not see the light of the New Testament, and Christ contained in it. From us, however, Christ has taken away the veil, and will take it away from the Jews when they are converted at the end of the world.
S. Gregory (Pastor. pt. iii. c5) says tropologically: "The preacher should, like Moses, suit himself to his hearers: w...
The apostle here informs the Corinthians that the apostles speak with confidence, without any veil, discovering to men mysteries hidden from the foundation of the world; not like Moses, who put a veil on his face that the Israelites might not look steadfastly, or might not discover the weakness and short duration of the law, which was represented by the light that surrounded his face, and which quickly passed away. St. Paul here gives the allegorical explanation of the light and veil on the face of Moses. (Estius)
Now what he says is of this nature. There is no need for us to cover ourselves as Moses did; for you are able to look upon this glory which we are encircled with, although it is far greater and brighter than the other. Do you see the advance? For he that in the former Epistle said, I have fed you with milk, not with meat; says here, We use great boldness of speech. And he produces Moses before them, carrying forward the discourse by means of comparison, and thus leading his hearer upwards.
And for the present he sets them above the Jews, saying that 'we have no need of a veil as he had with those he governed;' but in what comes afterwards he advances them even to the dignity itself of the Lawgiver, or even to a much greater.
Paul is saying that there is no need for us to cover ourselves as Moses did, for we are able to look at the glory with which we are encircled, even though it is far brighter than the other one.
