What does 2 Corinthians 3:8 mean?

God's work in the world is always glorious. Paul is describing the differences between the ministry of God's Old Covenant with Israel and the ministry of God's new covenant of grace through faith in Christ for all who believe. In the previous verse, he called the ministry of the Old Covenant the "ministry of death." Through the law, carved in letters on stone, the Israelites became aware of their inability to obey God. They understood their sinfulness deserved death (Romans 7:10–11). The required death often took place through the sacrifice of animals to atone for their sin.

Still, the Old Covenant brought glory, reflected on Moses' face after he had talked with God. Paul now uses a rhetorical question to declare that the ministry of the new covenant, the "ministry of the Spirit," will have even more glory. He shows in the following verses that the glory of the ministry of the Spirit will far surpass the former glory revealed under the ministry of death.