7:20-21 What was God's purpose in making Jesus a high priest with an oath?
7:20-21 What was God's purpose in making Jesus a high priest with an oath?
The proposition put forward here is that since God established Jesus' eternal priesthood with an oath, it is a surety of a better covenant that will never fail (CP V22 with 2Cor 3:6).
Letter in 2 Cor 3:6 refers to the old covenant - the letter of the law. Paul is distinguishing between the old and the new covenants here. No one could satisfy the letter, or demands of the law under the old covenant, and so it condemned them to death.
However, the new covenant is a covenant of grace, entered into through Christ's atoning death, which has made possible for all who believe on Christ that which was impossible under the law (CP Ac 13:38-39; Ro 3:19-26; 7:5-6; 8:1-4; Ga 2:16). See also comments on 2Cor 3:6.