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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | 2 corn. 4:4 the god of this world hath b | 2 Cor 4:1 | victorA | 136650 | ||
Hi Tim, I’ve read your posts very carefully and what you say simply is not true. Your reasoning is not sound. No matter how you try and “twist”, the loving Creator would not blind anyone for any reason. The theos referred to in 2 Cor 4:4 is the same one mentioned at 1 John 5:19, which says: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” And surely one cannot ignore what the leading respected Bible scholars by both you and I, understand this verse to mean. I feel it apropos to mention that allowing one’s preconceived ideas to sway one’s thinking can easily prevent one from drawing accurate conclusions. Respected in virtually all theological circles, John Wesley, considers it a horrible description of even Satan much less Jehovah God! Undoubtedly, 2 Cor. 4:4 is an example of the Bible’s use of “theos” clearly making application to Satan. Satan is a creation of the Almighty Theos who turned evil. Nonetheless, Satan is identified by the Almighty Theos as a “theos” but of course, not the Almighty theos since there is only “one” Almighty theos that is to be worshipped as such. At 1 Cor. 8:4-6 Paul says, “Now concerning the eating of foods offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called ‘gods,’ whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords,’ there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him.” To Paul and the first-century Christians, true religion was not the worship of many gods, not polytheism,(not of Jesus as Almighty God and also the Father as Almighty God) but was devotion to only “one God the Father,” whose name the Bible reveals when it says: “That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.”—Psalm 83:18. Let’s not forget that the Bible teaches that the spirit creature who transformed himself into Satan the Devil was originally one of those “sons of God” or one of those “godlike ones,” one of those elohim (Bible designated “gods“). Also the spirits that became demons under Satan were once numbered among those “godlike ones” (and again the Bible uses “gods”). So it is no remarkable thing that the apostle Paul calls Satan “the god of this world,” or that he says that the pagan nations have made the spirit demons their gods and offer sacrifice to them.—2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Cor. 10:20, 21, Authorized Version. Again stop ignoring what Paul said: “Though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many)”; but Paul was not teaching polytheism thereby. For he added: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (1 Cor. 8:5, 6, AV) We worship the same God that the Lord Jesus Christ worships, and that is the “one God, the Father.” This worship we render to him through the Son of God, our “one Lord Jesus Christ and mighty theos (not Almighty theos) as Isaiah 9:6 makes application to Jesus Christ. How can you ignore our leading Hebrew Lexicons when they say that Psalms 89:6 makes application to angels as “gods” using the Hebrew word “el” according to Strong’s and other Hebrew Lexicons. -Shortened from H352; strength; as adjective mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity): - God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might (-y one), power, strong. Compare names in “-el.” Psalm 8:5, the angels are also referred to as ´elo·him´, as is confirmed by Paul’s quotation of the passage at Hebrews 2:6-8. They are called beneh´ ha·´Elo·him´, “sons of God” (KJ); “sons of the true God” (NW), at Genesis 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1. Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, by Koehler and Baumgartner (1958), page 134, says: “(individual) divine beings, gods.” And page 51 says: “the (single) gods,” and it cites Genesis 6:2; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. Hence, at Psalm 8:5 ´elo·him´ is rendered “angels” (LXX); “godlike ones” (NW). |
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2 | 2 corn. 4:4 the god of this world hath b | 2 Cor 4:1 | victorA | 136652 | ||
1) god of this world--The worldly make him their God (Phi_3:19). He is, in fact, "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience" (Eph_2:2). “A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments,” by respected Biblical scholars and Drs. R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and D. Brown of Great Britain 2) They are under the influence and power of the devil, who is here called the god of this world, and elsewhere the prince of this world, because of the great interest he has in this world, the homage that is paid to him by multitudes in this world, and the great sway that, by divine permission, he bears in the world, and in the hearts of his subjects, or rather slaves. And as he is the prince of darkness, and ruler of the darkness of this world, so he darkens the understandings of men. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (1662 - 1714) 3) There can be no doubt that Satan is here designated by this appellation; though some of the fathers supposed that it means the true God, and Clarke inclines to this opinion. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1798-1870) 4) I must own I feel considerable reluctance to assign the epithet (ha theos), The God, to Satan; and were there not a rooted prejudice in favor of the common opinion, the contrary might be well vindicated, viz. that by the God of this world the supreme Being is meant, who in his judgment gave over the minds of the unbelieving Jews to spiritual darkness, so that destruction came upon them to the uttermost. Satan, it is true, has said that the kingdoms of the world and their glory are his, and that he gives them to whomsoever he will. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1715-1832) 6) “The god of this world. See Joh_12:31, Joh_12:40; Phi_3:19. Satan is called the prince of this world, and the god of this world. By his devices he blinds the eyes of men so they should not see the light of gospel.” The People's New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson 7) “If then this revelation was hidden, it was in the case of those who were lost, whose minds were blinded by the god of this world, lest the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into their hearts.” Synopsis of the Old and New Testaments John Nelson Darby (1800 - 1882) 8) 2Co 4:4 - “The God of this world - What a sublime and horrible description of Satan! He is indeed the god of all that believe not, and works in them with inconceivable energy. Hath blinded - Not only veiled, the eye of their understanding.” John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible God defined: A) 1. The Supreme Being; Jehovah; the eternal and infinite spirit, the creator, and the sovereign of the universe. God is a spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4. 2. A false god; a heathen deity; an idol. Fear not the gods of the Amorites. Judg 6. 3. A prince; a ruler; a magistrate or judge; an angel. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English B) theos Thayer Definition: 1) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities 2) the Godhead, trinity 2a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity 2b) Christ, the second person of the trinity 2c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity 3) spoken of the only and true God 3a) refers to the things of God 3b) his counsels, interests, things due to him 4) whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way 4a) God’s representative or vice regent 4a1) of magistrates and judges |
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