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NASB | 2 Corinthians 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 4:4 among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. |
Subject: 2 Cor 4:4 |
Bible Note: Greetings Xmikx! I am so irritated at myself right now! :-) I had just finished a very well written response to your question, and I lost it! Oh well, here I go again! ;-) You asked me in a private e-mail why God would blind anyone. Allow me to answer that question here on the forum. My answer will involve looking at several passages in their context. 2 Cor. 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The same word for ‘blinded’ is also used in John 12:40. In John 12:40, John is trying to explain the inability of people to believe in Jesus (John 12:39). His answer was that their inability to believe was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Is. 6:10. In Is. 6:10, God deliberately causes the people to be unable to ‘see’, or to ‘hear’, or to be able to ‘understand’ (eyes, ears, mind), so that they will not respond to Him. The same point is made in Rom. 11:8, where again it says that Israel was hardened by God. This hardening is described in three ways as an inability to see, as and inability to hear, and as a spirit of stupor (an inability to understand). However, both Is. 6:11 and Rom. 11:25-32 make it clear that this hardening is not permanent, but temporary. The result of the hardening is that all men may now receive mercy (Rom. 11:32). How does this relate to 2 Cor. 4:4? Simple! The same theme is being discussed in 2 Cor. 3-5. Look at the similar words that are found in 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3:13 speaks of Moses ‘veiling’ his face to hide the glory of God. Paul then goes on to use that imagery of a ‘veil’ as a metaphor for being unable to see, or to hear, or to understand either the Law or the Gospel. 2 Cor. 3:14 states that the Israelites minds were made dull and that a veil remains to this day whenever the old covenant is read. He also describes their hearts as being veiled in 2 Cor. 3:15. The only time this veil is removed is when someone comes to Christ (2 Cor. 3:14 and 16). It is in this sense that the Gospel is veiled to unbelievers in 2 Cor. 4:4. They can not see, hear, or understand the Gospel or see the glory of God. However, God’s glory is being reflected by those of us who have come to Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). And, He has made us His ambassadors to reach out to this world of darkness with the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:20). God’s grace is reaching more and more with the light of the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:15). So, to answer your question as to why God would blind anyone – He blinded them so that He might extend His grace out to all the world, not just to physical Israel (Rom. 11:25-32). I hope this clarifies why I believe that the ‘ho theos’ of 2 Cor. 4:4 is none other than Jehovah Himself, and not Satan. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |