2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4.
The Gospel-Message of Light and Life. 2 Corinthians 4, 1–18
Paul uses frankness in delivering his message: V.3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; v.4. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
This fact being established, Paul can once more refer to his words in chap. 1, 15. 16 and 2, 12-18, by saying: But even if our gospel is veiled, in them that are perishing it is veiled.
The gospel in itself is anything but dark and obscure, chap. 3, 13; it is a light that shines in the dark place of this world, intended to illumine the hearts of all men. But the opposition of men, their refusal to accept its simple statement of grace, places the veil of willful ignorance before the bright beauty of the Gospel, thus preventing its clear rays from entering into their hearts. Thus it is the punishment of their own guilt that they are lost, 1 Cor. 1, 18; they are judged already, John 3, 18.
“But it must be so, the Word of God must be the most peculiar thing in heaven and earth; therefore it must do both things at the same time, enlighten and honor in the highest degree those that believe and honor it, and blind and disgrace in the highest degree those that do not believe it. To the former it must be the most certain and best known: to the latter it must be the least known and most hidden. The former laud and praise it in the highest degree; the latter blaspheme and disgrace it in the highest degree, so that its works bear full sway and are not unimportant, but peculiar, terrible works in the hearts of men” (Luther, 19, 1735).
The cause for this condition is very distinctly not in the Gospel itself, but in man, due to the machinations of the devil: In whom the god of this world, of this present age, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.
Satan is the god, the prince, of this present age, chap. 2, 11; John 12, 31; 14, 30. He has his work in the children of unbelief, Eph. 2, 2; 5, 6; 1 John 3, 10; they give him willing obedience.
But he, in turn, as a fitting wage, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving. Because they were guilty of rejecting the truth, the blinding could make progress in their hearts, could be a judgment upon them; for Satan could not perform this wickedness in the hearts of the believers, of them that are being saved, because to them the gospel is not veiled.
And the purpose of the devil in blinding the hearts of the unbelieving is: That the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth, should not dawn upon them, or that they should not see it clearly, it should remain hidden before them.
The sum total, the content, of the gospel is the brightness of the glory of God in Christ Jesus, the glorious revelation of Jesus as the Savior of the world. But so well is the design of Satan realized in the children of unbelief that this glory of Christ, who also in regard to His work is the perfect image of God, is not seen by them, does not penetrate into their understanding.